News Archive
Browse every article published on Spaceflight Now, from launch reports and mission previews to spacecraft development coverage. Use the filters to narrow by topic or search by keyword.
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23 articles
How SpaceX’s Starship stacks up to other rockets
SpaceX Starship is set to propel itself into the record books today on its maiden flight, becoming the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever launched by humankind into space, topping a role call of famous and history-making heavy-lift launch vehicles including the mighty Saturn 5 that first took humans to the moon.
Mars rover completes first sample storage depot
NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars has cooly notched up another significant first by creating the first ever storage depot on another world for Martian soil samples. But if the rover’s mission goes to plan and it continues to operate as scheduled, the cached samples could be left on the Martian surface forever.
Satellites fail to reach orbit as first launch from UK ends in disappointment
An investigation has been launched after an attempt to make space history by sending satellites into orbit from British soil for the first time ended in failure Monday night due to an anomaly in the second stage of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket.
Virgin Orbit counting down to first historic satellite launch from British soil
A new chapter in spaceflight history will be made Monday when the first ever satellites to be launched into orbit from Western Europe begin their journey into space inside a rocket slung beneath a converted jumbo jet carrier aircraft that will take off from Cornwall on the southwest peninsula of England.
NASA’s InSight lander bows out after ground-shaking Mars mission
Dust-laden solar panels and darker Martian skies have finally sealed the fate of NASA’s InSight mission, the agency announced Wednesday, after the intrepid lander delivered its final message from Mars at the end of its history-making mission to reveal the secrets of the Red Planet’s interior.
Italian microsatellite promises orbital photo bonanza after Artemis 1 launch
Italian engineers are expecting a series of spectacular photos from a tiny satellite that will be released to fly in sync with the interim cryogenic propulsion stage that propels the Orion capsule and European Service Module to the moon from Earth orbit.
Giant solar sail will propel tiny spacecraft to intercept and study asteroid
Catching a ride on Artemis 1 is a miniaturized CubeSat called NEA Scout that will use a thin, aluminum-coated solar sail about the size of a tennis court to propel it towards the smallest asteroid ever to be studied by a spacecraft.
Europe plays key role in NASA’s epic return to the moon
European space officials have hailed the importance of NASA’s upcoming inaugural Artemis mission and the vital role ESA is playing in supporting a return to the moon.
Propulsion deal offers boost for Scottish horizontal space launches
UK-based horizontal launch company Astraius says it's on track for a first launch in spring 2024 from Prestwick Spaceport in Scotland after signing deals with Northrop Grumman and Exquadrum for its innovative rocket.
Europe’s Vega-C launcher successful on inaugural flight
The excitement of Europe’s inaugural launch of its Vega-C rocket Wednesday was palpable at the launch site in French Guiana, following two technical holds that preceded the successful delivery of seven small satellites into orbit.