News – Page 511 – Spaceflight Now

December 26, 2025

Breaking News

[ December 26, 2025 ] Former ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno joins Blue Origin News
[ December 22, 2025 ] H3 rocket suffers upper stage anomaly, fails to correctly deploy navigation satellite H3
[ December 22, 2025 ] Tory Bruno steps down as President, CEO of ULA News
[ December 21, 2025 ] Astronauts, launch teams practice Artemis 2 countdown Artemis
[ December 20, 2025 ] Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites News

SpaceX readies rocket for tests at historic pad 39A

February 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX engineers are preparing to mount a Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s historic launch pad 39A for the first time this week as the company declares the modified facility ready to support a new era of commercial space missions.

Tornado strikes NASA’s Michoud plant in New Orleans

February 7, 2017 Stephen Clark

Employees and flight hardware for NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spaceship were mostly spared after a strong tornado struck the agency’s Michoud plant in New Orleans on Tuesday, but crews planned to begin repairs immediately to plug holes in buildings housing parts and tools to build the new mega-rocket.

NASA okays commercial airlock for space station

February 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

A commercial airlock built in partnership by NanoRacks and Boeing will be connected to the International Space Station in 2019, the companies announced Monday, after the proposed project won preliminary approval from NASA managers.

Iridium to share Falcon 9 launch with NASA-German gravity satellites

February 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

Iridium has secured a launch for five more of its next-generation communications craft in a rideshare arrangement with two U.S.-German research satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket by early 2018.

Planet acquires rival satellite company from Google

February 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

San Francisco-based Planet, a company with a fleet of miniature satellites in orbit looking down on Earth, has acquired Terra Bella from Google to add high-resolution imaging to its business portfolio.

Japanese cargo ship ends mission after space debris experiment flounders

February 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

Japan’s HTV supply ship fell to Earth on Sunday more than a week after leaving the International Space Station, burning up in the atmosphere after officials gave up on an experiment looking into ways to remove space junk from orbit.

ULA’s navy delivers rocket that will launch supplies to the space station

February 5, 2017 Justin Ray

The ocean-sailing ship that transports rocket stages from United Launch Alliance’s factory to U.S. launch sites completed its latest voyage overnight, pulling into port to deliver the Atlas 5 that will send a cargo freighter to the International Space Station in March.

Russia recalls rocket engines, grounding Proton missions until spring

February 3, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Russian government is investigating flaws found in Proton rocket engines, ordering all suspect components to be replaced before the heavy-lift booster can resume launches and promising penalties for those responsible for allowing substandard parts to slip through inspection.

SpaceX rocket tagged for reuse test-fired in Texas

February 3, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Falcon 9 first stage booster assigned to launch as soon as March on SpaceX’s first mission with a previously-flown rocket has been test-fired at the company’s development facility in Central Texas.

WorldView 4 high-resolution satellite now open for business in space

February 3, 2017 Justin Ray

Less than three months after rocketing into space, the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imagery satellite has finished in-orbit testing and calibration to begin operations for DigitalGlobe.