Orbital ATK – Page 10 – Spaceflight Now

Build-up of Ariane 5 rocket complete for launch Thursday

January 23, 2018 Stephen Clark

The first Ariane 5 rocket scheduled for launch in 2018 has been topped off with two communications satellites for SES and Yahsat, moving the European booster closer to liftoff Thursday from a tropical launch pad in French Guiana with payloads to serve commercial and scientific missions.

After Zuma, SpaceX keeps pace in preps for next Falcon 9 launch

January 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

Ground crews took steps this week to prepare for the next Falcon 9 launch, set for no earlier than Jan. 30 with a telecom satellite for SES and the Luxembourg government, as SpaceX officials stressed their rocket was not to blame for the rumored loss of a mysterious U.S. government payload after liftoff Sunday.

Falcon 9 launch lights up Southern California sky

December 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

Take a look back at the Dec. 22 liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a launch that was visible across Southern California and as far away as Arizona as the booster climbed into sunlight at dusk to deliver 10 commercial communications satellites to 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.

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).

Timeline for SpaceX’s fourth launch of Iridium satellites

December 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the fourth set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet.

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.

Titan drone, comet sampler picked as finalists for NASA mission

December 20, 2017 Stephen Clark

NASA has narrowed its choices for a new billion-dollar robotic space mission: A plutonium-powered quadcopter to explore the hazy landscape of Saturn’s largest moon Titan, or a probe to scoop up a piece of a comet and return it to Earth.

Cygnus cargo craft released from space station, setting up for CubeSat deployments

December 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

An Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft departed the International Space Station on Wednesday, heading for a higher orbit to deploy 14 CubeSats and an eventual de-orbit burn to dispose of more than 6,200 pounds of trash and other unneeded equipment packed by the station’s crew.