Tag: Launch
-
Next batch of Planet’s upgraded Earth-imaging satellites ready for launch
One of Planet’s SkySat satellites captured this view of a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India. Credit: Planet A dozen SuperDove nanosatellites with improved vision are set to join Planet’s Earth-observing fleet Tuesday night (U.S. time) after riding into orbit aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle alongside an Indian mapping…
-
SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket for next space station cargo launch
SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday at pad 40. Credit: Steven Young/Spaceflight Now A Falcon 9 booster fresh from SpaceX’s factory briefly fired its nine Merlin main engines Tuesday on a Cape Canaveral launch pad, passing a key test before liftoff Dec. 4 with a Dragon supply ship heading for the International Space Station.…
-
Russia launches space surveillance satellite
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Nov. 26 with video and orbital elements. A modified Soyuz rocket delivered a top secret Russian military payload into orbit Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, according to the country’s defense ministry. The mission lifted off from the Site 43 launch complex at Plesetsk at 1752 GMT (12:52 p.m. EST;…
-
China launches two more Beidou navigation satellites
A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 0055 GMT (8:55 a.m. Beijing time) Saturday with two Beidou navigation satellites. Credit: Xinhua Maintaining a rapid-fire launch cadence to close out the year, China added two more Beidou satellites to its independent positioning, navigation and timing fleet Saturday with a successful launch aboard a Long March…
-
SpaceX’s first Starship prototype ruptures during cryogenic test
Video credit: @LabPadre / LabPadre on YouTube SpaceX’s first partially-assembled Starship vehicle, originally built for atmospheric test flights, ruptured in dramatic fashion Wednesday during a cryogenic loading test at the company’s launch facility in South Texas. The winged rocket appeared to blow its upper bulkhead while undergoing testing at SpaceX’s Boca Facility facility on the…
-
ULA kicks off next Delta 4-Heavy launch campaign
A hydraulic erector raised United Launch Alliance’s next Delta 4-Heavy rocket vertical at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 37 launch pad Friday. Credit: United Launch Alliance The next Delta 4-Heavy rocket was raised vertical Friday at Cape Canaveral, signaling the start of a comprehensive series of pre-flight tests before liftoff next year with a top secret U.S.…
-
Starlink ‘train’ traces path across twilight skies
This view of the train of 60 Starlink satellites was captured Nov. 11 from Castaic, California. This view was created by merging four long exposure images. Credit: William G. Hartenstein The 60 Starlink satellites deployed Monday by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket have traced paths across twilight skies around the world this week, but their…
-
Photos: Falcon 9 launches with 60 Starlink satellites
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the heaviest payload ever launched by SpaceX took off Monday morning from Cape Canaveral with 60 satellites for then company’s Starlink broadband network. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket lifted off at 9:56 a.m. EST (1456 GMT) Monday, powered by nine Merlin 1D engines generating 1.7 million pounds of thrust. The kerosene-burning…
-
OneWeb’s first full-up launch delayed to January
A series of Soyuz rocket launches from up to three locations — French Guiana, Kazakhstan and Russia — will deploy OneWeb’s satellites in orbit. Credit: OneWeb The first Soyuz launch from Kazakhstan carrying a full load of more than 30 Florida-built satellites for OneWeb’s broadband Internet network has slipped from December to mid-to-late January, OneWeb…
-
Successful launch continues deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink network
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral at 9:56 a.m. EST (1456 GMT) Monday. Credit: Steven Young/Spaceflight Now Sixty upgraded satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network rocketed into orbit Monday from Florida’s Space Coast, debuting performance enhancements and notching new firsts in SpaceX’s list of rocket reuse accomplishments. SpaceX’s second batch of Starlink…