Tag: Launch
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ULA begins stacking rocket for next launch of U.S. military spaceplane
An Atlas 5 first stage was raised vertical Thursday inside United Launch Alliance’s Vertical Integration Facility. Credit: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance technicians raised the first stage of the company’s next Atlas 5 rocket onto a mobile launch platform at Cape Canaveral Thursday, kicking off the launch vehicle’s build-up for a mission scheduled for…
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Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket is scheduled to lift off Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT) from the pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 will head northeast from Cape…
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Russian resupply freighter poised for launch to International Space Station
Continuing support of the International Space Station amid the coronavirus pandemic, Russian teams transferred a Soyuz rocket to a launch pad in Kazakhstan on Wednesday in preparation for liftoff Friday (U.S. time) with a Progress resupply freighter. Adorned with a commemoration to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the…
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Iran places military satellite in orbit
Iran’s Qased launcher lifts off Wednesday with the country’s Noor military satellite. Credit: IRIB News Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps — a branch of the country’s armed forces — launched a small military spacecraft into orbit Wednesday, ending a string of rocket failures in the nascent Iranian satellite program. The small military craft, named Noor, flew…
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SpaceX’s Starlink network surpasses 400-satellite mark after successful launch
A Falcon 9 rocket streaks into the sky over Cape Canaveral in this long exposure photo. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX launched 60 more spacecraft Wednesday to join the Starlink fleet beaming broadband signals around the world, while the company’s engineers move closer to debuting a sunshade that could reduce the satellites’ impacts on ground-based astronomy. Riding…
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SpaceX modifies Starlink network design as another 60 satellites gear up for launch
Artist’s illustration of the distribution of satellites in SpaceX’s Starlink network. Credit: SpaceX Another 60 Starlink satellites are ready for launch Wednesday to beam Internet signals to future SpaceX consumers as the company seeks regulatory approval to fly all 4,400 relay stations in the network’s first phase of deployment at lower altitudes than previously planned.…
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NASA narrows design for rocket to launch samples off of Mars
This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in one step of the Mars sample return mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Catlech After years of studies, test-firings and a survey of U.S. industry in preparation for launch of a…
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SpaceX test-fires rocket for Starlink launch next week
A plume of exhaust erupts from pad 39A’s flame trench at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) Friday during SpaceX’s static fire test. Credit: William Harwood/CBS News SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket with a previously-flown first stage booster Friday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, keeping pace for a launch scheduled next Thursday, April…
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Live coverage: SpaceX launch moved up to Wednesday
Live coverage of SpaceX’s preparations for the next Falcon 9 rocket launch from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will launch SpaceX’s seventh batch of Starlink broadband satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. A Falcon 9 rocket stands vertical on pad 39A Thursday. Credit: Spaceflight Now
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ULA delivers Delta 4-Heavy rocket to California launch base
The three first stage boosters for a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket are revealed April 5 after delivery on ULA’s RocketShip transport vessel. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Aubree Owens United Launch Alliance’s rocket transport ship has delivered a Delta 4-Heavy rocket to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in preparation…