Launch – Page 141 – Spaceflight Now

Launch of solar probe scrubbed by technical issue in terminal countdown

August 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

An automatic alarm in the final two minutes of the Delta 4-Heavy rocket’s countdown early Saturday forced officials to delay blastoff with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe by 24 hours.

Photos: Delta 4-Heavy revealed for solar probe launch

August 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

These photos taken Friday evening show the mobile gantry being wheeled away from a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral, hours before its scheduled blastoff with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.

Delta 4-Heavy launch timeline with Parker Solar Probe

August 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket, crowned by a solid-fueled upper stage kick motor, will send NASA’s Parker Solar Probe on a speedy voyage through the inner solar system following liftoff from Cape Canaveral.

Watch the Parker Solar Probe pre-launch mission briefing

August 10, 2018 Spaceflight Now

NASA held a pre-launch briefing for the Parker Solar Probe mission on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at the Kennedy Space Center.

Live coverage: Delta 4-Heavy launches with NASA solar probe

August 10, 2018 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket climbed into space Sunday with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe on a daring mission to explore the atmosphere of the sun. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral occurred at 3:31 a.m. EDT (0731 GMT).

Parker Solar Probe cleared for launch to ‘touch the sun’

August 9, 2018 William Harwood

NASA managers Thursday cleared the $1.5 billion Parker Solar Probe for launch early Saturday on a daring mission to “touch the sun,” repeatedly flying through its outer atmosphere to find out why the blazing corona is millions of degrees hotter than our star’s visible surface.

Photos: Parker Solar Probe closed up inside Delta 4 fairing for launch

August 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

Ready for a journey into the sun’s enigmatic, scorching corona, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has been encapsulated inside the nose cone of its Delta 4-Heavy rocket for liftoff Saturday.

NASA signs off on SpaceX’s “load-and-go” procedure for crew launches

August 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

The NASA manager overseeing development of Boeing and SpaceX’s commercial crew ferry ships says the space agency has approved SpaceX’s proposal to strap in astronauts atop Falcon 9 rockets, then fuel the launchers in the final hour of the countdown as the company does for its uncrewed missions.

Photos: Previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket blasts off with Merah Putih satellite

August 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

A Falcon 9 rocket booster which first flew in May took off for the second time Tuesday from Cape Canaveral carrying the Indonesian Merah Putih communications satellite.

Indonesian communications satellite deployed in orbit by SpaceX

August 7, 2018 Stephen Clark

Keeping up a run of middle-of-the-night launches from Cape Canaveral, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket powered by a recycled first stage booster climbed into orbit early Tuesday with the Indonesian Merah Putih communications satellite.