Will Robinson-Smith – Page 63

SpaceX battles regulatory process that could hold up Starship test flight for months

October 18, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX leadership is heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby for greater efficiency when it comes regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company is hoping to streamline the process of issuing launch licenses for both Starship test flights and more routine Falcon 9 rocket missions.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on 47th Starlink launch of 2023

October 17, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX launched 22 of its Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 UTC on Oct. 18).

Weather delays launch of NASA’s billion-dollar Psyche mission to Friday

October 11, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Due to a poor weather forecast for the Thursday launch attempt, NASA and SpaceX are rescheduling the Psyche asteroid mission launch to Friday morning at 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 UTC).

Russian space station laboratory module coolant leak under investigation

October 9, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

An apparent exterior coolant leak from a Russian laboratory module at the International Space Station has been reported by the crew. It follows similar leaks that struck a Russian Soyuz crew ferry craft and a Progress cargo ship within the past year.

Strong winds stymie back-to-back SpaceX launch plans; Vandenberg launch successful

October 8, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX planned a pair of back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from both coasts but upper level winds scrubbed the liftoff from Florida. A Falcon 9 was able to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:43 a.m. PDT (0743 UTC).

Rideshare mission on deck for penultimate Vega rocket as Vega-C successor remains sidelined

October 6, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

A pair of Earth observation satellites along with ten auxiliary payloads will launch aboard Arianespace’s penultimate Vega rocket into sun-synchronous orbit on Friday. Vega lifted off at 9:36 p.m. EDT (0138 UTC) on Sunday after a two-day delay.

Atlas 5 delivers first Amazon internet satellites to orbit on Friday

October 5, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Amazon is getting its own delivery fulfilled this Friday, adding to an extensive portfolio that includes its online marketplace, streaming video, grocery and cloud services, with the launch of two prototype relay stations for a space-based internet service it calls Project Kuiper.

Northrop Grumman leaves behind solo commercial space station venture, partners with Nanoracks on ‘Starlab’

October 5, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

About a year and a half after signing a Space Act Agreement with NASA to develop a commercial space station, Northrop Grumman formally withdrew from its solo plans in order to partner with Nanoracks, a subsidiary of Voyager Space.

Rapid response Victus Nox launch success open new possibilities for Space Force, commercial space industry

September 27, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Nearly two weeks after the successful launch of a payload for the U.S. Space Force’s Space System Command, leaders from the branch along with launch provider, Firefly Aerospace, and satellite manufacturer, Millennium Space Systems, touted the importance and details of the mission during a press briefing on Tuesday.

NASA is bringing an asteroid sample back to Earth – here’s when, how and why

September 22, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The sample of asteroid Bennu collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is set to return to Earth the morning of Sept. 24.