Stephen Clark – Page 329 – Spaceflight Now

Video: ULA highlights reel from Friday night’s Atlas 5 launch

January 20, 2018 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance has packed two days of rollout, countdown and launch activities into a two-minute video highlighting Friday night’s blastoff of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral with the U.S. Air Force’s SBIRS GEO Flight 4 missile-warning satellite.

Rocket Lab test launch halted by ship traffic, deteriorating weather

January 20, 2018 Stephen Clark

An attempt to place three small satellites in orbit on an experimental test flight was halted Friday after two ships strayed into a keep-out zone offshore Rocket Lab’s privately-owned launch base in New Zealand, delaying the Electron booster’s second demonstration mission at least 24 hours.

U.S. military satellite launched to fortify against missile attacks

January 20, 2018 Stephen Clark

A billion-dollar U.S. military satellite rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket into orbit Friday night from Cape Canaveral, joining a network of space sentinels warning of threatening missile launches from North Korea, or any other place on the globe.

Astronaut Jeanette Epps bumped from space station flight

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

NASA said Thursday that rookie astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor will replace Jeanette Epps on an expedition set for launch to the International Space Station in June.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s commercial launcher reaches orbit for the first time

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s second Electron booster lifted off from New Zealand’s North Island on Saturday, U.S. time, and reached orbit after an eight-minute climb over the Pacific Ocean. Liftoff with three commercial CubeSats occurred at 8:43 p.m. EST Saturday (0143 GMT; 2:43 p.m. New Zealand time Sunday).

Atlas 5 team scrubs launch to study troublesome valve

January 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

Launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral with a U.S. Air Force infrared surveillance satellite was scrubbed Thursday evening after engineers encountered a balky valve associated with the first stage’s liquid oxygen system.

Asteroid missions on track to reach their destinations in 2018

January 18, 2018 Stephen Clark

Pioneering spacecraft from NASA and the Japanese space agency promise to reveal two unexplored asteroids later this year, officials said Wednesday, beginning surveys that will culminate in daring descents to capture samples for return to Earth, where eager scientists await a hands-on look at the specimens.

Photos: Ground crews roll 75th Atlas 5 rocket to its launch pad

January 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

The 75th Atlas 5 rocket rolled to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, a day before it was scheduled to lift off with a U.S. Air Force satellite to provide warnings of missile launches that might threaten U.S. territories and allies.

Japanese radar satellite launched aboard third Epsilon booster

January 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Epsilon rocket delivered a civilian-operated radar imaging satellite to orbit Wednesday on a mission to demonstrate the performance of a new commercial spacecraft design and collect all-weather imagery for use in emergencies, mapping and global surveillance.

Watch as an Atlas 5 rocket is prepared for liftoff (members only)

January 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

Watch a live view of Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 launch pad, where a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket awaits liftoff with the U.S. Air Force’s SBIRS GEO Flight 4 missile-warning satellite.