Launch

Chinese military imaging satellite lifts off from Jiuquan space base

December 4, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Long March 2D rocket boosted a Chinese military imaging satellite into a 300-mile-high orbit Sunday after liftoff from a remote launch base in the country’s northwestern frontier.

Intelligence-gathering satellite deployed in orbit for Russian military

December 3, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Russian military surveillance satellite designed to monitor adversaries’ radio signals successfully launched Saturday aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Elon Musk says SpaceX will try to launch his Tesla Roadster on new heavy-lift rocket

December 2, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk tweeted Friday that his red Tesla Roadster will head for deep space on the maiden flight of the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket as soon as next month, and do it to the tune of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

Guidance error reportedly led to Russian launch failure

November 30, 2017 Stephen Clark

Russian officials could complete their investigation of a rocket failure Tuesday by mid-December, and multiple Russian news reports suggest the probe has narrowed to focus on the guidance computer on the Soyuz launcher’s Fregat upper stage.

Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early next year

November 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket is expected to roll out to pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the first time next month for a hold-down firing of its 27 Merlin main engines, but the mega-rocket’s inaugural test launch will slip into January, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Russian weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads lost after rocket failure

November 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

A new Russian weather observatory and the first prototype for Telesat’s planned network of 100-plus broadband communications satellites in low Earth orbit were among 19 spacecraft feared lost after a Fregat rocket stage ran into trouble soon after liftoff aboard a Soyuz booster Tuesday.

Chinese military imaging satellite lifts off from Jiuquan space base

Intelligence-gathering satellite deployed in orbit for Russian military

Elon Musk says SpaceX will try to launch his Tesla Roadster on new heavy-lift rocket

Guidance error reportedly led to Russian launch failure

Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early next year

Russian weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads lost after rocket failure

Soyuz rocket set for launch from Russia’s new cosmodrome

Three Chinese military surveillance satellites successfully launched

Three video imaging satellites launched from China

Photos: Delta 2 climbs into the night from Vandenberg Air Force Base