Stephen Clark – Page 104 – Spaceflight Now

“All eyes on weather” for Friday test launch of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule

July 27, 2021 Stephen Clark

The threat of lightning could thwart plans to launch an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Friday with a Boeing commercial crew capsule on an unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station, according to the forecasters on the Space Coast.

SpaceX is about to begin launching the next series of Starlink satellites

July 27, 2021 Stephen Clark

After going through July with no launches, SpaceX is scheduled to resume missions in August with Falcon 9 rocket flights from California and Florida to commence deployment of the next generation of Starlink internet satellites.

Russia’s Pirs module discarded after 20 years of service at space station

July 26, 2021 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up nearly 20 years of service as a docking port and airlock, Russia’s Pirs module departed the International Space Station Monday under tow from a Progress supply ship, heading for a destructive re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere to clear the way for arrival of a larger science lab later this week.

China launches three more Yaogan spysats

July 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

China launched another trio of Yaogan 30 military spy satellites July 19, bringing to 30 the number of similar Chinese spacecraft shot into orbit since 2017 on suspected naval surveillance missions.

Russian science lab heads for International Space Station

July 21, 2021 Stephen Clark

The International Space Station is set to receive its biggest expansion in more than a decade after the launch of a Russian research lab and a European robotic arm Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Live coverage: Russia launches new space station science module

July 21, 2021 Stephen Clark

A long-delayed Russian science module and European robotic arm launched toward the International Space Station at 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT) Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Proton rocket successfully powered the Nauka science lab into orbit in pursuit of the space station.

SpaceX crew capsule relocated outside space station before Boeing mission

July 21, 2021 Stephen Clark

Four astronauts rode a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a flight from one International Space Station docking port to another Wednesday, clearing the way for arrival of a Boeing Starliner crew ferry ship on an unpiloted test flight later this month.

Bezos flies to space on Blue Origin’s first crew launch

July 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, his brother, a pioneering female pilot, and an 18-year-old Dutch student launched to the edge of space Tuesday on a 66-mile-high suborbital flight aboard his company’s New Shepard rocket, the latest achievement in a new era of billionaire-backed human spaceflight.

Russian lab module set for launch to space station Wednesday

July 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Russian science module in development for more than 20 years is set for liftoff Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on top of a Proton rocket, kicking off an eight-day flight to the International Space Station to boost the lab’s capacity for research.

Live coverage: Blue Origin launches its first crew flight to edge of space

July 20, 2021 Stephen Clark

Blue Origin launched first crew mission aboard a New Shepard rocket at 8:11 a.m. CDT (9:11 a.m. EDT; 1311 GMT) Tuesday from the company’s privately-owned spaceport north of Van Horn, Texas. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder, joined his brother Mark Bezos, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Dutch student Oliver Daemen for the successful 10-minute flight to suborbital space.