Clive Simpson – Spaceflight Now

Satellites fail to reach orbit as first launch from UK ends in disappointment

January 10, 2023

An investigation has been launched after an attempt to make space history by sending satellites into orbit from British soil for the first time ended in failure Monday night due to an anomaly in the second stage of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket.

Virgin Orbit counting down to first historic satellite launch from British soil

January 8, 2023

A new chapter in spaceflight history will be made Monday when the first ever satellites to be launched into orbit from Western Europe begin their journey into space inside a rocket slung beneath a converted jumbo jet carrier aircraft that will take off from Cornwall on the southwest peninsula of England.

NASA’s InSight lander bows out after ground-shaking Mars mission

December 21, 2022

Dust-laden solar panels and darker Martian skies have finally sealed the fate of NASA’s InSight mission, the agency announced Wednesday, after the intrepid lander delivered its final message from Mars at the end of its history-making mission to reveal the secrets of the Red Planet’s interior.

Italian microsatellite promises orbital photo bonanza after Artemis 1 launch

September 2, 2022

Italian engineers are expecting a series of spectacular photos from a tiny satellite that will be released to fly in sync with the interim cryogenic propulsion stage that propels the Orion capsule and European Service Module to the moon from Earth orbit.

Giant solar sail will propel tiny spacecraft to intercept and study asteroid

September 2, 2022

Catching a ride on Artemis 1 is a miniaturized CubeSat called NEA Scout that will use a thin, aluminum-coated solar sail about the size of a tennis court to propel it towards the smallest asteroid ever to be studied by a spacecraft.

Europe plays key role in NASA’s epic return to the moon

August 23, 2022

European space officials have hailed the importance of NASA’s upcoming inaugural Artemis mission and the vital role ESA is playing in supporting a return to the moon.

Propulsion deal offers boost for Scottish horizontal space launches

August 21, 2022

UK-based horizontal launch company Astraius says it’s on track for a first launch in spring 2024 from Prestwick Spaceport in Scotland after signing deals with Northrop Grumman and Exquadrum for its innovative rocket.

Europe’s Vega-C launcher successful on inaugural flight

July 13, 2022

The excitement of Europe’s inaugural launch of its Vega-C rocket Wednesday was palpable at the launch site in French Guiana, following two technical holds that preceded the successful delivery of seven small satellites into orbit.

UK-launched rocket promises to transform microsatellite launch business

May 30, 2022

The first launch of the Orbex Prime ‘eco-rocket’ from a remote launch pad in the Highlands of Scotland is expected at the end of the year or in early 2023. A full-scale prototype of Prime, billed as the world’s most environmentally-friendly rocket, was unveiled to the public for the first time this month.

Vega-C prepped for maiden flight this summer

May 11, 2022

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.