News – Page 156 – Spaceflight Now

War of words between Russian space chief and retired astronaut

March 7, 2022 William Harwood

Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a U.S.-record 340 days aboard the International Space Station, has taken to Twitter to pass along “real” news to his 5 million followers, many of them in Russia, about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In the process, a war of words has broken out between the astronaut and Dmitry Rogozin, director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

China launches new variant of Long March 8 rocket

March 7, 2022 Stephen Clark

Two recent launches from China set a new record for the largest number of satellites ever deployed by a Chinese rocket, and added a new radar imaging capability to the country’s remote sensing fleet.

After another Starlink mission, SpaceX on pace for one launch per week this year

March 3, 2022 Stephen Clark

Another batch of 47 internet satellites launched Thursday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, heading into the sky to join SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network on the company’s ninth mission in nine weeks, keeping pace with a goal of around 50 Falcon flights this year.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches 47 more Starlink satellites

March 3, 2022 Stephen Clark

A package of 47 more Starlink internet satellites launched Thursday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX launched the satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 9:25 a.m. EST (1425 GMT).

SpaceX preps for another Starlink launch as internet terminals arrive in Ukraine

March 2, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX wheeled a Falcon 9 rocket and 47 internet satellites to a launch pad Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center, ready to blast off Thursday to reinforce the Starlink constellation days after expanding the network into Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country.

Russia issues ultimatum to UK government over OneWeb launch

March 2, 2022 Stephen Clark

Russia’s space agency said Wednesday it will not launch a batch of 36 OneWeb satellites this week unless the UK government gives up its stake in the satellite internet company, a prospect the UK business secretary later confirmed won’t happen.

Atlas 5 rocket aces another on-target launch with NOAA weather satellite

March 1, 2022 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral and delivered the GOES-T weather satellite into orbit Tuesday, adding a new spacecraft to NOAA’s fleet destined to become the primary observatory tracking storms over the Pacific Ocean and the Western United States.

Live coverage: Atlas 5 blasts off with NOAA weather satellite

March 1, 2022 Stephen Clark

A new observatory to monitor storms, wildfires, and ever-changing weather conditions over the Pacific Ocean and the Western United States launched Tuesday from Cape Canaveral aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The NOAA weather satellite lifted off at 4:38 p.m. EST (2138 GMT).

Rocket Lab debuts new launch pad, deploys Japanese radar satellite

February 28, 2022 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab brought into service a new launch pad at its privately-owned New Zealand spaceport Monday with the successful liftoff of an Electron booster and a commercial Japanese radar imaging satellite.

NOAA weather satellite ready for launch after repairs to main camera

February 28, 2022 Stephen Clark

A new NOAA weather satellite destined to track cyclones, wildfires, and solar flares from a perch high above the Western United States and Pacific Ocean is set for liftoff Tuesday from Cape Canaveral on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The GOES-T satellite will launch with modifications to its main imaging camera, changes designed to avoid a minor cooling system problem that afflicted NOAA’s previous geostationary weather monitor sent into space four years ago.