January 2018 – Page 5 – Spaceflight Now

U.S. military satellite launched to fortify against missile attacks

January 20, 2018 Stephen Clark

A billion-dollar U.S. military satellite rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket into orbit Friday night from Cape Canaveral, joining a network of space sentinels warning of threatening missile launches from North Korea, or any other place on the globe.

Replay: Atlas 5 launches missile warning satellite

January 20, 2018 Spaceflight Now

Watch a replay of the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket carrying the $1.2 billion SBIRS GEO Flight 4 satellite into orbit.

Atlas 5 launch as seen from the KSC Press Site (members only)

January 20, 2018 Spaceflight Now

An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from launch complex 41 at Cape Canaveral carrying the SBIRS GEO-4 missile early warning satellite in this video shot from the Kennedy Space Center Press Site.

Astronaut Jeanette Epps bumped from space station flight

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

NASA said Thursday that rookie astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor will replace Jeanette Epps on an expedition set for launch to the International Space Station in June.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s commercial launcher reaches orbit for the first time

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s second Electron booster lifted off from New Zealand’s North Island on Saturday, U.S. time, and reached orbit after an eight-minute climb over the Pacific Ocean. Liftoff with three commercial CubeSats occurred at 8:43 p.m. EST Saturday (0143 GMT; 2:43 p.m. New Zealand time Sunday).

Atlas 5 team scrubs launch to study troublesome valve

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

Launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral with a U.S. Air Force infrared surveillance satellite was scrubbed Thursday evening after engineers encountered a balky valve associated with the first stage’s liquid oxygen system.

Asteroid missions on track to reach their destinations in 2018

January 18, 2018 Stephen Clark

Pioneering spacecraft from NASA and the Japanese space agency promise to reveal two unexplored asteroids later this year, officials said Wednesday, beginning surveys that will culminate in daring descents to capture samples for return to Earth, where eager scientists await a hands-on look at the specimens.

Atlas 5/SBIRS GEO Flight 4 launch timeline

January 18, 2018 Spaceflight Now

This is the launch timeline to be followed by the Atlas 5 rocket’s ascent into orbit from Cape Canaveral with the SBIRS GEO Flight 4 satellite for U.S. military infrared reconnaissance.

Photos: Ground crews roll 75th Atlas 5 rocket to its launch pad

January 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

The 75th Atlas 5 rocket rolled to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, a day before it was scheduled to lift off with a U.S. Air Force satellite to provide warnings of missile launches that might threaten U.S. territories and allies.

Lawmakers question safety, schedule for Boeing/SpaceX commercial crew ships

January 17, 2018 William Harwood

Boeing and SpaceX hope to launch commercial crew ferry ships on long-awaited test flights later this year, but both companies face major challenges getting the spacecraft certified before late 2019 when seats aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft will no longer be easily available for NASA space station crews, officials told lawmakers Wednesday.