News – Page 690 – Spaceflight Now

October 24, 2025

Breaking News

[ October 24, 2025 ] Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company News
[ October 23, 2025 ] SpaceX expends Falcon 9 booster to launch Spainsat NG 2 communications satellite Falcon 9
[ October 22, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on 550th Falcon 9 mission Falcon 9
[ October 18, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Falcon 9
[ October 18, 2025 ] SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket on record-breaking 31st flight Falcon 9

Philae’s “little cousin” heading for asteroid touchdown

December 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

Weeks after accomplishing the first touchdown on a comet, the team of European scientists that developed the Philae landing craft is awaiting launch of a related robot riding piggyback with Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft to achieve the same feat on an asteroid.

Video: Orion countdown status briefing

December 2, 2014 Justin Ray

NASA, Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance officials hold the L-2 day countdown status briefing following the launch readiness review on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Japan set to launch asteroid sample return mission

December 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

Japan is readying an H-2A rocket for liftoff Tuesday to kick off an audacious six-year roundtrip journey to a carbon-rich asteroid, drop a fleet of landers to its surface, collect primordial rock samples, and return the materials to terrestrial laboratories for analysis.

Small satellites have another way to get into space

December 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

A spherical U.S. Navy spacecraft the size of a beach ball spring-ejected from a new satellite deployer outside the International Space Station last week, debuting a fresh way for low-budget space missions to reach orbit.

Live coverage: Orion lands in Pacific

December 2, 2014 Spaceflight Now

NASA’s first space-worthy Orion capsule blasted off atop a Delta 4-Heavy booster rocket for a two-orbit, four-hour shakedown cruise in orbit. Liftoff occurred at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT), with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 11:29 a.m. EST (1629 GMT).

Live coverage: Japanese asteroid mission blasts off

December 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

An ambitious mission of exploration launched from Japan at 0422 GMT Wednesday (11:22 p.m. EST Tuesday). An H-2A rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center with Hayabusa 2, starting a six-year journey to collect rocks from an asteroid and return them to Earth.

Isolated showers, gusty winds expected for Thursday’s Delta 4 launch

December 1, 2014 Stephen Clark

Weather forecasters will watch for isolated rain showers and gusty winds that could delay Thursday’s launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Orion space capsule on its first flight into orbit.

Soyuz rocket deploys upgraded Russian navigation craft

December 1, 2014 Stephen Clark

A new navigation satellite lifted off aboard a Soyuz rocket Sunday and reached an orbital perch 12,000 miles above Earth to test upgraded capabilities aimed at improving positioning services for Russian military and civilian users.

Ground team ready to rouse Pluto probe for historic flyby

November 30, 2014 Stephen Clark

On the final stretch of a speedy nine-year trek through the solar system, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will be awakened from hibernation Dec. 6 for an encounter with Pluto, a mysterious world that has captured imaginations and will soon be revealed in reality.

Launch of Japanese asteroid probe delayed

November 30, 2014 Stephen Clark

Poor weather at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan has grounded until at least Wednesday the launch of a $300 million robotic mission to fly to an asteroid, pick up samples and return them to Earth.