December 2021 – Page 4 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California on unusual coast-hugging trajectory

December 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX deployed 52 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit early Saturday after a predawn launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base that routed a Falcon 9 rocket on an unusual track southeast from the West Coast spaceport over Baja California.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches first of three missions planned in three days

December 18, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 4:41 a.m. PST (7:41 a.m. EST; 1241 GMT) with 52 more Starlink internet satellites. The rocket’s reusable first stage booster made its 11th flight to space, then landed on an offshore drone ship.

SpaceX to set new company records with back-to-back weekend launches

December 17, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX aims to set a new record for rocket reuse Saturday with the launch of a Falcon 9 booster from California on an 11th trip to space, carrying more Starlink internet satellites into orbit. If schedules hold, another Falcon 9 will blast off from Florida’s Space Coast about 18-and-a-half hours later with an all-electric Turkish data relay spacecraft.

Webb telescope testing on tap before setting target launch date

December 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

Technicians at a jungle spaceport in South America are completing tests on the James Webb Space Telescope Thursday to make sure they fixed a “finicky” communications interface glitch that halted launch preparations earlier this week. NASA and European officials will confirm the mission’s target launch date — currently penciled in for no earlier than Dec. 24 — as soon as Friday.

Data relay satellite deployed on China’s 50th orbital launch attempt of the year

December 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

China succeeded in its 50th orbital launch attempt of the year Dec. 13, when a Long March 3B rocket delivered a Tianlian data relay satellite to orbit on a mission to link ground control with the Chinese space station and other spacecraft.

SpaceX to close out year with surge of launches

December 15, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is set to close out the year with three Falcon 9 rocket flights in a span of about 72 hours from launch pads in Florida and California, carrying another batch of Starlink internet satellites, a Turkish data relay spacecraft, and a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

China launches two satellites on 400th Long March rocket mission

December 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

The 400th flight of China’s Long March rocket family deployed two classified Shijian 6 satellites into orbit Dec. 10, likely on a mission to test technology or gather signals intelligence data for the Chinese military.

NASA delays launch of Webb telescope to no earlier than Dec. 24

December 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

Engineers discovered an intermittent data dropout associated with a piece of ground support equipment after connecting the James Webb Space Telescope with its Ariane 5 launcher over the weekend in French Guiana. The observatory’s long-awaited blastoff will be delayed at least two days to Dec. 24 to troubleshoot the problem, the head of NASA’s science division said Tuesday.

Russian rocket deploys Express comsats into high-altitude orbit

December 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Russian rocket stage deployed two television and internet relay satellites into a high-altitude orbit 18 hours after liftoff Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton rocket.

China’s commercial Ceres launcher delivers five satellites into orbit

December 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

A solid-fueled Ceres satellite launcher developed to serve China’s burgeoning commercially-focused smallsat market successfully deployed five spacecraft into orbit Dec. 7, making the new Chinese rocket two-for-two since its debut last year.