News

Rocket Lab returns to service with “flawless” launch for U.S. military

July 29, 2021 Stephen Clark

Resuming launches after a mission failure two months ago, Rocket Lab successfully placed a small U.S. military research and development satellite into orbit Thursday following a fiery liftoff from New Zealand on a flight that was originally supposed to launch from the company’s new pad in Virginia.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches return-to-flight mission

July 29, 2021 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s first mission since a launch failure in May blasted off from New Zealand at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) Thursday. The company’s Electron rocket launched the small Monolith tech demo satellite for the U.S. military.

Rocket Lab set to resume launches Thursday after failure in May

July 28, 2021 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab is set to launch a small U.S. military technology demonstration satellite from New Zealand Thursday on the company’s first mission since a second stage failure doomed a commercial mission in May.

Live coverage: Launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft delayed to Tuesday

July 28, 2021 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket rolled out to pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida Thursday, moving into position for liftoff to begin a critical unpiloted test flight of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule to the International Space Station. Officials postponed the Starliner launch from Friday after a problem with the newly-arrived Russian Nauka module at the station.

“All eyes on weather” for Friday test launch of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule

July 27, 2021 Stephen Clark

The threat of lightning could thwart plans to launch an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Friday with a Boeing commercial crew capsule on an unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station, according to the forecasters on the Space Coast.

SpaceX is about to begin launching the next series of Starlink satellites

July 27, 2021 Stephen Clark

After going through July with no launches, SpaceX is scheduled to resume missions in August with Falcon 9 rocket flights from California and Florida to commence deployment of the next generation of Starlink internet satellites.

Russia’s Pirs module discarded after 20 years of service at space station

July 26, 2021 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up nearly 20 years of service as a docking port and airlock, Russia’s Pirs module departed the International Space Station Monday under tow from a Progress supply ship, heading for a destructive re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere to clear the way for arrival of a larger science lab later this week.