News

January 16, 2026

Breaking News

[ January 15, 2026 ] Crew 11 safely splashes down after shortened mission Mission Reports
[ January 14, 2026 ] NASA, SpaceX conduct ‘medical evacuation’ Crew-11 return to Earth Mission Reports
[ January 14, 2026 ] SpaceX breaks pad turnaround record at Cape Canaveral with midday Starlink launch Falcon 9
[ January 13, 2026 ] U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch Falcon 9
[ January 13, 2026 ] ISS gains new commander as Crew-11 prepares midweek departure Mission Reports

Out-of-control Chinese space lab expected to fall to Earth next year

September 23, 2016 Stephen Clark

China’s Tiangong 1 space lab, replaced by an upgraded human-rated research station launched last week, is heading for an uncontrolled re-entry back into Earth’s atmosphere in late 2017.

Smaller variants of Russia’s Proton rocket on the market

September 22, 2016 Stephen Clark

Khrunichev and International Launch Services, the team behind Russia’s Proton rocket, are developing two scaled-down versions of the booster in a bid to capture a wider share of the commercial launch market, the companies announced last week.

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.