News – Page 314 – Spaceflight Now

Blue Origin preps for suborbital launch

December 10, 2019 Stephen Clark

After poor weather scrubbed a launch attempt Tuesday, Blue Origin plans to launch the 12th flight of the company’s New Shepard suborbital booster Wednesday from West Texas with a package of research payloads.

SpaceX to experiment with less-reflective satellite coatings on next Starlink launch

December 9, 2019 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s next launch of satellites for the company’s Starlink broadband network — planned in the final days of 2019 — will carry one spacecraft with an experimental coating designed to make it less reflective in orbit, a first step in assuaging concerns from scientists who say the deployment of thousands more Starlink stations would impede some astronomical observations.

Progress docking marks second cargo ship arrival at space station in two days

December 9, 2019 Stephen Clark

An automated Progress cargo freighter docked with the International Space Station Monday to deliver 2.7 tons of supplies, fuel, water and oxygen to the orbiting research complex.

Falcon 9 performs extended mission in test for future U.S. military launches

December 8, 2019 Stephen Clark

An extended mission for the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage after launch Thursday with a space station cargo ship helped demonstrate SpaceX’s ability to perform long-duration flight sequences to inject U.S. military payloads directly into high-altitude geosynchronous orbit.

SpaceX resupply mission reaches International Space Station

December 8, 2019 Stephen Clark

A commercial Dragon supply ship loaded with genetically-enhanced mice, a beer brewing experiment, a CubeSat developed by Mexican students and other scientific research payloads arrived at the International Space Station Sunday.

China launches two Kuaizhou rockets in six hours

December 7, 2019 Stephen Clark

Two solid-fueled Kuaizhou 1A rockets fired into orbit from the same spaceport in northern China Saturday, demonstrating a further advance in China’s aim for a quick-response, on-call satellite launch capability.

After redesigns, the finish line is in sight for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship

December 7, 2019 Stephen Clark

Five-and-a-half years ago, SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, a sleek-looking human-rated spaceship with 3D-printed engines, a roomy stylized interior and touchscreen controls. Now SpaceX’s first ship to ferry astronauts — with numerous design changes introduced since 2014 — is about to leave the company’s factory for final testing before launching early next year.

ULA rehearses countdown for first Starliner launch on Atlas 5 rocket

December 6, 2019 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance teams ran through an 11-hour countdown Friday at Cape Canaveral to rehearse procedures before the first flight of a modified Atlas 5 rocket with Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule Dec. 20.

Rocket Lab’s 10th launch tests booster recovery technology

December 6, 2019 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab closed out its 2019 launch schedule Friday with the 10th flight of the company’s Electron small satellite launcher, successfully deploying seven payloads in orbit while demonstrating new re-entry guidance and control technology to move closer to recovering and reusing future boosters.

Live coverage: Practice countdown completed for Starliner and Atlas 5

December 6, 2019 Spaceflight Now

An 11-hour practice countdown was completed Friday at Cape Canaveral’s launch complex 41 for the planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket and Boeing’s Starliner capsule later this month. The rocket was loaded with super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in a full dress rehearsal for launch day.