Max Planck Institute – Spaceflight Now

German X-ray telescope achieves ‘first light’

October 23, 2019 Stephen Clark

Astronomers are elated with the first X-ray images from a German telescope on Russia’s Spektr-RG astronomy mission, demonstrating the instrument’s ability to observe galaxies near and far as scientists seek answers to questions about dark energy.

Russia launches international X-ray astronomy mission

July 13, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Proton rocket and Block DM upper stage climbed into space Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with Spektr-RG, an astronomical observatory with dual X-ray telescopes developed by Russian and German scientists on the hunt for the signature of dark energy.

Live coverage: Proton rocket lifts off with X-ray astronomy observatory

July 13, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Proton rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with the Spektr-RG X-ray astronomy mission at 1230:57 GMT (8:30:57 a.m. EDT) Saturday.

Proton launch delayed to Saturday

July 12, 2019 Stephen Clark

Russian officials have delayed until Saturday the launch of a Proton rocket from Kazakhstan with the Spektr-RG X-ray astronomy observatory, an ambitious mission jointly developed with Germany to probe dark energy.

Proton rocket and astronomy satellite back on the launch pad after battery replacement

July 9, 2019 Stephen Clark

Poised to loft a Russian-German X-ray astronomy observatory into space Friday, a Proton rocket returned to its launch pad Tuesday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan after a three-week delay to replace a drained battery on the vehicle.

Russia postpones launch of X-ray astronomy mission

June 21, 2019 Stephen Clark

Russian officials postponed the planned launch of a Proton rocket with an X-ray astronomy satellite Friday until no earlier than July 12 resolve a problem with an inadvertently drained battery on the vehicle.

Russia to launch science mission probing dark energy

June 20, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Russian-built satellite hosting an array of X-ray telescopes is awaiting launch Friday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a mission to measure the mass and distance of colossal clusters of galaxies throughout the universe.

Proton rocket, Russian-German astronomy satellite arrive at launch pad

June 14, 2019 Stephen Clark

A rocket-transporting railroad car ferried a Proton rocket to its launch pad Friday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final checkouts and testing before the vehicle’s scheduled June 21 liftoff with the Russian-German Spektr-RG X-ray telescope.

Russia ships X-ray astronomy satellite to launch site

April 25, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Russian X-ray astronomy satellite with major contributions from German and U.S. scientists and instrument developers arrived Thursday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a launch in June aboard a Proton rocket.