Stephen Clark – Page 194 – Spaceflight Now

NASA institutes mandatory agency-wide telework policy

March 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

All NASA centers and facilities will begin a mandatory telework policy for agency and contractor employees effective immediately, except for “mission-essential” personnel, to combat the threat from the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Tuesday.

Soyuz launch preps in Kazakhstan proceed despite travel restrictions

March 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

While Arianespace missions from French Guiana have been suspended in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the company says a Soyuz rocket launch from Kazakhstan is set to go ahead Saturday with 34 more OneWeb broadband satellites.

SpaceX selected to launch Intelsat telecom satellite, NASA pollution monitor

March 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch an Intelsat communications satellite with a NASA-funded air pollution monitor to be positioned over the Americas in 2022, officials announced Tuesday.

Soyuz rocket launches with Russian navigation satellite

March 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz booster and Fregat upper stage carried a Russian Glonass navigation satellite into orbit Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian space officials said.

China announces failure in first launch of new Long March 7A rocket

March 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Long March 7A rocket failed to place a secret payload into orbit Monday, casting doubt on planned flights by the country’s other launchers that use similar engines.

Launches from French Guiana suspended due to coronavirus

March 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

Launch campaigns at the European-run spaceport in French Guiana — a home base for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega rockets — have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Arianespace said Monday.

SpaceX launch aborted in final second before liftoff

March 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

The countdown for a planned launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida automatically aborted in the last second before liftoff Sunday after an on-board computer detected unexpected data during an engine power check.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

March 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.

NASA no longer counting on Gateway for 2024 moon landing

March 14, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA is modifying plans to send astronauts back to the moon in 2024 by taking the Gateway — a mini-space station to be assembled in lunar orbit — out of the critical path in favor of a simplified architecture, according to the agency’s chief of human spaceflight.

SpaceX set to fly Falcon 9 booster for fifth time on Starlink launch Sunday

March 13, 2020 Stephen Clark

The launch of 60 Starlink Internet satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will mark SpaceX’s first mission to fly a Falcon first stage for a fifth time, and the second to launch with a reused payload fairing.