News – Page 84 – Spaceflight Now

Russia shoots for the Moon for the first time since 1976

August 10, 2023 Spaceflight Now

Russia launched its first robotic mission to the moon since 1976 on Thursday. The Luna 25 spacecraft, also known as the Luna-Glob-Lander lifted off at 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 UTC).

22 Starlink satellites soar from Cape Canaveral

August 10, 2023 Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral early Friday morning carrying another 22 second-generation Starlink satellites into orbit. Liftoff from pad 40 occurred at 1:17 a.m. EDT (0517 UTC).

Virgin Galactic flies its first space tourists

August 10, 2023 William Harwood

A mother and daughter from Antigua and Barbuda, along with an 80-year-old British Olympian who suffers from Parkinson’s, two pilots and a passenger escort rocketed out of the lower atmosphere and into space Thursday in Virgin Galactic’s first up-and-down sub-orbital flight featuring sight-seeing space tourists.

Russian cosmonauts make spacewalk at International Space Station

August 9, 2023 William Harwood

A cosmonaut took a test ride on the end of a European robot arm during a six-hour 35-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station Wednesday amid work to install three micrometeoroid debris shields and relocate a work platform.

Artemis 2 astronauts get first look at their Orion moonship

August 8, 2023 William Harwood

NASA’s four Artemis 2 astronauts, getting their first look at the Orion capsule that will carry them around the moon next year, said seeing the hardware first hand and meeting the men and women building the spacecraft brought home the reality of their historic mission.

SpaceX launches 15 Starlink satellites from West Coast

August 8, 2023 Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Monday carrying 15 second-generation Starlink satellites. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at 8:57 p.m. PDT (11:57 p.m. EDT / 0357 UTC).

First piloted flight of Boeing’s oft-delayed Starliner spacecraft slips to at least March

August 8, 2023 William Harwood

The first piloted launch of Boeing’s oft-delayed Starliner crew capsule is slipping to next March at the earliest because of ongoing work to test and replace the capsule’s parachute system and to resolve issues with a flammable adhesive used in protective electrical tape, officials said Monday.

Amazon to launch first Kuiper satellites on ULA Atlas 5 rocket following Vulcan delays

August 7, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The opening salvo in Amazon’s 3,236-satellite Project Kuiper venture is switching its ride to space. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Spaceflight Now on Monday that the first two demonstration satellites for the broadband constellation will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket as soon as Sept. 26, 2023, instead of the inaugural Vulcan rocket.

Falcon 9 chalks up new launch pad turnaround record on Starlink launch

August 6, 2023 Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Sunday carrying 22 more second-generation Starlink satellites into orbit, breaking a launch pad turnaround record.

SpaceX conducts static test fire of Starship Super Heavy Booster

August 6, 2023 Spaceflight Now

SpaceX fired up its Starship Super Heavy Booster 9 for a static test of its liquid methane-fueled Raptor rocket engines. The test was advertised to last “just under five seconds” but appeared to be cut short at 2.74 seconds. Four of the 33 Raptor engines were reported to have shut down prematurely.