News – Page 316 – Spaceflight Now

April 24, 2024

Breaking News

[ April 23, 2024 ] Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches NASA, Korean payloads on Electron flight Electron
[ April 23, 2024 ] SpaceX completes 300th Falcon booster landing during Starlink mission Falcon 9
[ April 22, 2024 ] News from the Press Site: NASA explores new path for Mars Sample Return, Dragonfly mission to Titan gets green light News
[ April 18, 2024 ] SpaceX completes 40th Falcon 9 launch of the year with Starlink mission Falcon 9
[ April 17, 2024 ] SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center Falcon 9

Iran admits failure in satellite launch attempt

January 16, 2019 Stephen Clark

An Iranian Simorgh rocket launch carrying an Earth observation spacecraft faltered before reaching orbit Tuesday after analysts used imagery from commercial U.S. satellites in recent weeks to track preparations for the mission.

Dragon cargo craft returns to Earth

January 14, 2019 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX-owned commercial cargo craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California late Sunday, closing out a 39-day mission that delivered 2.8 tons of supplies, experiments and holiday treats to the International Space Station, and returned home with research specimens and no-longer-needed hardware.

China releases more images from far side of the moon

January 13, 2019 Stephen Clark

Chinese officials on Friday released more imagery from the Chang’e 4 mission, a robotic lander and rover exploring the far side of the moon after a successful landing Jan. 3.

SpaceX plans to lay off 10 percent of workforce

January 11, 2019 William Harwood

SpaceX, the upstart rocket company that has shaken up the launch industry with low-cost reusable boosters and ambitious long-range plans to carry people to Mars and beyond, plans to reduce its workforce by about 10 percent, company sources said late Friday.

SpaceX begins 2019 with eighth and final launch for upgraded Iridium network

January 11, 2019 Stephen Clark

Ten Iridium communications satellites rode a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Friday from California in the eighth and final launch for Iridium’s upgraded network over the last two years, and the first of around 18 predicted SpaceX missions planned in 2019.

Launch timeline for SpaceX’s eighth mission for Iridium

January 11, 2019 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the another set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches first Falcon 9 mission of the year

January 11, 2019 Stephen Clark

SpaceX kicked off its 2019 launch campaign with a mission Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying 10 more upgraded communications satellites into orbit to complete a refresh of Iridium’s voice and data relay network. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket occurred at 7:31 a.m. PST (10:31 a.m. EST; 1531 GMT).

China begins 2019 launch campaign with a success

January 10, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Chinese communications satellite heading for geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator lifted off Thursday from the Xichang space base in southwestern China aboard a Long March 3B rocket on the first space launch of 2019.

Iridium eager to complete upgraded network with Falcon 9 launch Friday

January 10, 2019 Stephen Clark

The launch of 10 more upgraded spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Friday will complete the build-out of Iridium’s modernized $3 billion global communications network, setting up for the debut of new broadband and aircraft tracking services in the coming months.

Controllers troubleshoot problem with Hubble camera

January 10, 2019 Stephen Clark

The partial shutdown of the U.S. government could complicate efforts to troubleshoot a suspected hardware problem with the Hubble Space Telescope’s premier science instrument, but officials are optimistic the camera will eventually be restored to operations, the head of the observatory’s science operations team said Wednesday.