Commercial Space – Page 3 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Ariane 5 rolls to launch pad

September 5, 2017

These photos show Monday’s rollout of an Ariane 5 rocket on a 1.7-mile journey to its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in South America.

Launch timeline for Ariane 5’s flight with Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a

September 5, 2017

An Ariane 5 rocket will fire into the sky from French Guiana just after sunset Tuesday and deliver two payloads to orbit for Intelsat, one of the world’s largest commercial satellite operators, and Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 launch aborted

September 5, 2017

The launch of a European Ariane 5 rocket was aborted moments after its main engine ignited Tuesday. The dramatic last-second hold was the first time an Ariane rocket launch was aborted after engine start since March 2011. Arianespace has not set a new target launch date for the mission, which will loft two U.S.-built communications satellites for Intelsat and B-SAT.

Falcon 9 rocket fired up for launch of military mini-shuttle

August 31, 2017

Running through a practice countdown and hold-down engine firing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket passed a key checkpoint Thursday ahead of liftoff next week with the U.S. Air Force’s fifth X-37B spaceplane flight, a mission that will come with several firsts.

Video: SpaceX rocket runs through hotfire test at pad 39A

August 31, 2017

SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket ignited its Merlin main engines for several seconds Thursday at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A ahead of a planned launch next week.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket fired up for hold-down test

August 31, 2017

SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket arrived at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A on Thursday for a hold-down engine firing ahead of launch next week with the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane. The brief engine ignition occurred at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT).

Dream Chaser completes aerial captive carry test flight

August 30, 2017

Sierra Nevada Corp. conducted a captive carry test flight of the Dream Chaser spaceplane Wednesday at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research in California.

Photos: SpaceX rocket climbs into orbit from Vandenberg

August 28, 2017

The launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Aug. 24 from California delivered Taiwan’s Formosat 5 Earth-imaging satellite to orbit, and the Falcon’s first stage booster returned to landing on a drone ship downrange in the Pacific Ocean.

Taiwanese satellite rides SpaceX rocket into orbit

August 25, 2017

Flying with an exceptionally lightweight payload, a Falcon 9 rocket delivered a multipurpose research satellite into a nearly 450-mile-high orbit Thursday for Taiwan following a smooth countdown and liftoff from California’s Central Coast.

Watch a replay of the Falcon 9 launch and landing

August 24, 2017

Watch a replay of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California carrying Taiwan’s Formosat 5 Earth observation satellite.