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.
Matching Articles
597 articles
Boats in safety zone, technical problem combine to scrub Delta 2 launch
United Launch Alliance called off the launch of a Delta 2 rocket from California's Central Coast early Tuesday after boats ventured into a restricted safety exclusion zone and engineers ran out of time to resolve a technical problem on the launcher.

Photos: JPSS 1 weather satellite prepped for encapsulation
NOAA's JPSS 1 weather satellite is enshrouded inside the nose fairing of a Delta 2 rocket, awaiting liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a seven-year mission to collect data to improve global weather forecasts.
VideoDelta 2 launch timeline with JPSS 1
A Delta 2 rocket boosted by nine strap-on motors and two liquid-fueled stages will launch NOAA's JPSS 1 weather satellite into a 511-mile-high (822-kilometer) orbit following liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Photos: Delta 2 rocket revealed after mobile gantry rollback
Ground crews at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California retracted a mobile gantry away from the Delta 2 rocket Monday afternoon, revealing the 128-foot-tall (39-meter) booster on its launch pad awaiting liftoff with a new polar-orbiting weather observatory.
VideoLive coverage: Delta 2 launches from California on third try
A Delta 2 rocket lifted off from California's Central Coast Saturday after back-to-back scrubbed launch attempts earlier this week. The Delta 2 delivered the JPSS 1 weather satellite to orbit for NOAA.

Battery changeout delays weather satellite launch from California
The launch of a new U.S. weather satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has been delayed at least four days to Nov. 14, allowing time for technicians to remove and replace a faulty battery on the payload's Delta 2 rocket, United Launch Alliance said Monday.

Polar-orbiting weather satellite joined up with Delta 2 rocket in California
The first in NOAA's new series of polar-orbiting weather satellites has been lifted atop United Launch Alliance's second-to-last Delta 2 rocket on a launch pad in California, ready for encapsulation and final checkouts ahead of a predawn launch set for Nov. 10.

Engineers hopeful Mars rover’s drill can return to service
Engineers have started testing a new way to use the Curiosity rover's drill to bore into Martian rocks after a motor in the device stalled late last year, but ground teams are still months away from the first chance to resume drilling operations.

NASA’s Dawn mission gears up for close look at Ceres
NASA's Dawn spacecraft will remain at Ceres for the rest of its mission, heading closer to the asteroid belt's largest resident than ever before to obtain new measurements of ice, salts and a tenuous intermittent atmosphere detected around the dwarf planet, the space agency announced Thursday.

Cassini results still keeping scientists busy
Scientists examining data from the Cassini mission's final months reported this week unexpected measurements of Saturn's gravity field and outer atmosphere, suggesting they may have to revisit theories about the planet's rings and the forces that generate magnetic fields.