Roscosmos – Page 9 – Spaceflight Now

NASA astronaut, two cosmonauts set for Thursday launch to space station

April 8, 2020 William Harwood

Working amid coronavirus restrictions, engineers readied a Soyuz spacecraft for launch Thursday to ferry two Russian cosmonauts and Navy SEAL-turned-astronaut Chris Cassidy to the International Space Station.

Rocket for next space station crew arrives on launch pad in Kazakhstan

April 6, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Russian Soyuz-2.1a rocket rolled out to a launch pad Monday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, ready for the first crewed flight to use the modernized Soyuz booster configuration. Liftoff with two Russian cosmonauts and a veteran NASA astronaut is scheduled Thursday on an expedition to the International Space Station.

Pandemic prompts few changes to busy month on space station

April 2, 2020 Stephen Clark

U.S. and Russian vehicles ferrying crews and cargo will continue traveling to and from the International Space Station this month, sustaining the orbiting lab in its 20th year of continuous human occupation amid an escalating pandemic on Earth.

Soyuz rocket successfully launches 34 more OneWeb satellites

March 21, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage lifted off Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, delivering 34 more satellites to orbit for OneWeb’s space-based Internet network in the company’s second launch this year.

Astronaut’s family won’t attend launch next month due to coronavirus threat

March 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy’s family will be watching remotely from halfway around the world when he blasts off April 9 from Kazakhstan to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station.

Amid bankruptcy reports, OneWeb plans launch of 34 more satellites

March 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

OneWeb is gearing up for launch of 34 more satellites for its broadband Internet network Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, despite reports that the company might seek bankruptcy protection and stringent restrictions on travel stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Soyuz launch preps in Kazakhstan proceed despite travel restrictions

March 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

While Arianespace missions from French Guiana have been suspended in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the company says a Soyuz rocket launch from Kazakhstan is set to go ahead Saturday with 34 more OneWeb broadband satellites.

Launch of ExoMars rover delayed to 2022

March 12, 2020 Stephen Clark

Most parts of the joint European-Russian ExoMars lander and rover are nearly ready for launch, but trouble with parachutes, electronics, software and concerns about the growing coronavirus pandemic have delayed the mission’s departure to Mars from this year until 2022, officials announced Thursday.

Russian space agency replaces cosmonauts on next space station crew

February 19, 2020 Stephen Clark

Citing medical reasons, Russia’s space agency announced Wednesday that it is replacing two cosmonauts who were scheduled to fly on the next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station in April with backup crew members.

Koch and crewmates back on Earth

February 6, 2020 William Harwood

Christina Koch, veteran of six spacewalks outside the International Space Station — including the first all-female excursion — joined a Russian commander and an Italian flight engineer for a fiery plunge to landing in frigid Kazakhstan early Thursday, setting a new record for the longest single flight by a female.