April 2018 – Page 5 – Spaceflight Now

Multi-satellite payload hoisted into high-altitude orbit by Atlas 5 rocket

April 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

A package of communications and tech demo satellites for the U.S. Air Force rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket into an orbit more than 20,000 miles over the equator after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Saturday evening.

Photos: Atlas 5 rocket blasts off for U.S. Air Force

April 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

An Atlas 5 rocket rumbled into space Saturday evening after lifting off from Cape Canaveral with multiple U.S. Air Force communications and tech demo satellites, and brilliant clear skies made for ideal viewing conditions shortly before sunset.

Q&A with George Ricker, principal investigator for the TESS mission (members only)

April 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

George Ricker, an astronomer and pioneer in space imaging sensor ships at MIT, leads the science team for NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.

On the pad: Atlas 5 rocket in position for third flight of 2018

April 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

These photos captured on the eve of launch show a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket standing on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, ready for blastoff on the U.S. Air Force’s AFSPC 11 mission with three satellites on-board.

Launch timeline for Atlas 5’s AFSPC 11 mission

April 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Atlas 5 rocket is set to loft three military satellites for the U.S. Air Force on a mission codenamed AFSPC 11. This timeline shows the major mission events planned over a six-hour flight to a near-geostationary orbit.

Photos: Atlas 5 rolled out for Air Force mission

April 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Alliance arrived at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 launch pad Friday morning after rolling out of its vertical hangar with three U.S. Air Force satellites designed to provide communications to military leaders and test new in-orbit inspection and surveillance technology.

Blue Origin’s orbital rocket in the running to receive U.S. military investment

April 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

Blue Origin submitted a proposal late last year in what’s expected to be a four-way competition for U.S. Air Force funding to support development of new orbital-class rockets, a further step taken by the Jeff Bezos-owned company to break into the military launch market, industry officials said.

Live coverage: Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral with multiple satellites

April 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

With its payload shroud filled with multiple U.S. Air Force satellites heading for a high-altitude perch over the equator, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Saturday at 7:13 p.m. EDT (2313 GMT) in its most powerful configuration with five strap-on solid-fueled boosters.

Photos: Indian rocket makes rare nighttime launch

April 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

Lifting off in the predawn hours from India’s island spaceport, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle added a new navigation satellite to the country’s space-based positioning network this week.

Atlas 5

Atlas 5 rocket readied for high-altitude multi-satellite flight Saturday

April 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance crews at Cape Canaveral are finishing final preparations for an Atlas 5 rocket launch Saturday evening to dispatch three U.S. military satellites directly to an orbital perch more than 20,000 miles over the equator.