January 2021 – Page 3 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 rocket for another Starlink mission

January 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX rolled out a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday night to pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for liftoff with the next 60 Starlink internet satellites, but officials have pushed back the launch until Wednesday.

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

January 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

Spaceflight Now members can watch a live view of pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where SpaceX is readying a Falcon 9 rocket for launch with 60 more Starlink internet satellites.

Virgin’s satellite launcher reaches orbit for first time

January 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

An air-launched rocket built by Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached orbit Sunday for the first time, delivering 10 experimental CubeSats for NASA and positioning the company for the start of commercial operations.

NASA studying cause of early end to moon rocket test-firing

January 17, 2021 Stephen Clark

A critical test-firing of NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket in Mississippi ended just 67 seconds after it began Saturday, well short of a planned eight-minute burn that was supposed to clear the way for the space agency to finally ship the rocket’s core stage to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparations.

Video: SLS core stage test-firing ends early

January 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

The four RS-25 engines at the bottom of NASA’s first Space Launch System core stage shut down about a minute into a ground test-firing Saturday that was supposed to last more than eight minutes.

NASA takes a chance on Virgin Orbit with company’s second test launch

January 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

On its second launch attempt after a propulsion problem prevented its light-class air-dropped rocket from reaching space last year, Virgin Orbit will try to deliver 10 experimental CubeSats into orbit as soon as Sunday on a mission booked by NASA five years ago for $4.7 million.

Live coverage: SLS core stage engines shut down early during critical hotfire test

January 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

A critical test-firing of the Space Launch System’s core stage engines cut off about a minute into a planned eight-minute burn Saturday on a test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The rocket’s four engines ignited at 5:27 p.m. EST (2227 GMT) for a test that was to pave the way for the core stage’s shipment to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches from New Zealand on its first mission of 2021

January 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

After scrubbing a countdown Saturday to review sensor data, Rocket Lab launched its first mission of 2021 from New Zealand at 2:26 a.m. EST (0726 GMT) Wednesday. The company’s light-class Electron rocket carried a super-secret payload for OHB, a German-headquartered satellite manufacturer.

NASA proceeds with SLS booster stacking in Florida before core stage arrives

January 15, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA ground crews at the Kennedy Space Center are continuing to stack segments of the Space Launch System’s side-mounted solid rocket boosters on a mobile launch platform inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building.

NASA’s huge moon rocket faces critical test-firing before first launch

January 15, 2021 William Harwood

A critical test firing Saturday of the four main engines powering the first stage of NASA’s gargantuan Space Launch System moon rocket is the final major hurdle before the fully assembled booster’s costly, oft-delayed launch late this year on an unpiloted test flight.