January 2021 – Spaceflight Now

Watch the Falcon 9 test fire its engines ahead of Starlink launch (members only)

January 31, 2021

Watch as a Falcon 9 rocket lights its nine Merlin first-stage engines at pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the 18th launch dedicated to SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellite venture.

China launches military spy satellite trio into orbit

January 29, 2021

China launched three Yaogan military satellites Friday on a Long March 4C rocket, adding to a fleet of spacecraft independent analysts believe are designed to spy on naval forces.

Live coverage: SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A

January 29, 2021

SpaceX has delayed the next launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center until Sunday. The two-stage launcher will carry with another batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Watch a live view of the Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A (members only)

January 29, 2021

Spaceflight Now members can watch a live view of launch pad 39A as SpaceX prepares for liftoff of 60 more Starlink internet satellites no earlier than Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Engineers analyze failure on SiriusXM satellite launched from Florida last month

January 28, 2021

Ground teams are evaluating a payload failure on a Maxar-built SiriusXM radio broadcasting satellite that launched from Cape Canaveral in December on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, officials said Wednesday.

Falcon 9 rocket arrives on pad 39A for sunrise Starlink launch this weekend

January 28, 2021

SpaceX plans to deploy the next group of Starlink internet relay spacecraft Sunday with a liftoff on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the company’s fourth satellite launch of the month.

Balky connectors prevent full activation of European experiment platform

January 27, 2021

Two astronauts working outside the International Space Station Wednesday installed a European Space Agency data relay antenna and connected four of six cables to partially power a new ESA experiment platform. They also removed two solar array handling fixtures to clear the way for a future power system upgrade.

Axiom reveals first all-private crew for trip to International Space Station

January 26, 2021

A four-man crew led by a former NASA astronaut intends to blast off early next year aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a flight to the International Space Station, the first such purely commercial, non-government flight to orbit in space history, officials said Tuesday.

Starliner test flight next on ULA’s launch schedule after military mission delay

January 25, 2021

The U.S. Space Force has decided to delay the planned late February launch of two military satellites aboard a ULA Atlas 5 rocket to “evaluate readiness” of one of the payloads, giving officials a window to move forward the liftoff of an unpiloted test flight of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule to no earlier than March 25.

SpaceX smashes record with launch of 143 small satellites

January 24, 2021

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday from Cape Canaveral with 143 small satellites, a record number of spacecraft on a single mission, giving a boost to startup space companies and stressing the U.S. military’s tracking network charged with sorting out the locations of all objects in orbit.