June 2021 – Page 6 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX launches satellite for SiriusXM

June 5, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a powerful radio broadcasting satellite for SiriusXM early Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 12:26 a.m. EDT (0426 GMT) to haul the roughly 7.5-ton spacecraft into a geostationary transfer orbit.

Dragon capsule delivers 7,300 pounds of cargo to International Space Station

June 5, 2021 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up a two-day transit from a launch pad in Florida, a SpaceX Dragon capsule autonomously linked up with the International Space Station Saturday with more than 7,300 pounds of cargo, including new solar arrays, crew supplies, and experiments looking at how spaceflight affects the biology of tardigrades and baby squid.

New military program to study using huge rockets for global cargo delivery

June 4, 2021 Stephen Clark

The U.S. military plans to spend nearly $48 million next year on a program that could eventually allow shipment of heavy cargo around the world in less than an hour using giant commercial rockets, such as SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, officials said Friday.

SpaceX cargo ship launches on mission to upgrade space station electrical grid

June 3, 2021 Stephen Clark

Trailing a brilliant orange flame, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into orbit Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a Dragon cargo ship hauling experiments and new solar arrays to enhance the International Space Station’s power generation capability.

Launch timeline for SpaceX’s 22nd space station resupply mission

June 3, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will go from Cape Canaveral to low Earth orbit in less than 10 minutes Thursday with a Dragon capsule heading for the International Space Station carrying more than 7,300 pounds of supplies and experiments.

SpaceX completes static test-firing for weekend launch

June 3, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX ignited a Falcon 9 rocket for a 10-second test-firing early Thursday on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, clearing a pre-flight check before a mission set to blast off just after midnight Sunday with the SXM 8 radio broadcasting satellite for SiriusXM.

Live coverage: Dragon cargo ship docks with space station

June 3, 2021 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule wrapped up a two-day trip to the International Space Station Saturday with more than 7,300 pounds of hardware and supplies, including two upgraded solar arrays to augment the lab’s power system. The automated supply ship docked with the orbiting outpost at 5:09 a.m. EDT (0909 GMT).

All-new Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo craft set for launch Thursday

June 2, 2021 Stephen Clark

In what’s become a rarity for SpaceX and its workhorse fleet of “flight-proven” hardware, a brand new Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule are scheduled to launch Thursday on a NASA-contracted flight to deliver more than 7,300 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.

Spacewalkers prepare space station’s Russian Pirs module for disposal

June 2, 2021 William Harwood

Two cosmonauts floated outside the International Space Station early Wednesday to wrap up preparations for detaching the two-decades-old Pirs airlock and docking compartment next month, clearing the way for the long-planned arrival of a new laboratory module.

New solar arrays ready to upgrade International Space Station’s power grid

June 2, 2021 Stephen Clark

Two new solar array wings for the International Space Station are packed inside the trunk of a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule for launch Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center, the first pair of six upgraded roll-out panels to give the orbiting outpost a power boost.