Stephen Clark – Page 61 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket vertical on Vandenberg launch pad

April 16, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical Saturday at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California after a two-day delay caused by technical and weather problems. The rocket will carry a classified payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Chinese astronauts return to Earth after six-month mission on space station

April 16, 2022 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese astronauts flew back to Earth late Friday to wrap up a 182-day mission on China’s space station, the longest crew mission in the history of the country’s space program. The landing sets the stage for launch of a new crew and expansion of the Chinese space station later this year.

Live coverage: Chinese space station crew lands in Inner Mongolia

April 16, 2022 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth after six months on the country’s orbiting space station. The crew landed in northwestern China aboard the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft at approximately 9:57 p.m. EDT Friday (0157 GMT Saturday).

Russia launches Soyuz rocket with military spy satellite

April 15, 2022 Stephen Clark

A new Russian spy satellite launched April 7 aboard a Soyuz rocket, likely embarking on a mission to identify and locate foreign military forces by tracking their radio transmissions.

Chinese astronauts undock from space station, head for landing

April 15, 2022 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese astronauts packed up, boarded their landing capsule, and undocked from China’s space station Friday in preparation for a return to Earth after six months in orbit.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from California

April 15, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force in California at 6:13 a.m. PDT (9:13 a.m. EDT; 1313 GMT) Sunday with a top secret payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. The Falcon 9 booster returned to a vertical landing back at Vandenberg about eight minutes later. SpaceX delayed the launch from Friday due to a technical issue, then decided to skip a launch opportunity Saturday because of unfavorable upper level winds.

Hydrogen leak halts tanking test for Artemis moon rocket

April 14, 2022 Stephen Clark

A hydrogen leak near the connection between NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket and its mobile launch platform foiled another attempt Thursday to pump cryogenic propellants into the towering mega-booster at the Kennedy Space Center.

U.S. intelligence-gathering payloads awaiting launch on SpaceX rocket

April 14, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Central Coast just before sunrise Saturday, boosting a classified cargo into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office on what is widely believed to be a naval reconnaissance mission. The mission was delayed from Friday, allowing more time for pre-launch checkouts and data reviews, SpaceX said.

Live coverage: Technical issues again prevent full loading of SLS tanks

April 14, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA tried for the third time Thursday to load cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into the Space Launch System moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center, after ground system issues cut short a countdown rehearsal on two occasions earlier this month. But a hydrogen leak in the connection between the launch platform and the core stage again forced officials to call off the countdown.

NASA’s Perseverance rover spots its own parachute on Mars

April 13, 2022 Stephen Clark

More than a year after arriving on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted its parachute and part of its aeroshell sitting on the surface of the Red Planet as the robot heads for a dried-up river delta where liquid water flowed billions of years ago.