Boeing – Page 9 – Spaceflight Now

Pentagon plans to keep X-37B spaceplane under Air Force management

August 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

The U.S. military’s X-37B spaceplane program will remain under Air Force management for the foreseeable future, and won’t join other Pentagon space programs turned over to the Space Force after the establishment of the new service branch last year.

ULA, SpaceX win contracts to launch satellites for SES in 2022

August 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

SES has selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX to launch up to five new commercial C-band communications satellites from Cape Canaveral in 2022 aboard Atlas 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, officials announced Wednesday.

Safety panel concerned about quality control on Boeing crew capsule

July 27, 2020 Stephen Clark

Members of NASA’s independent panel of aerospace safety advisors raised concerns last week about quality control problems that “seemingly have plagued” Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule program, while urging NASA to closely monitor SpaceX’s plans to reuse Crew Dragon spaceships on astronaut flights to the International Space Station.

NASA outlines recommendations to clear path for Boeing to resume Starliner flights

July 7, 2020 William Harwood

NASA has completed an exhaustive review of software problems and procedural oversights that prevented an unpiloted Boeing Starliner capsule from docking with the space station last year. The agency is implementing 80 recommendations to clear the way for a second test flight later this year and, if all goes well, Boeing’s first piloted flight next spring, officials said Tuesday.

Intelsat, SES buy 10 C-band broadcast satellites from U.S. manufacturers

June 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

Intelsat and SES, operators of the two largest fleets of geostationary communications satellites, have ordered 10 spacecraft from Maxar, Northrop Grumman and Boeing for launches beginning in 2022 to replace C-band capacity being transitioned to 5G cellular network services.

Photos: Atlas 5 rocket lifts off with U.S. military’s X-37B spaceplane

May 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

Launching the sixth mission of the U.S. military’s super-secret X-37B spaceplane program, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off Sunday morning from Cape Canaveral and successfully delivered its clandestine cargo to orbit.

Upgraded X-37B spaceplane rockets into orbit aboard Atlas 5 launcher

May 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

Darting through low clouds, the US Air Force’s reusable X-37B spaceplane rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket into orbit Sunday, debuting upgrades to accommodate additional scientific experiments, a dishwasher-sized tech demo satellite, and classified military objectives.

Blustery weather keeps Atlas 5 rocket grounded, SpaceX launch slips to Tuesday

May 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

Gusty winds associated with a subtropical low pressure system prevented United Launch Alliance from sending an Atlas 5 rocket into orbit Saturday from Cape Canaveral with the U.S. Air Force’s clandestine X-37B spaceplane. ULA plans to try again Sunday, and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from a nearby pad has been delayed to Tuesday.

Atlas 5 dedicated to health care workers, coronavirus victims

May 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

U.S. military officials and United Launch Alliance have dedicated the planned launch Saturday of an Atlas 5 rocket with the military’s winged mini-space shuttle to coronavirus first responders, front-line workers and all who have been affected by the pandemic.

Live coverage: Atlas 5 launches with X-37B spaceplane

May 14, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance fired an Atlas 5 rocket into space from Cape Canaveral at 9:14 a.m. EDT (1314 GMT) Sunday with the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane, an automated reusable mini-space shuttle designed to host experiments for years in orbit, then return to Earth and land on a runway. A launch attempt Saturday was scrubbed by bad weather.