Launch – Page 172 – Spaceflight Now

Another trio of Yaogan military satellites launched by China

December 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

Three more Yaogan satellites successfully lifted off Monday from the Xichang space center in southwestern China, joining two similar triplets launched earlier this year for the Chinese military.

Falcon Heavy raised on pad 39A for first time

December 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket, made up of two previously-flown Falcon 9 boosters and a beefed up central core stage, made the trip to launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and was raised vertical Thursday for testing ahead of its first liftoff next month.

Controllers lose contact with new Angolan communications satellite

December 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Ukrainian-built Zenit booster and a Russian-made Fregat upper stage launched with an Angolan communications satellite Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, but engineers lost contact with the spacecraft soon after its deployment in orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth.

Land imaging craft launched for Chinese military

December 23, 2017 Stephen Clark

A land imaging satellite soared to a 300-mile-high perch above Earth Saturday after lifting off on top of a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan space base in the Gobi Desert, joining a similar military reconnaissance craft launched earlier this month in the same type of orbit.

SpaceX launch dazzles, delivering 10 more satellites for Iridium

December 23, 2017 Stephen Clark

Putting on a holiday light show for Southern California and much of the desert southwest, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fired into a twilight sky from the Pacific coastline Friday night to add 10 new satellites to Iridium’s upgraded communications network.

Video: Falcon 9 lifts off at dusk from Vandenberg Air Force Base

December 23, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the Pacific coastline northwest of Los Angeles on Friday night, sending 10 Iridium communications satellites toward orbit on a previously-flown first stage booster.

Japanese H-2A rocket lifts off with two satellites

December 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

Two research satellites to probe Earth’s climate patterns and test ion engine technology to counter atmospheric drag in an unusual low-altitude orbit launched Saturday on top of a Japanese H-2A rocket.

Live coverage: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket makes its final launch of the year

December 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

A previously-flown Falcon 9 booster blasted off Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California’s Central Coast with 10 new-generation communications satellites for Iridium. Launch occurred 8:27 p.m. EST (5:27 p.m. PST; 0127 GMT).

Falcon 9 rocket set for launch Friday from California

December 21, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is set to close out a record-breaking 2017 launch campaign Friday night with the delivery of 10 more Iridium voice and data relay satellites to orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Photos: Falcon 9 lifts off from Cape Canaveral, returns for landing

December 20, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket closed out a busy 2017 Cape Canaveral launch schedule on Dec. 15 with a successful liftoff on a space station resupply mission. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, making its second launch, returned to Florida’s Space Coast for an on-target landing.