Telecom – Page 68 – Spaceflight Now

Next SpaceX launch on track for Sunday after hold-down firing at pad 39A

June 30, 2017 Stephen Clark

Six days after SpaceX fired its last Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, another launcher rolled to historic pad 39A and ignited its nine Merlin 1D engines at sunset Thursday in preparation for a commercial satellite delivery mission Sunday for Intelsat.

Video: SpaceX conducts Falcon 9 static fire at dusk

June 30, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX fueled its next Falcon 9 rocket at launch pad 39A and ignited the booster’s nine Merlin engines at sunset Thursday, passing a major step in the launch campaign leading up to liftoff of the Intelsat 35e communications satellite Sunday.

Video: Falcon 9 lifted vertical for static fire test at pad 39A

June 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

Watch a time lapse replay of SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket being raised vertical Thursday at launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a mock countdown and engine test, ahead of a scheduled liftoff this weekend with an Intelsat communications satellite.

Imagery from Wednesday’s Ariane 5 launch in French Guiana

June 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

Blasting off shortly before sunset in French Guiana, an Ariane 5 rocket delivered two communications satellites to orbit Wednesday for the Indian space agency and companies based in Greece and the United Kingdom.

Live coverage: SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket set for launch Sunday

June 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket arrived at launch pad 39A Thursday for a customary hold-down engine firing. Liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast is targeted for Sunday, weather permitting.

Ariane 5 rocket tallies 80th straight success with on-target satellite launch

June 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

Two geostationary communications satellites rode an Ariane 5 rocket into orbit Wednesday from a launch pad in French Guiana, embarking on missions to broadcast television across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, link European air travelers with Wi-Fi, and relay video and data signals across India.

Launch timeline for Ariane 5’s flight with Hellas-Sat 3/Inmarsat S EAN and GSAT 17

June 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

An Ariane 5 rocket will make its fourth flight of the year Wednesday, hauling two communications satellites into orbit for Inmarsat, Hellas-Sat and India’s space agency.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 blasts off with two satellites

June 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

A European Ariane 5 rocket lifted off Wednesday with the Hellas-Sat 3/Inmarsat S EAN satellite designed for television broadcasting and airborne connectivity in Europe, and India’s multipurpose GSAT 17 communications satellite. Launch from Kourou, French Guiana, occurred at 2115 GMT (5:15 p.m. EDT).

Photos: Falcon 9’s blastoff with BulgariaSat 1

June 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

Check out imagery from Friday’s liftoff of a previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket booster with the BulgariaSat 1 communications satellite from Florida’s Space Coast.

Ariane 5 rocket scheduled for launch Wednesday from French Guiana

June 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

Arianespace’s launch team in French Guiana rolled an Ariane 5 booster to its launch pad Tuesday and readied the rocket for liftoff Wednesday with an Inmarsat satellite to connect airline passengers over Europe and an Indian communications craft.