News – Page 377 – Spaceflight Now

Falcon 9 launch timeline with the GPS 3 SV01 navigation satellite

December 18, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Thursday carrying the U.S. Air Force’s first GPS 3-series navigation satellite destined for an orbit more than 12,000 miles above Earth.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches GPS navigation satellite for U.S. Air Force

December 18, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:51 a.m. EST (1351 GMT) Sunday from Cape Canaveral with the first in a new line of upgraded U.S. Air Force GPS navigation satellites. The launch was delayed five days due to technical and weather concerns.

Air Force requirements will keep SpaceX from landing Falcon 9 booster after GPS launch

December 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

The demands of launching the first in an upgraded line of U.S. Air Force GPS navigation satellites, including a late load of extra fuel for the spacecraft and a military policy of reserving fuel to eliminate space junk, will keep SpaceX from recovering the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket following liftoff Thursday from Cape Canaveral, according to mission managers.

NASA, Rocket Lab partner on successful satellite launch from New Zealand

December 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s commercial Electron booster fired into orbit from New Zealand on Sunday, carrying a flock of 13 CubeSats on the company’s first mission chartered by NASA, and closing out a landmark year for the new smallsat launch provider as Rocket Lab aims to grow its flight rate to at least one per month in 2019.

Soyuz raised on launch pad in French Guiana for Arianespace’s last flight of 2018

December 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

A Russian-made Soyuz booster rolled out to its launch pad in French Guiana on Friday, and hydraulic lifts rotated the launcher vertical in preparation for liftoff Tuesday with the first in a new series of French military spy satellites.

Video and photo highlights of Virgin Galactic’s historic SpaceShipTwo test flight

December 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

Check out video highlights released by Virgin Galactic of Thursday’s test flight by the company’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane to an altitude of 271,000 feet, above a boundary recognized by the U.S. government as the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic accomplishes milestone test flight to the edge of space

December 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

With two veteran test pilots at the controls, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane climbed to the edge of space for the first time Thursday in a major achievement for Richard Branson’s long-sought ambition to begin regular commercial hops with space tourists, and the first piloted flight by a U.S. vehicle above an altitude of 50 miles since the last space shuttle mission in 2011.

Mission timeline for Rocket Lab’s launch of NASA’s ELaNa-19 CubeSats

December 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s light-class Electron launcher is set to take off on its fourth flight from New Zealand, aiming to deliver 13 CubeSats to orbit on the company’s first mission for NASA.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launches on NASA mission

December 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, a commercially-developed light-class booster, lifted off at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT) Sunday, carrying 13 CubeSats into orbit under contract to NASA.

Rocket Lab preps to launch flock of NASA-funded CubeSats

December 12, 2018 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is set to launch 13 CubeSats Saturday night (U.S. time) under contract to NASA from the company’s privately-owned spaceport in New Zealand, a pathfinder mission that could pave the way for more NASA satellites to hitch a ride on future Electron flights.