Laser – Spaceflight Now

Starliner test flight next on ULA’s launch schedule after military mission delay

January 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

The U.S. Space Force has decided to delay the planned late February launch of two military satellites aboard a ULA Atlas 5 rocket to “evaluate readiness” of one of the payloads, giving officials a window to move forward the liftoff of an unpiloted test flight of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule to no earlier than March 25.

Japanese data relay satellite launches on H-2A rocket

November 29, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Japanese satellite designed to relay data and imagery from civilian and military Earth observation spacecraft launched Sunday aboard an H-2A rocket.

Laser-equipped satellite to inaugurate European data relay system

January 28, 2016 Stephen Clark

The first node of a space-based European laser communications network will soar into orbit Friday aboard a commercial Eutelsat broadcasting spacecraft, setting the keystone for a satellite system to relay vast volumes of imagery at lightning fast speeds.