Will Robinson-Smith – Page 33

Nelson: Decision on Mars Sample Return expected before new administration takes office

December 27, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said teams were meeting at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, Dec. 20, to make some of the final determinations about how they will return dozens of samples from the Red Planet.

SpaceX launches Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission on Falcon 9 rocket from California

December 21, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

This is the second batch of customer satellites that SpaceX will launch to a mid-inclination orbit. Liftoff from pad 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 3:34 a.m. PST (6:34 a.m. EST, 1134 UTC).

Mid-ignition issue forces a scrub of Falcon 9 launch with Astranis’ MicroGEO satellites

December 20, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed ‘Astranis: From One to Many,’ includes the company’s new UtilitySat, which is designed to relocate within geostationary Earth orbit over its life to respond to different mission objectives.

Space Force says first national security Vulcan launch now anticipated in spring 2025

December 18, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The first mission for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket as part of the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract will be USSF-106. ULA began stacking the rocket that will support this mission in October 2024.

SpaceX launches first two SES O3b mPOWER satellites with upgrades to address power issues seen on earlier spacecraft

December 17, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

This is will be the fourth pair of O3b mPOWER satellites launched to a medium Earth orbit. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A is set for 5:26 p.m. EST (2226 UTC).

U.S. Space Force launches expedited GPS mission using Falcon 9 rocket

December 17, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Space Operations Command (SpOC) shifted the GPS 3 Space Vehicle 07 spacecraft to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket due to delays in Vulcan’s certification.

SpaceX launches Starshield satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California for the NRO

December 17, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The NROL-149 mission was the sixth and final mission of the year supporting the agency’s proliferated architecture. Liftoff from pad 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 5:19 a.m. PST (8:19 a.m. EST, 1319 UTC).

SpaceX launches RRT-1 mission from Cape Canaveral

December 13, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The payload onboard hasn’t been officially confirmed by a customer or the spacecraft manufacturer. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened Monday, Dec. 16, at 7:51 p.m. EST (0051 UTC).

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California

December 12, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base came on the heels of leaders from the U.S. Space Force gathering to discuss how to adjust to a rapidly increasing launch cadence for both the Eastern Range and Western Range. Liftoff happened at 1:55 p.m. PST (4:55 p.m. EST, 2155 UTC).

Jared Isaacman makes first public remarks since nomination for NASA Administrator

December 12, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

Isaacman spoke before the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference on Wednesday. While not directly addressing the nomination, his comments will become part of the record scrutinized by senators during the confirmation process.