2022 – Page 42 – Spaceflight Now

NASA managers clear Boeing’s Starliner for second try to reach space station

May 11, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA officials cleared Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule for launch in a flight readiness review Wednesday, moving a step closer toward a critical unpiloted demonstration flight to attempt docking at the International Space Station and check off other test objectives left unaccomplished on a problem-plagued mission two-and-a-half years ago.

Northrop Grumman says it has backup plan for ISS resupply, but silent on details

May 11, 2022 Stephen Clark

Northrop Grumman says it has a backup plan to fulfill the company’s contract to resupply to the International Space Station if the war in Ukraine continues to disrupt the supply of Russian engines and Ukrainian booster cores for the company’s Antares rocket.

Vega-C prepped for maiden flight this summer

May 11, 2022 Clive Simpson

Europe’s new Vega C launcher is on track for its inaugural flight from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, during the second half of June, according to officials managing final phases of integration.

SpaceX training begins this month for first commercial spacewalk mission

May 10, 2022 Stephen Clark

The four-person crew who will fly on the all-private Polaris Dawn mission — set to include the first commercial spacewalk and the debut of SpaceX’s extravehicular spacesuit — will begin training this month for their ride on a Dragon spacecraft to an altitude more than three times higher than the International Space Station.

China launches eight more Earth-imaging microsats

May 10, 2022 Stephen Clark

China launched eight more microsatellites for the Jilin 1 high-resolution Earth observation constellation May 4, five days after a separate mission deployed five similar Jilin 1 payloads into orbit.

China launches Tianzhou 4 cargo ship heading for space station

May 9, 2022 Stephen Clark

China launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo freighter for the country’s space station Monday, beginning a resupply mission to stage hardware, propellant, and provisions at the complex before arrival of the next long-duration crew in June.

NASA hopeful about staging fourth moon rocket fueling test in early June

May 9, 2022 William Harwood

Engineers are making progress resolving mostly ground-system problems that derailed three earlier attempts to fuel the agency’s new Space Launch System moon rocket for a dress rehearsal countdown. NASA managers said last week they’re hopeful about making a fourth attempt by mid-June.

More Starlink satellites ride into orbit on predawn launch of Falcon 9 rocket

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at first light Friday with 53 Starlink internet satellites, completing an all-nighter of space operations just five hours after returning four astronauts to a splashdown off the west coast of Florida.

Splashdown of SpaceX capsule caps busy season of space station crew rotations

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station early Friday with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, the sixth crew launch or landing in support of the station program in fewer than 50 days.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches 53 more Starlink satellites

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched another batch of 53 Starlink internet satellites at 5:42 a.m. EDT (0942 GMT) Friday from the Kennedy Space Center. The booster nailed its landing on SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 12th flight to space.