February 2021 – Page 3 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Sun rises on Antares rocket at Wallops Island

February 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket stands on pad 0A at Wallops Island, Virginia, on a frigid morning hours before a planned liftoff with more than 8,000 pounds of cargo heading for the International Space Station.

Antares launch timeline on the NG-15 mission

February 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket will deliver a Cygnus supply ship into orbit Saturday to begin a pursuit of the International Space Station.

Live coverage: Space Station cargo mission arrives at destination

February 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

The 15th resupply mission to the International Space Station by a Cygnus cargo freighter lifted off at 12:36 p.m. EST (1736 GMT) Saturday aboard an Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Northrop Grumman-owned spacecraft is carrying more than 8,000 pounds of experiments and provisions for the space station and its seven-person crew. Capture by the station’s robotic arm occurred at 4:38 a.m. EST (0938 GMT) Monday.

First images of Mars rover landing just a taste of what’s to come

February 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

The first picture of NASA’s Perseverance rover landing on Mars shows the nuclear-powered robot suspended under its rocket jetpack just before touchdown. The spectacular view could be upstaged next week with the release of a first-of-its-kind high-definition video replay of the rover’s final descent.

Antares rocket loaded with time-sensitive cargo for launch to space station Saturday

February 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship — named the S.S. Katherine Johnson for the trailblazing NASA mathematician portrayed in “Hidden Figures” — was loaded with time-sensitive cargo Friday at a launch pad in Virginia for a midday blastoff Saturday toward the International Space Station.

NASA rover reaches Mars on mission in search for signs of past life

February 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover set down on an ancient lakebed after a flawless plunge into the Martian atmosphere Thursday, achieving an unprecedented pinpoint landing while delivering the most sophisticated suite of science payloads ever flown to another planet.

Live coverage: Perseverance rover lands on Mars

February 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA officials plan to host a news conference at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) Monday to update the status of the Perseverance rover’s mission on Mars. During the briefing, NASA is expected to release first-of-its-kind video captured by the mission during its descent to the Red Planet.

What to expect during Perseverance’s landing on Mars

February 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA’s nuclear-powered Perseverance rover is set to arrive at Mars on Thursday with a make-or-break entry, descent, and landing. The rover will execute the arrival autonomously, while engineers and scientists back on Earth will have a nail-biting 11-minute wait for signals to reach home confirming the fate of the $2.7 billion mission.

Mars rover ready for riskiest part of $2.7 billion mission

February 17, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Perseverance rover is racing toward Mars for a daring high-speed plunge into the Red Planet’s atmosphere Thursday, ready to use a heat shield, a supersonic parachute, and braking rockets for a pinpoint touchdown on a dried-up river delta that may harbor clues about the potential for past life.

Progress freighter docks with space station to help discard Russian module

February 17, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Progress supply ship completed a two-day trip to the International Space Station early Wednesday, successfully guided in by cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov using a remote control console inside the station after an automated rendezvous system ran into trouble moments before docking.