December 2021 – Page 6 – Spaceflight Now

Japanese billionaire and assistant arrive at space station

December 8, 2021 William Harwood

A Russian cosmonaut, a Japanese billionaire and his production assistant rocketed into orbit Wednesday and headed for the International Space Station for an 12-day visit, the first by paying “space tourists” in more than a decade.

High winds delay Blue Origin launch until weekend

December 8, 2021 Stephen Clark

A forecast of high winds at Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas has prompted the company to delay its first suborbital space shot with a full complement of six passengers from Thursday to Saturday.

Live coverage: Japanese space tourists launch aboard Russian rocket

December 8, 2021 Stephen Clark

Japanese space tourist Yusaku Maezawa, his assistant Yozo Hirano, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:38 a.m. EST (0738 GMT) Wednesday on a Soyuz rocket to begin a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. The Soyuz docked at the space station at 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT).

Japanese billionaire ready for launch to International Space Station

December 7, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Russian Soyuz rocket is set for blastoff Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire businessman, his production assistant, and a veteran Russian cosmonaut commander on a 12-day trip to the International Space Station.

Live coverage: Atlas 5 rocket launches Space Force test mission

December 7, 2021 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance launched an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Tuesday at 5:19 a.m. EST (1019 GMT). The mission is will deploy two U.S. Space Force technology demonstration satellites into geosynchronous orbit around seven hours after liftoff.

SpaceX mates NASA astronomy satellite with rocket at Kennedy Space Center

December 6, 2021 Stephen Clark

A NASA astronomy satellite will be the smallest payload to ever get a dedicated ride on a Falcon 9 rocket when it takes off from Florida this week, but the SpaceX launcher will need to flex its muscles to reach the mission’s unusual orbit hugging the equator.

ULA to set rocket endurance record on next launch

December 6, 2021 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket will set an endurance record after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Tuesday, targeting the delivery of two U.S. military tech demo satellites directly into a geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator.

NASA laser communications experiment set for launch into geosynchronous orbit

December 6, 2021 Stephen Clark

A $320 million NASA experiment to test high-speed laser communications links between Earth and space is poised for launch Tuesday, tagging along for a ride to geosynchronous orbit on a US Space Force mission aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.

SpaceX resumes work on Starship launch pad at Kennedy Space Center

December 6, 2021 Stephen Clark

Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and chief executive, says crews have started construction of the first Starship orbital launch pad in Florida inside the gates of historic launch complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Fuel leak at launch pad delays Atlas 5 mission

December 5, 2021 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance delayed the planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Sunday after discovering a kerosene fuel leak in the launch pad’s ground storage system. Officials have rescheduled launch with two U.S. military satellites for Tuesday morning.