March 2021 – Page 4 – Spaceflight Now

Russia looks to China as new space exploration partner

March 15, 2021 Stephen Clark

Russia’s decision to partner with China on a planned lunar research station, and not join the U.S.-led Artemis moon program, was disappointing after more than two decades of cooperation on the International Space Station, says NASA’s top human spaceflight official.

SpaceX extends its own rocket reuse record on Starlink launch

March 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

Using a Falcon 9 booster flying for a record ninth time, SpaceX’s swift sequence of launches continued Sunday with a predawn liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center carrying another set of 60 Starlink internet satellites, the company’s third mission in 10 days.

China launches spy satellite triplet for third time this year

March 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese military satellites launched Saturday aboard a Long March 4C rocket, joining six others China has sent into orbit since the start of the year on ocean surveillance missions.

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

March 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

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

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket launches with SpaceX’s next 60 Starlink satellites

March 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched of a Falcon 9 rocket at 6:01 a.m. EDT (1001 GMT) Sunday with the company’s next 60 Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s reusable first stage, making its ninth flight to space, successfully landed on a drone ship positioned offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX rocket rolls out to pad 39A for next Starlink mission

March 13, 2021 Stephen Clark

For the third time in 10 days, SpaceX is readying a Falcon 9 rocket for launch Sunday from Florida’s Space Coast with another 60 Starlink internet satellites. This time, SpaceX aims to extend the record for reusing a Falcon 9 booster to nine flights.

Watch a Falcon 9 launch the 21st batch of Starlink satellites in 4K video

March 13, 2021 Spaceflight Now

A Falcon 9 rocket’s lifts off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:13:29 a.m. EST (0813:29 GMT) on Thursday, March 11, 2021 carrying 60 Starlink broadband internet satellites into orbit.

Spacewalkers vent coolant lines and mate cables outside space station

March 13, 2021 William Harwood

Struggling with balky electrical connectors, spacewalker Mike Hopkins managed to plug in and secure three of four thick power and data cables Saturday that are needed by a European experiment platform, leaving one cable for additional troubleshooting.

Garbage pallet jettisoned from space station will stay in orbit two-to-four years

March 12, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA ground controllers sent commands to the International Space Station on Thursday for release of a 2.9-ton cargo pallet loaded with old batteries, the most massive object ever jettisoned from the orbiting outpost. The garbage carrier is expected to remain in orbit for two-to-four years before re-entering the atmosphere.

Hubble resumes science observations after software error

March 12, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA has partially restored the Hubble Space Telescope to science mode after a software error temporarily halted observations, but engineers continue studying a problem that kept the telescope’s aperture door from closing and a separate concern with Hubble’s main camera.