Mission Reports – Page 62 – Spaceflight Now

Replacement Soyuz launched on flight to space station

February 24, 2023 William Harwood

A Russian Soyuz crew ferry ship blasted off from Kazakhstan Thursday, kicking off an unpiloted but critical flight to the International Space Station to replace a damaged Soyuz and provide an eventual ride home for three of the lab’s crew members.

Live coverage: Replacement Soyuz arrives at space station

February 23, 2023 Stephen Clark

Two months after a coolant leak disabled a Soyuz crew ferry spacecraft at the International Space Station, Russia’s space agency launched of a replacement vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Thursday, and the craft docked at the station at 7:58 p.m. EST Saturday (0058 GMT Sunday). The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft launched without any people on-board, and will serve as a lifeboat and ride home for a three-man space station crew later this year.

Photos: Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon roll out to pad 39A

February 23, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX transported a Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft to pad 39A on Wednesday, Feb. 22, for final preparations to carry a four-man crew to the International Space Station on NASA’s Crew-6 mission.

SpaceX postpones Starlink launch as NASA crew mission takes priority

February 22, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has postponed the launch of another batch of Starlink internet satellites from Thursday as the company’s team in Florida prioritizes preparations for the launch of a four-man next week bound for the International Space Station.

Relativity sets launch date for first flight of Terran 1 rocket

February 22, 2023 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space plans to skip a final test-firing of its first fully stacked Terran 1 rocket at Cape Canaveral and proceed with a launch attempt March 8 for the methane-fueled, 3D-printed launcher, the company said Wednesday.

Multinational crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations

February 21, 2023 William Harwood

Two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and an Emirati flew to the Kennedy Space Center Tuesday to begin preparations for launch early Monday on a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to replace four crew members aboard the International Space Station who are wrapping up a five-month stay.

Russia blames Progress leak on ‘external influences’ as new Soyuz preps for launch

February 21, 2023 Stephen Clark

Russia’s space agency said Tuesday that preliminary data suggest a coolant leak on a Progress cargo freighter docked at the International Space Station earlier this month was caused by “external influences” — possibly something that occurred during its launch last year, according to a senior NASA space station manager.

SpaceX completes Friday doubleheader with launch for Inmarsat

February 17, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX completed a launch doubleheader Friday night with the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral carrying a dual-band, six-ton mobile communications relay station for London-based Inmarsat, hours after launching another Falcon 9 from California with a batch of Starlink internet satellites.

Russian cargo ship departs space station after coolant leak

February 17, 2023 Stephen Clark

Russian cosmonauts took pictures of the location where coolant leaked out of a Russian Progress cargo ship earlier this month when the supply freighter departed the International Space Station Friday night, as scheduled, to head for a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.

Falcon 9 launch from California adds 51 more satellites to Starlink network

February 17, 2023 Stephen Clark

A Falcon 9 rocket delivered 51 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit Friday after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, adding to SpaceX’s global broadband network that reaches all seven continents.