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Engine turbopump eyed in Antares launch failure
With investigators zeroing in on a decades-old rocket engine as the cause of a catastrophic launch mishap, Orbital Sciences officials said the company plans to use other launchers to send cargo to the International Space Station while modifying its Antares rocket with a new propulsion system.
VideoVirgin Galactic rocket plane deployed braking system prematurely
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane disintegrated in mid-air after two tail stabilizers prematurely extended, federal investigators said, a discovery that could shift the focus of the probe into the fatal crash away from the craft's rocket motor.
VideoSpaceShipTwo crash inquiry could take a year
Investigators have plenty of evidence to sift through as they look into the cause of the fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic rocket plane, but the acting chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said the inquiry may take up to a year to complete.
VideoMilitary communications satellite launched from Russia
A Russian military communications relay platform blasted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, riding a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage into an egg-shaped orbit reaching nearly 25,000 miles above Earth.
Chinese probe returns from flight around the moon
Completing an eight-day test flight around the moon to verify technologies for a planned lunar sample return mission, an unpiloted Chinese space capsule re-entered Earth's atmosphere at blazing speed and parachuted to a successful landing.
First stage propulsion system is early focus of Antares investigation
The first sign of failure during the doomed launch of an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket from Virginia came from the rocket's first stage about 15 seconds after liftoff.
Pilot dies in crash of Virgin Galactic rocket plane
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane crashed during a powered test flight over California's Mojave Desert on Friday, leaving one pilot dead and another seriously injured.
Initial damage assessment shows Antares pad intact
Initial inspections of the Antares rocket's launch pad in Virginia revealed the facility escape major damage after sustaining nearly a direct hit from the booster as it fell to the ground in flames seconds after liftoff.
VideoAn eyewitness account: Wallops Island is burning
First, you see the rocket sputter, then pause suspended in mid-air and crash back to Earth in a blinding ball of flame. If you still have your wits, you brace for the blast wave.
Russian supply ship poised for launch Wednesday
Continuing a busy week of comings and goings at the International Space Station, a Russian Progress supply ship is set for liftoff at 0709 GMT (3:09 a.m. EDT) Wednesday from Kazakhstan with nearly 5,200 pounds of food, fuel and supplies for the six-person crew on the International Space Station.