News – Page 492 – Spaceflight Now

April 20, 2024

Breaking 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
[ April 16, 2024 ] Boeing, ULA roll Starliner spacecraft out to pad 41 ahead of Crew Flight Test launch in May Atlas 5
[ April 16, 2024 ] NASA requests proposals to reduce cost, timeline of Mars Sample Return mission News
[ April 12, 2024 ] SpaceX launches Falcon 9 booster on record-breaking 20th flight Falcon 9

Ambitious space missions in small packages win free launch slots on Atlas 5

September 22, 2016 Justin Ray

Student-built miniature satellites to demonstrate 3D printing to make repairs in space, a mission to study solar explosions hitting the Earth, a technology test for deorbiting smallsats and a precursor to a commemorative time capsule have won free launches into space aboard Atlas 5 rockets in United Launch Alliance’s first-ever cubesat challenge.

NASA to have limited role in SpaceX’s planned Mars campaign

September 21, 2016 Stephen Clark

Expertise, input and advice from seasoned NASA engineers will improve SpaceX’s chances of nailing the first commercial landing on Mars as soon as late 2018, a senior space agency official said Wednesday, but Elon Musk’s space transport company will likely seek more independence from U.S. government support on later expeditions to the red planet.

Officials target mid-October for first launch of upgraded Antares cargo rocket

September 21, 2016 Stephen Clark

Orbital ATK ground crews in Virginia are fueling the next Cygnus cargo freighter this week for launch toward the International Space Station in mid-October on the first flight of the company’s upgraded Antares rocket in two years.

Containment of Vandenberg wildfire begins as hundreds of firefighters battle

September 21, 2016 Justin Ray

United Launch Alliance technicians were allowed to return to the Atlas 5 pad Tuesday as firefighters continued to wage air and ground campaigns against the wildfire burning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Uncontrolled wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base continues to rage

September 20, 2016 Justin Ray

The escalating wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base grew even larger Monday despite the round-the-clock efforts of firefighters trying to bring the blaze under control before it threatens United Launch Alliance and SpaceX launch pads used by Atlas 5, Delta 4 and Falcon 9 rockets.

ULA moves to fill openings in Atlas 5 launch manifest

September 19, 2016 Stephen Clark

With U.S. military demand waning in coming years, United Launch Alliance has multiple openings in its Atlas 5 launch manifest in 2017 and 2018 available to commercial customers with as little as three months’ notice, according to company officials.

Russians delay next crew launch to station

September 17, 2016 William Harwood

The next launch of a Soyuz spacecraft carrying three space station fliers has been delayed indefinitely after testing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan revealed an unspecified technical problem, the Russian space agency announced Saturday.

Photos: Gantry rolled back to reveal Atlas 5 rocket for launch

September 16, 2016 Justin Ray

The 8-million-pound mobile service tower is retracted from around the Atlas 5 rocket, revealing the 189-foot-tall vehicle for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellite.

Vega rocket hauls up quintet of Earth observation satellites

September 16, 2016 Stephen Clark

Europe’s solid-fueled Vega booster vaulted away from a launch pad in the South American jungle late Thursday and deftly delivered five sharp-eyed Earth observation satellites into two different orbits for the Peruvian government and a Google-owned mapping company.

Atlas 5/WorldView 4 launch timeline

September 15, 2016 Justin Ray

This is the ascent timeline to be followed by the Atlas 5 rocket’s ascent into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellite for DigitalGlobe. Launch is scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. EDT; 1830 GMT).