2020 – Page 66 – Spaceflight Now

Ariane 5 deploys communications and environmental monitoring satellites

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Japanese-owned communications satellite built in Colorado and a South Korean environmental monitoring observatory shared an Ariane 5 rocket ride into orbit Tuesday from the South American jungle.

Space Adventures announces plans to fly private citizens on SpaceX crew capsule

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

Building on development for NASA’s commercial crew program, Space Adventures announced an agreement Tuesday with SpaceX to fly up to four paying space tourists on a standalone mission aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft in late 2021 or 2022 that could reach an altitude two-to-three times higher than the International Space Station.

Live coverage: Japanese and South Korean satellites launch on Ariane 5 rocket

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A European-built Ariane 5 rocket launched Tuesday with a U.S.-made communications satellite for Tokyo-based Sky Perfect JSAT and a South Korean environmental observatory. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 launcher took off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:18 p.m. EST (2218 GMT; 7:18 p.m. French Guiana time).

Cygnus freighter delivers new British-made antenna to International Space Station

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A commercial Cygnus cargo freighter arrived at the International Space Station Tuesday two-and-a-half days after launching from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, delivering a new British-made high-speed communications antenna and more than 7,000 pounds of other experiments and equipment.

SpaceX delivers more Starlink satellites to orbit, booster misses drone ship landing

February 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

Sixty more satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network launched Monday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, bringing the total number of Starlink platforms deployed in orbit since last May to 300.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

February 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites

February 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink Internet satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral at 10:05 a.m. EST (1505 GMT) Monday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket powered by a thrice-flown first stage booster.

Next GPS satellite lands in Florida for April launch

February 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

The U.S. Space Force’s third new-generation GPS 3-series navigation satellite has arrived in Florida for final processing and fueling ahead of a launch currently targeted for April 29 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Antares rocket lifts off from Virginia on space station cargo mission

February 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

A twin-engine Northrop Grumman Antares rocket climbed into orbit Saturday from Virginia’s Eastern Shore carrying a Cygnus supply ship bound for the International Space Station with a compact electron microscope, a flame combustion experiment, a range of biological investigations, fresh cheese, fruit and vegetables for the research lab’s three-person crew.

NASA picks Rocket Lab to launch lunar CubeSat mission

February 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA announced Friday that Rocket Lab will launch a 55-pound CubeSat from Wallops Island, Virginia, toward the moon in early 2021 on a demonstration mission to test lunar navigation techniques and scout a unique elliptical orbit for the planned Gateway mini-space station.