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Chinese Long March 7 rocket launches military communications satellite
One of China's newest rockets, the Long March 7A, launched Tuesday with a military communications satellite, potentially signaling the start of a transition of launches for the country's armed forces from aging booster designs with toxic propellants to newer rockets with more environmentally friendly fuels.
Rocket Lab’s 30th mission delivers Japanese radar satellite into orbit
Rocket Lab's 30th mission delivered the StriX 1 radar imaging satellite into orbit for the Japanese Earth observation company Synspective, beginning the deployment of a constellation of 30 commercial radar satellites planned over the next four years.
VideoLive coverage: Rocket Lab launches Japanese radar satellite
Rocket Lab launched its 30th mission at 4:38 p.m. EDT (2038 GMT) Thursday from New Zealand. The payload on-board Rocket Lab's small-class Electron launcher was the StriX 1 radar remote sensing satellite for the Japanese company Synspective.
VideoSpaceX scrubs Starlink launch attempt for third day in a row
For the third day running, bad weather forced SpaceX to scrub a Falcon 9 launch attempt at Cape Canaveral Thursday night. The Falcon 9 is now scheduled to lift off Friday, weather permitting, to carry the next 54 Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
VideoRocket Lab preps for 30th launch, makes strides in engine reuse
Rocket Lab is set to launch its 30th mission from New Zealand Thursday with a commercial Japanese radar remote sensing satellite. While the company does not plan to retrieve the Electron rocket on this mission, engineers recently test-fired an engine recovered from a flight earlier this year, another step toward Rocket Lab's goal of reusing first stage boosters.
VideoSpaceX scrubs launch of 54 more Starlink satellites
SpaceX called off a launch attempt Tuesday at Cape Canaveral due to lightning, delaying liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket and 54 more Starlink internet satellites by 24 hours until Wednesday night.
NASA delays SLS tanking test, next launch opportunity
NASA said Monday it is now targeting Wednesday, Sept. 21, for a critical fueling test on the Space Launch System moon rocket, which could allow for another attempt to launch the unpiloted Artemis 1 lunar test flight as soon as Sept. 27, assuming engineers find no problems and the Space Force approves an extension for the rocket's range safety system. The updated schedule is a four-day delay for the SLS tanking test and next launch opportunity.
Firefly reschedules test launch for next week after two scrubs
Firefly Aerospace says teams will try again Sept. 29 to launch its second Alpha rocket from California after scrubbing back-to-back launch attempts due to a helium pressure issue and unfavorable wind conditions.
Ground teams trying to regain control of scouting satellite for NASA’s Artemis moon program
Ground teams will try to stabilize the motion of NASA's small CAPSTONE scouting satellite and rescue the $30 million mission on the way to the moon, following a problem Sept. 8 that sent the spacecraft into a tumble and caused controllers to temporarily lose contact with the probe, officials said Monday.
Blue Origin capsule escapes rocket failure on uncrewed flight over Texas
The suborbital rocket developed by Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin suffered its first launch failure Monday, when the main engine on the New Shepard booster appeared to cut out about a minute after liftoff from West Texas. The crew capsule, which carried NASA-funded experiments but no people, safely landed under parachutes after firing an abort motor to escape the stricken booster.