Mission Reports – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX delays Falcon 9 launch to Tuesday night

February 28, 2021

A Falcon 9 rocket was set to haul 60 more Starlink broadband satellites into orbit Sunday night for SpaceX, but the countdown was aborted at T-minus 1 minute, 24 seconds. The next opportunity to launch the two-stage Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center is at 7:53 p.m. EST Tuesday (0053 GMT Wednesday). The rocket’s reusable first stage — flying on its eighth mission — will target a landing downrange on SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Astronauts complete spacewalk to prep for station power system upgrades

February 28, 2021

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Sunday for the first in a series of spacewalks to upgrade the lab’s aging solar power system, assembling a support fixture that eventually will hold a new solar blanket.

Russia launches Arctic weather satellite

February 28, 2021

Russia launched a Soyuz rocket Sunday through a veil of fog over the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying the first spacecraft in a new program to monitor Arctic weather systems and relay emergency communications.

Indian rocket launches Brazilian satellite to track Amazon deforestation

February 28, 2021

An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle placed Brazil’s Amazonia 1 satellite into orbit Sunday to begin a mission monitoring deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, then released 18 smaller spacecraft at a lower altitude, marking a successful start to India’s 2021 launch schedule that could see as many as seven orbital-class rocket missions.

Live coverage: Soyuz rocket launches with polar weather satellite

February 28, 2021

A Soyuz rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:55 a.m. EST (0655 GMT) Sunday with the Arktika-M 1 spacecraft, the first in a new line of Russian satellites designed to provide weather observations over the Arctic.

Live coverage: Indian PSLV lifts off with 18 satellites

February 27, 2021

An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off at 11:54 p.m. EST Saturday (0454 GMT Sunday) with Brazil’s Amazonia 1 Earth observation satellite and 18 smaller co-passenger spacecraft.

Russian satellite for polar weather forecasting ready for launch Sunday

February 27, 2021

The first in a new constellation of Russian Arctic weather satellites is poised for launch on top of a Soyuz rocket Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Another trio of Chinese military satellites successfully deployed

February 27, 2021

Weeks after the launch of an earlier trio of Chinese military satellites, another spacecraft triplet successfully took off Feb. 24 aboard a Long March 4C rocket on a clandestine mission that analysts believe may involve spying on foreign naval forces.

Indian rocket set for liftoff with Brazilian satellite

February 26, 2021

A Brazilian satellite designed to track deforestation in the Amazon rainforest will rocket into orbit on top of an Indian launcher late Saturday (U.S. time).

SpaceX says “heat damage” caused landing failure on recent Falcon 9 mission

February 25, 2021

A senior SpaceX official said this week that “heat damage” led to the failure of a Falcon 9 booster during a landing attempt Feb. 15, but the company will press on with more launches and will likely surpass the 10-flight threshold on one of its reusable rockets soon. The next Falcon 9 launch, using a booster flying on its eighth mission, is scheduled for liftoff from Florida with 60 more Starlink internet satellites Sunday night.