Launch Log (2019-2020)

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS25, launched on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz carried into polar orbit the second Composante Spatiale Optique military reconnaissance satellite for CNES and DGA, the French defense procurement agency. The CSO 2 satellite is the second of three new-generation high-resolution optical imaging satellites for the French military, replacing the Helios 2 spy satellite series. The Soyuz-2.1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket used a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from April 10 in ripple effect from Falcon Eye 2’s launch delay. Delayed from Dec. 28 due to unfavorable high-altitude winds. Read our full story. [Dec. 29]

A Chinese Long March 4C rocket launched the Yaogan 33 military reconnaissance satellite. Read our full story. [Dec. 27]

A Chinese medium-lift Long March 8 rocket launched on its inaugural flight with a secret payload designated XJY 7 and several secondary payloads. Delayed from Dec. 20 by poor weather. Read our full story. [Dec. 22]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission was designated NROL-108. The first stage booster performed a return to launch site landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Delayed from Oct. 25. Read our full story. [Dec. 19]

A Russian Soyuz rocket launched 36 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket used a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from mid-2020 by OneWeb bankruptcy. Read our full story. [Dec. 18]

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C50, launched the CMS 1 communications satellite. CMS 1 was formerly known as GSAT 12R, and is designed to replace the GSAT 12 communications satellite launched in 2011. The mission used the PSLV-XL version of the PSLV with six strap-on solid rocket boosters. Delayed from Dec. 7 and Dec. 14. Read our full story. [Dec. 17]

A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra successfully took off on an experimental orbital launch attempt, but failed to reach orbit. Delayed from Dec. 11 by poor weather. Read our full story. [Dec. 15]

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched the StriX-α synthetic aperture radar satellite for Synspective, a Japanese Earth-imaging company. The StriX-α satellite is the first of a series of spacecraft for Synspective’s planned constellation of more than 30 small radar observation satellites to collate data of metropolitan centers across Asia on a daily basis that can be used for urban development planning, construction and infrastructure monitoring, and disaster response. Delayed from Dec. 12 by concerns over solar eclipse. Read our full story. [Dec. 15]

A Russian government Angara-A5 rocket launched on its second orbital test flight. Delayed from December and 2nd Quarter. Delayed from Nov. 3, Nov. 24, and Nov. 28. Read our full story. [Dec. 14]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the SXM 7 satellite for SiriusXM. The satellite will replace the XM 3 satellite in SiriusXM’s fleet providing satellite radio programming to consumers across North America. SXM 7 was built by Maxar Technologies, and features a large unfurlable S-band reflector to broadcast radio signals to users on the ground. Delayed from Aug. 1 and November. Scrubbed Dec. 11 to conduct additional ground system checkouts. Read our full story. [Dec. 13]

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket launched a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. Delayed from June and Aug. 26. Scrubbed on Aug. 27 by pneumatics issue. Aborted at T-minus 3 seconds on Aug. 29. Delayed from Sept. 26 by swing arm issue. Scrubbed on Sept. 28 due to weather. Scrubbed on Sept. 29 due to hydraulic leak on Mobile Service Tower retract system. Aborted on Sept. 30 at T-minus 7 seconds. Delayed from Oct. 15 and Oct. 23. Read our full story. [Dec. 11]

A Chinese Long March 11 rocket launched the Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor, or GECAM, mission. The GECAM mission consists of two small satellites to detect the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves and other astrophysical signals, aiding in the study of neutron stars and black holes. Read our full story. [Dec. 9]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Dragon 2 spacecraft on its first cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The flight is the 21st mission by SpaceX conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from Aug. 5, Oct. 30, Nov. 15, Nov. 22, and Dec. 2. Delayed from Dec. 5 by poor weather in booster recovery area. Read our full story. [Dec. 6]

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched the Gaofen 14 Earth observation satellite. Read our full story. [Dec. 6]

A Russian government Soyuz rocket launched three Gonets M communications satellites and a cluster of international rideshare payloads. The rocket flew in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from Nov. 24. Read our full story. [Dec. 3]

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS24, launched on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz carried the Falcon Eye 2 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with an optical imaging payload from Thales Alenia Space, Falcon Eye 2 is the second of two surveillance satellites ordered by the UAE’s military. The Soyuz 2-1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket used a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from Oct. 15 and November. Switched from a Vega launcher after the launch failure with the Falcon Eye 1 spacecraft. Delayed from March 6, April 14, September, Oct. 16, and Nov. 3. Delayed from Nov. 28 due to poor weather forecast. Scrubbed on Nov. 29 due to lightning risk. Scrubbed on Nov. 30 by telemetry reception issue. Read our full story. [Dec. 2]

A Japanese H-2A rocket launched Japan’s first Optical Data Relay Satellite with a laser communications payload in geosynchronous orbit. The spacecraft will relay signals between low Earth orbit satellites and ground stations. Read our full story. [Nov. 29]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 16th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L15. Delayed from October and Nov. 21. Scrubbed on Nov. 22. Delayed from Nov. 23. Read our full story. [Nov. 25]

A Chinese Long March 5 rocket launched the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon. It is the first lunar sample return mission attempted since 1976. Delayed from November 2019. Read our full story. [Nov. 23]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Sentinel 6A, or Jason-CS A, satellite. The satellite is also named Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich in honor of the late director of NASA’s Earth science division. The satellite is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue the sea level data record previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel 6A, built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space in Europe, also joins the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite network. Delayed from Nov. 10 by Merlin 1D engine issue. Read our full story. [Nov. 21]

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched 30 small satellites and payloads for a range of customers, including TriSept, Unseenlabs, Swarm Technologies, Te Pūnaha Ātea – Auckland Space Institute, and Gabe Newell, co-founder of global gaming software company Valve. Rocket Lab recovered the Electron rocket’s first stage by parachute for the first time. Delayed from Nov. 15 and Nov. 18. Read our full story. [Nov. 20]

An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV17, failed during launch with the SEOSat-Ingenio Earth observation satellite and the Taranis scientific research satellite for Spanish and French customers. The SEOSat-Ingenio Earth-imaging satellite was managed by the Spanish Center for Development of Industry Technology, an arm of the Spanish government, in partnership with the European Space Agency. Airbus Defense and Space built the SEOSat-Ingenio spacecraft. The Taranis spacecraft, developed by the French space agency CNES, was designed to study the transfers of energy between the Earth atmosphere and the space environment occurring above thunderstorms. Delayed from June by coronavirus concerns. Delayed from Aug. 25 and September in ripple effect from Vega/SSMS POC delays. Moved forward from Nov. 18. Delayed from Nov. 13. Read our full story. [Nov. 17]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its first operational flight with astronauts on-board to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi launched on the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Delayed from late September, Oct. 23 and Oct. 31. Delayed from Nov. 11. Delayed from Nov. 13 due to weather in drone ship recovery zone. Read our full story. [Nov. 16]

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket launched a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket flew in the 531 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, three solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. The mission was changed from an earlier planned “551” configuration. This was the first launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with new Northrop Grumman-built GEM 63 solid rocket motors, replacing the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket motors used on previous Atlas 5s. Delayed from September, October, and Nov. 3. Scrubbed on Nov. 4 by valve issue on ground liquid oxygen system. Delayed from Nov. 6, Nov. 8, Nov. 11 and Nov. 12. Read our full story. [Nov. 13]

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched the Tiantong 1-02 mobile communications satellite. Read our full story. [Nov. 12]

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C49, launched the EOS 1 radar Earth observation satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. EOS 1 was formerly known as RISAT 2BR2. The PSLV also launched four Kleos Scouting Mission radio surveillance nanosatellites for Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company, and multiple Lemur 2 CubeSats for Spire Global. The mission used the PSLV-DL version of the PSLV with two strap-on solid rocket boosters. Delayed from December 2019 and Nov. 6. Read our full story. [Nov. 7]

A Chinese Ceres 1 rocket successfully launched the Tianqi 11 data relay microsatellite. The Ceres 1 rocket is operated by the Chinese startup Galactic Energy. Tianqi 11 joins an Internet of Things constellation owned by Guodian Gaoke. Read our full story. [Nov. 7]

A Chinese Long March 6 rocket launched 10 ÑuSat Earth-imaging satellites for Satellogic, an Argentine satellite manufacturer and remote sensing company. Delayed from Oct. 14. Read our full story. [Nov. 6]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from October, December, May, July and August. Moved forward from Sept. 30. Delayed from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 30. Scrubbed on Oct. 2 at T-minus 2 seconds. Due to range turnaround limitations, the launch date of Nov. 4 is contingent upon the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from nearby pad 41 on Nov. 3. Delayed from Nov. 4. Read our full story. [Nov. 5]

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched on its 15th flight with the CE-SAT-2B Earth-imaging microsatellite for Canon Electronics and nine SuperDove Earth-imaging nanosatellites for Planet. Rocket Lab nicknamed the launch “In Focus” in reference to the Earth observation payloads on the mission. Delayed from Oct. 20 due to poor weather forecast. Scrubbed on Oct. 21 to assess sensor data. Read our full story. [Oct. 28]

A Chinese Long March 2C rocket launched with three Yaogan 30-07 surveillance satellites for the Chinese military. The Tianqi 6 data relay CubeSat launched as a secondary payload. Read our full story. [Oct. 26]

A Russian government Soyuz rocket launched a Glonass K navigation satellite. The Glonass K satellites are upgraded spacecraft for Russia’s Glonass positioning and timing network. The rocket flew in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from Aug. 6, late August, and Oct. 17. Read our full story. [Oct. 25]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 15th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L14. Delayed from Oct. 21. Read our full story. [Oct. 24]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 14th batch of 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L13. Delayed from September and Oct. 10. Read our full story. [Oct. 18]

A Russian government Soyuz rocket launched the crewed Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. The rocket flew in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. Read our full story. [Oct. 11]

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched the Gaofen 13 geosynchronous Earth observation satellite. Read our full story. [Oct. 11]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 13th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L12. Scrubbed on Sept. 17 due to recovery weather. Delayed from Sept. 27. Scrubbed on Sept. 28 by poor weather. Aborted on Oct. 1 at T-minus 18 seconds by ground sensor issue. Scrubbed Oct. 5 by bad weather. Read our full story. [Oct. 6]

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launched the 15th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 14th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-14. The rocket flew in the Antares 230+ configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Moved forward from October. Delayed from Aug. 31 and Sept. 7. Moved forward from Oct. 2. Delayed from Sept. 29 by poor weather forecast. Scrubbed on Oct. 1 by ground support equipment problem. Read our full story. [Oct. 3]

A Russian government Soyuz rocket launched three Gonets M communications satellites and a cluster of international rideshare payloads. The rocket flew in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 24. Read our full story. [Sept. 28]

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched China’s Huanjing 2A & 2B satellites. Chinese officials described the Huanjing payloads as environmental monitoring satellites. Read our full story. [Sept. 27]

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched China’s Haiyang 2C oceanography satellite. Read our full story. [Sept. 21]

A Chinese Long March 11H rocket launched from an ocean-going platform in the Yellow Sea with nine small Jilin 1 Earth observation satellites for Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. Six of the satellites are part of the Jilin 1 Gaofen 03B high-resolution imaging constellation, and the other three are Jilin 1 Gaofen 03C video imaging satellites. Read our full story. [Sept. 15]

A Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket failed to reach orbit with the Jilin 1 Gaofen 02C Earth observation satellite for Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. Read our full story. [Sept. 12]

A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra failed to reach orbit on its first orbital launch attempt. Astra says there were no payloads on this test flight. Scrubbed on Aug. 2 due to upper level winds and boat in range. Scrubbed on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6. Delayed from Aug. 30 due to poor weather forecast. Scrubbed on Sept. 10. full story. [Sept. 12]

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched China’s second Gaofen 11-series Earth observation satellite. Read our full story. [Sept. 7]

A Chinese Long March 2F rocket launched a Reusable Test Spacecraft. The Chinese spacecraft, possibly a winged spaceplane, landed back on Earth two days after launch. Read our full story. [Sept. 4]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the 12th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 11. Delayed from Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. full story. [Sept. 3]

An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV16, launched on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept mission with 53 microsatellites, nanosatellites and CubeSats for commercial and institutional customers. This rideshare launch was the first flight of a multi-payload dispenser funded by the European Space Agency to allow the Vega rocket to deliver numerous small satellites to orbit on a single mission. Delayed from August, Sept. 10 and February. Delayed from March 23 due to coronavirus outbreak. Delayed from June 18 due to unfavorable high-altitude winds. Scrubbed on June 27 and June 28 by high-altitude winds. Delayed from Aug. 17 by Ariane 5 delays. Delayed from Sept. 1 by Typhoon Maysak threatening Jeju ground station. full story. [Sept. 3]

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched on its 14th flight with the Sequoia radar observation satellite for Capella Space, a commercial remote sensing company. Rocket Lab nicknamed the launch “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical” in reference to Capella’s synthetic aperture radar technology. Delayed from Aug. 26 and Aug. 28 due to weather. full story. [Aug. 31]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the SAOCOM 1B satellite for CONAE, Argentina’s space agency. SAOCOM 1B is the second of two SAOCOM 1-series Earth observation satellites designed to provide radar imagery to help emergency responders and monitor the environment, including the collection of soil moisture measurements. The GNOMES 1 radio occultation satellite and the Tyvak-0182 rideshare payload accompanied SAOCOM 1B into orbit. Delayed from 4th Quarter of 2019, January and February. This mission was originally scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Delayed from March 30 due to coronavirus pandemic. Delayed from Aug. 27 in ripple effect from Delta 4-Heavy/NROL-44 delay. full story. [Aug. 30]

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket launched China’s fifth Gaofen 9-series Earth observation satellite. Read our full story. [Aug. 23]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 58 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 10. Three SkySat Earth-imaging satellites for Planet launched as rideshare payloads on this mission. Delayed from late July. Read our full story. [Aug. 18]

Arianespace used an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA253, to launch the Galaxy 30 communications satellite, the second Mission Extension Vehicle satellite servicing spacecraft, and the BSat 4b broadcasting payload. Galaxy 30 is owned by Intelsat, and will provide video and television broadcast services over the United States. Galaxy 30 also hosts a navigation augmentation payload for the Federal Aviation Administration to support civilian air travel. MEV 2 is the second robotic servicing vehicle for Space Logistics LLC, and will dock with the Intelsat 1002 communications satellite in geostationary orbit to extend its commercial life. BSat 4b will provide direct-to-home 4K and 8K ultra HD broadcast services over Japan and neighboring regions for the Japanese operator B-SAT. Galaxy 30 and MEV 2 were built by Northrop Grumman, and BSat 4b was manufactured by Maxar. Delayed from July 28 to perform additional checks under the fairing. Scrubbed on July 31 by liquid hydrogen tank sensor issue. Delayed from Aug. 14 due to unfavorable upper level winds. Read our full story. [Aug. 15]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the tenth batch Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 9. There were 57 Starlink satellites a