News – Spaceflight Now

October 23, 2020

Breaking News

[ October 22, 2020 ] Soyuz brings three space station fliers back to Earth Mission Reports
[ October 21, 2020 ] Scientists thrilled with first look at asteroid sampler in action Mission Reports
[ October 21, 2020 ] Rocket Lab calls off launch attempt in New Zealand Mission Reports
[ October 21, 2020 ] Live coverage: Soyuz crew returns to Earth Mission Reports
[ October 21, 2020 ] Space station crew preps for re-entry, landing Mission Reports

Soyuz brings three space station fliers back to Earth

October 22, 2020

One week after two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut arrived at the International Space Station, the three crew members they’re replacing strapped into their own Soyuz spacecraft, undocked and returned to Earth Wednesday with a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan to close out a 196-day mission.

Scientists thrilled with first look at asteroid sampler in action

October 21, 2020

The first images beamed back to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft after it briefly landed an asteroid buoyed expectations Wednesday that the probe collected enough samples to meet the mission’s minimum requirement for return to Earth.

Rocket Lab calls off launch attempt in New Zealand

October 21, 2020

Rocket Lab canceled a launch attempt Wednesday in New Zealand to evaluate unexpected sensor data, postponing a mission that will deliver 10 small commercial Earth-imaging satellites to orbit.

Live coverage: Soyuz crew returns to Earth

October 21, 2020

A three-man crew closed out a 196-day expedition in orbit late Wednesday with a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Soyuz commander Anatoly Ivanishin, and flight engineer Ivan Vagner undocked from the International Space Station at 7:32 p.m. EDT (2332 GMT) Wednesday, and the trio landed at 10:54 p.m. EDT (0254 GMT).

Space station crew preps for re-entry, landing

October 21, 2020

One week after two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut arrived at the International Space Station for a six-month stay, the three crew members they’re replacing packed up their Soyuz spacecraft for a fiery plunge back to Earth Wednesday evening to close out a 196-day mission.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab scrubs launch of 10 commercial smallsats

October 21, 2020

Rocket Lab scrubbed a planned launch from New Zealand Wednesday with 10 small Earth observation satellites for customers in the United States and Japan. Officials have not confirmed a new target launch date for the Electron rocket.

Ten satellites set to ride into orbit with Rocket Lab

October 21, 2020

Ten commercial Earth-imaging satellites are mounted on top of a Rocket Lab Electron launcher for liftoff Wednesday from New Zealand.

Live coverage: SpaceX scrubs launch attempt at Cape Canaveral

October 21, 2020

SpaceX was poised to launch another flock of 60 Starlink internet satellites from Florida’s Space Coast Thursday, but the launch team scrubbed the countdown, citing a concern about “mission assurance.” SpaceX did not immediately set a new target launch date.

SpaceX test-fires Starship prototype with three engines

October 20, 2020

SpaceX fired three Raptor engines on a prototype of the company’s Starship vehicle Tuesday, accomplishing another milestone on the road toward testing of the methane-fueled rocket at higher altitudes.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft lands on asteroid in bid to collect samples

October 20, 2020

A robotic arm extended from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly contacted the rugged surface of asteroid Bennu Tuesday to gobble up pristine samples, a climactic moment in the $1 billion mission to bring asteroid material back to Earth in 2023.

1 2 3 … 467 »