May 2018 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Antares rocket’s predawn launch from Wallops Island

May 24, 2018 Stephen Clark

Carrying a Cygnus supply ship bound for the International Space Station, an Orbital ATK Antares rocket lifted off Monday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia.

Live coverage: SpaceX prepares for next Falcon 9 launch

May 24, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has delayed the launch of the SES 12 communications satellite until shortly after midnight Friday at Cape Canaveral, allowing teams additional time to complete pre-launch vehicle checks and wait for improved weather conditions. The launch, which was previously set for Thursday, is expected around 12:29 a.m. EDT (0429 GMT) Friday.

NOAA’s new GOES-17 weather satellite has degraded vision at night

May 23, 2018 Stephen Clark

Engineers are studying a malfunction with the main imaging instrument on NOAA’s GOES-17 weather satellite, launched March 1, that could limit the observatory’s ability to monitor storms, winds and other weather phenomena at night, officials said Wednesday.

Rideshare launch by SpaceX serves commercial and scientific customers

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket powered by a reused first stage climbed into orbit Tuesday from California’s Central Coast, carrying five satellites to upgrade Iridium’s global messaging service and two research craft to study Earth’s water cycle.

Video: Falcon 9 lifts off with Iridium and GRACE-Follow On satellites

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s tenth launch of the year took off Tuesday from California’s Central Coast on a unique ridehsare mission to add satellites to Iridium’s communications network and replace two Earth science satellites which ended their observations last year.

Live coverage: Iridium satellites, climate research craft lift off from California

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Tuesday with five communications satellites for Iridium’s commercial voice, data relay, and tracking network, and a pair of U.S.-German research craft to probe Earth’s climate and water cycle. Launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, occurred at 12:47 p.m. PDT (3:47 p.m. EDT; 1947 GMT).

Launch timeline for Falcon 9 mission with Iridium and GRACE-Follow On

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with five more Iridium Next communications satellite and the U.S.-German GRACE-Follow On climate research mission.

Replacements for GRACE gravity and climate satellites ready for launch

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

A pair of European-built, NASA-backed research satellites set for launch Tuesday from California will extend 15 years of global gravity field measurements collected by the GRACE mission before it ended last year, supplying scientists with data to help track the melting of Earth’s ice sheets and chart the impacts of floods and droughts.

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at Vandenberg

May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket rolled out to its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Monday, one day before its scheduled liftoff carrying seven satellites into orbit on commercial communications and climate research missions.

Antares rocket launch kicks off space station’s next commercial cargo delivery

May 21, 2018 Stephen Clark

An Orbital ATK Antares rocket streaked into orbit early Monday from Wallops Island, Virginia, with a commercial Cygnus cargo craft carrying a quantum research experiment, an investigation into the properties of concrete in space, fresh food and other provisions for the International Space Station’s six-person crew.