October 2021 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: Crew Dragon cleared for Wednesday launch

October 26, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA and SpaceX managers have given a ‘go’ for the launch of four astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon to the space station at 9:03 p.m. EST Wednesday (0203 GMT Thursday).

Japan successfully launches replacement for decade-old navigation satellite

October 26, 2021 Stephen Clark

A replacement for an aging satellite in Japan’s regional navigation network successfully launched Monday from Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H-2A rocket, heading to an orbit more than 20,000 miles above Earth.

Live coverage: H-2A rocket launches from Tanegashima

October 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Japanese H-2A rocket blasted off at 10:19 p.m. EDT Monday (0219 GMT Tuesday) with a fresh satellite for the country’s independent regional space-based navigation system.

NASA clears next SpaceX crew mission for launch, pending review of toilet system

October 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA managers at Kennedy Space Center gave the go-ahead Monday to continue preparations for a Halloween launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station, pending more analysis of a modification to the toilet system on the crew’s SpaceX-owned capsule.

Blue Origin and Sierra Space team up for commercial space station

October 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

Blue Origin and Sierra Space announced Monday they are leading development of a commercial space complex named Orbital Reef that officials said will be operational by the time NASA and its partners retire the International Space Station.

Japanese H-2A rocket ready for launch with navigation satellite

October 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

Japan is set to launch a replacement satellite Monday for a navigation spacecraft that has been in space since 2010, augmenting the U.S. military’s GPS network to provide more precise positioning and timing services over the Asia-Pacific region.

China says it has launched a space debris mitigation tech demo satellite

October 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

China launched the classified Shijian 21 satellite Saturday on what government officials described as an experimental “space debris mitigation” mission.

Nanoracks announces plans for commercial space station

October 24, 2021 Stephen Clark

Nanoracks announced Oct. 21 it is teaming with Lockheed Martin to develop a commercial crewed space station named Starlab that officials said could reach initial operational capability by 2027.

Arianespace breaks payload mass record on final Ariane 5 launch before Webb

October 24, 2021 Stephen Clark

A European Ariane 5 rocket fired into space Saturday night from French Guiana with a commercial broadband satellite for SES and a French military telecom craft, setting a new payload mass record for geostationary transfer orbit on the final Ariane 5 flight before launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in December.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 launches from French Guiana

October 23, 2021 Stephen Clark

A European Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in South America at 10:10 p.m. EDT Saturday (0210 GMT Sunday). The mission, the last Ariane 5 flight before launch with the James Webb Space Telescope, deployed the commercial SES 17 telecom satellite and the French military’s Syracuse 4A communications payload.