Stephen Clark – Page 198 – Spaceflight Now

Soyuz rocket launches Russian military satellite after one-month delay

February 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Russian military communications satellite rode a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage Thursday into an orbit stretching nearly 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) above Earth, successfully launching after a one-month delay to replace a suspect third stage on the Soyuz booster.

China launches four ‘technology experiment satellites’

February 19, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket carried four “technology experiment satellites” into orbit Wednesday from the Xichang space center in southwestern China, according to the country’s state-run media.

Russian space agency replaces cosmonauts on next space station crew

February 19, 2020 Stephen Clark

Citing medical reasons, Russia’s space agency announced Wednesday that it is replacing two cosmonauts who were scheduled to fly on the next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station in April with backup crew members.

Photos: Antares rocket lifts off with station-bound Cygnus supply ship

February 19, 2020 Stephen Clark

Powered by two Russian-made RD-181 main engines, a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket fired into a mostly sunny sky Saturday afternoon over Virginia’s Eastern Shore carrying nearly 7,500 pounds of equipment to the International Space Station.

Ariane 5 deploys communications and environmental monitoring satellites

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Japanese-owned communications satellite built in Colorado and a South Korean environmental monitoring observatory shared an Ariane 5 rocket ride into orbit Tuesday from the South American jungle.

Space Adventures announces plans to fly private citizens on SpaceX crew capsule

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

Building on development for NASA’s commercial crew program, Space Adventures announced an agreement Tuesday with SpaceX to fly up to four paying space tourists on a standalone mission aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft in late 2021 or 2022 that could reach an altitude two-to-three times higher than the International Space Station.

Live coverage: Japanese and South Korean satellites launch on Ariane 5 rocket

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A European-built Ariane 5 rocket launched Tuesday with a U.S.-made communications satellite for Tokyo-based Sky Perfect JSAT and a South Korean environmental observatory. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 launcher took off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:18 p.m. EST (2218 GMT; 7:18 p.m. French Guiana time).

Cygnus freighter delivers new British-made antenna to International Space Station

February 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A commercial Cygnus cargo freighter arrived at the International Space Station Tuesday two-and-a-half days after launching from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, delivering a new British-made high-speed communications antenna and more than 7,000 pounds of other experiments and equipment.

SpaceX delivers more Starlink satellites to orbit, booster misses drone ship landing

February 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

Sixty more satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network launched Monday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, bringing the total number of Starlink platforms deployed in orbit since last May to 300.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

February 17, 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.