Mission Reports

Launch of first Starliner orbital test flight slips to Dec. 19

December 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

The first launch of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket has been delayed to Dec. 19, officials announced Tuesday.

Live coverage: Launch readiness review gives approval for final Atlas 5 flight preps

December 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance and Boeing teams worked through the weekend on closeouts of the Starliner crew capsule, inspections and final outfitting of the Atlas 5 rocket. A launch readiness review Tuesday approved the continuation of final preparations for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Friday of the first Starliner spacecraft on an unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station.

Amateur sleuth helps locate crash site of India’s Vikram moon lander

December 2, 2019 Stephen Clark

An Indian software developer and mechanical engineer combing through high-resolution imagery captured by a NASA spacecraft has located debris scattered on the lunar surface in September by the crash of the Vikram lander, India’s first probe to attempt a soft touchdown on the moon, NASA said Monday.

Two cargo freighters set for launch to space station this week

December 2, 2019 Stephen Clark

Fresh off a series of three complex spacewalks to repair a $2 billion cosmic ray detector, the International Space Station’s crew is set to receive two robotic resupply freighters in the next week after launches from Florida’s Space Coast and the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Astronauts perform third spacewalk to fix cosmic ray detector

December 2, 2019 William Harwood

After prepping their patient — a $2 billion cosmic ray detector — during two earlier spacewalks, two space station astronauts ventured back outside for a third outing Monday to carry out what amounted to transplant surgery, installing replacement coolant pumps in a bid to revive the costly instrument and extend its life.

Video: Drone footage of Starliner’s rollout to launch pad

December 1, 2019 Stephen Clark

The first Boeing Starliner spacecraft designed to fly to the International Space Station rolled out of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches upgraded Electron booster with seven satellites

November 29, 2019 Stephen Clark

After scrubbing a launch attempt Nov. 29 due to a problem with a second stage umbilical, Rocket Lab launched seven small satellites on an Electron booster from New Zealand at 3:18 a.m. EST (0818 GMT) Friday. The Electron rocket lifted off with an upgraded first stage carrying new hardware to control the rocket’s re-entry before teams attempt to catch the booster on future missions for refurbishment and reuse.