News – Spaceflight Now

March 23, 2023

Breaking News

[ March 22, 2023 ] Relativity’s 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket reaches space, but falls short of orbit Mission Reports
[ March 22, 2023 ] Penultimate Delta rocket to launch next month on ULA’s first mission of 2023 Delta 4
[ March 21, 2023 ] Good weather expected for Relativity Space’s late-night launch attempt Mission Reports
[ March 21, 2023 ] Webb telescope sees the prelude to a supernova Mission Reports
[ March 20, 2023 ] Virgin Orbit pauses operations amid financial troubles Mission Reports

Relativity’s 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket reaches space, but falls short of orbit

March 22, 2023 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space, a company with ambitions to develop a fully reusable rocket, launched its first expendable methane-fueled booster from Cape Canaveral Wednesday night, successfully demonstrating the strength of the launcher’s first-of-its-kind 3D-printed structure but failing to reach orbit after a malfunction on the test flight’s second stage.

Penultimate Delta rocket to launch next month on ULA’s first mission of 2023

March 22, 2023 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance’s second-to-last Delta 4-Heavy rocket is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral April 20 with a classified cargo for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency, a mission that will mark ULA’s first flight of the year, officials announced this week.

Good weather expected for Relativity Space’s late-night launch attempt

March 21, 2023 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space will try a third time to launch a 3D-printed rocket from Cape Canaveral Wednesday night, and weather forecasters predict a 95% chance of favorable conditions for the late-night test flight.

Webb telescope sees the prelude to a supernova

March 21, 2023 Stephen Clark

A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a rare glimpse of a massive star 15,000 light-years away shedding a halo of gas and dust, seeding the cosmos with elements necessary for forming other stars, planets, and the building blocks of life.

Virgin Orbit pauses operations amid financial troubles

March 20, 2023 Stephen Clark

Virgin Orbit announced last week it is pausing operations after sustained financial losses, furloughing most of the company’s approximately 750 employees as officials seek funding to keep the small satellite launch provider afloat.

SpaceX completes launch doubleheader with sunset liftoff from Cape Canaveral

March 17, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets in a span of a little more than four hours Friday, a record-setting day that began with the launch of 52 Starlink internet satellites from California and ended with the sunset liftoff of two SES television broadcast payloads from Florida.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites from California

March 17, 2023 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:26 p.m. PDT (3:26 p.m. EDT; 1926 GMT) Friday with another batch of 52 Starlink internet satellites. The mission is the first of two SpaceX launches scheduled Friday, with another Falcon 9 poised for liftoff from Florida a little more than four hours later.

Rocket Lab deploys two Capella radar satellites after launch from Virginia

March 16, 2023 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher delivered two all-weather radar Earth observation satellites into orbit for Capella Space Thursday night after liftoff from Wallops Island, Virginia, successfully completing the company’s second flight from the U.S. spaceport.

SES to complete C-band clearing program with SpaceX dual-satellite launch

March 16, 2023 Stephen Clark

SES, the international communications satellite operator, plans to send two more C-band television broadcasting spacecraft into orbit from Cape Canaveral Friday night atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a mission that will help clear spectrum for transition to 5G network services.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches two commercial radar satellites

March 16, 2023 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s second launch from Virginia took off at 6:38 p.m. EDT (2238 GMT) Thursday. The company’s carbon fiber Electron small satellite launcher carried two commercial radar remote sensing satellites into orbit for Capella Space.