News – Page 496 – Spaceflight Now

May 24, 2026

Breaking News

[ May 23, 2026 ] Musk praises “epic” Super Heavy-Starship launch Mission Reports
[ May 21, 2026 ] Launch preview: SpaceX tries again for first launch of its Starship Version 3 rocket Mission Reports
[ May 20, 2026 ] SpaceX’s sunrise Starlink launch adds 29 satellites to low Earth orbit megaconstellation Falcon 9
[ May 20, 2026 ] SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg SFB Falcon 9
[ May 15, 2026 ] NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon mission with 6,500 pounds of science and supplies to the space station Falcon 9

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft aims to skirt Saturn’s innermost ring

May 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

Fresh off its fifth passage through a gap between Saturn’s atmosphere and rings, NASA’s robotic Cassini spacecraft is looping toward a close brush with the planet’s innermost ring next week, when the probe will again use its high-gain antenna as a shield against icy particles that may lie in its path.

Hurriedly planned ‘contingency’ spacewalk on tap Tuesday

May 22, 2017 William Harwood

Space station commander Peggy Whitson and astronaut Jack Fischer are set for a two-and-a-half hour spacewalk Tuesday, a quickly-planned excursion to replace a recently installed external computer that failed Saturday.

Photos: Soyuz rocket climbs into space with SES 15

May 21, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz rocket took off from French Guiana on Thursday with the SES 15 communications satellite, a craft heading for an orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator to provide airborne wifi and aeronautical navigation services over the United States.

Juno spacecraft makes another pass by Jupiter

May 20, 2017 Stephen Clark

Making its fifth science pass close to Jupiter’s turbulent cloud tops, NASA’s Juno spacecraft sailed by the solar system’s king planet Friday to collect another treasure trove of data on the giant world’s atmosphere, internal structure, and magnetic field.

Small satellite launcher set for first orbital test flight this week

May 20, 2017 Stephen Clark

The first test flight of Rocket Lab’s commercially-developed Electron launcher was held up by weather Sunday, but conditions could improve for a launch attempt Monday from New Zealand to place an instrumented rocket stage into Earth orbit in a demonstration of the company’s low-cost delivery system for lightweight satellites.

EchoStar, SES satellites enter service after March launches from Cape Canaveral

May 19, 2017 Stephen Clark

Two communications satellites launched from Cape Canaveral in March aboard Falcon 9 rockets, including a broadcasting craft that lifted off on SpaceX’s first re-flown booster, have entered commercial service, according to their owners.

AR1 engine clears milestone in step toward ending U.S. reliance on Russian propulsion

May 19, 2017 Stephen Clark

A rocket engine that could power United Launch Alliance’s next-generation rocket has passed a major design review, clearing the way for full-scale hotfire testing starting next year and certification for test flights in 2019, according to Aerojet Rocketdyne, the powerplant’s developer.

Soyuz rocket orbits satellite for airborne navigation and connectivity

May 18, 2017 Stephen Clark

A commercial SES communications satellite on the way to an operating post over the Americas rode into orbit from French Guiana aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket Thursday, embarking on a mission to help airline travelers stay connected and improve air navigation over the United States.

Video: Soyuz blasts off from South America

May 18, 2017 Stephen Clark

A 151-foot-tall Soyuz launcher climbed into space from French Guiana on Thursday with the Boeing-built SES 15 communications satellite bound for an operating position over the Americas in geostationary orbit.

Live coverage: Russian rocket launches Boeing-made satellite

May 18, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Russian Soyuz rocket launched from French Guiana on Thursday at 1154:53 GMT (7:54:53 a.m. EDT) with the SES 15 communications satellite, a U.S.-built craft designed to support in-flight connectivity, video broadcasts and airborne navigation over North America.