Space News & Blog Articles

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION

A modified Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will attempt to catch a descending Rocket Lab booster in mid-air during the company’s next mission. Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab plans the first attempt to catch one of its returning small satellite boosters by helicopter after a launch later this month, nearly three years after the company announced its daring recovery and reuse concept.

China’s first Long March 6A rocket, with four strap-on solid rocket boosters, lifted off March 29 from the Taiyuan launch base. Credit: CASC

China launched three more space missions in recent weeks, debuting the country’s first rocket to be fitted with strap-on solid-fueled boosters and deploying satellites to image planet Earth and calibrate orbit prediction models, according to Chinese state media.

SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft approaches the International Space Station for docking Saturday. Credit: NASA TV / Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station on Saturday with four private astronauts, beginning a planned stay of at least eight days — and maybe longer — while becoming the first mission with an all-commercial crew to visit the orbiting research complex.

NASA’s Space Launch System on pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

A problem with a helium valve on the Space Launch System moon rocket’s upper stage will require ground teams to only partially load the giant launcher with cryogenic propellants during an upcoming countdown dress rehearsal, NASA officials said Saturday.

Live coverage of the rendezvous and docking of Axiom’s Ax-1 mission at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs away from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin the Ax-1 commercial crew mission. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Strapped in the seats of a SpaceX crew capsule, a retired NASA astronaut and three wealthy paying passengers rocketed into orbit Friday from the Kennedy Space Center on the first fully commercial mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Axiom’s Ax-1 mission. The Ax-1 mission will carry Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe, and Mark Pathy to the International Space Station. Follow us on Twitter.

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION

Seen from Cape Canaveral National Seashore on Wednesday, NASA’s Space Launch System (left) stands on pad 39B and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (right) stands on pad 39A. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 shared the scene Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center — the first time since 2009 that rockets have stood on both pads at Launch Complex 39.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand on pad 39A in preparation for Axiom’s Ax-1 private crew mission. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

SpaceX rolled a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to their launch pad Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center, setting up for an engine test-firing Wednesday and launch Friday of four private space fliers on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station.

NASA’s Space Launch system moon rocket for the Artemis 1 mission stands on pad 39B Monday. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA officials said Tuesday they are standing down from a cryogenic loading test on the agency’s Space Launch System moon rocket until after the launch of a commercial crew mission from a neighboring pad at the Kennedy Space Center.

Artist’s illustrations of Blue Origin’s New Glenn, ULA’s Vulcan Centaur, and the European Ariane 6 rocket. Credit: Blue Origin / United Launch Alliance / ESA / Spaceflight Now

Amazon announced the largest commercial launch deal in history Tuesday, revealing agreements for up to 83 missions to deploy thousands of internet satellites on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, Arianespace’s Ariane 6, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicle.

Ax-1 pilot Larry Connor, commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe during a test with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: SpaceX

The launch of the first all-private crew to the International Space Station has been delayed to Friday, officials announced late Monday. The four commercial space fliers will ride to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

The timeline below covers major countdown activities planned during the NASA’s wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 1 mission. The wet dress rehearsal will include loading of more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System moon rocket on launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket stands on pad 39B Sunday, moments after NASA scrubbed a planned cryogenic fueling test. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

NASA launch controllers called off plans to load super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the first fully-assembled Space Launch System moon rocket Sunday, giving time for ground teams to troubleshoot problems with fans used to ventilate the giant rocket’s mobile launch structure at the Kennedy Space Center.

Live coverage of the wet dress rehearsal for the Space Launch System on NASA’s Artemis 1 mission. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.

Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher streaks into the night sky over New Zealand with two BlackSky imaging satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab / Joseph Baxter

Two microsatellites for BlackSky launched Saturday from New Zealand, riding a Rocket Lab launch vehicle into orbit to join a fleet of commercial eyes supplying imagery to military and civilian users.

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1A on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying two small BlackSky Earth observation satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter.

Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle during a countdown rehearsal earlier this week. Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab will launch a mission from New Zealand on Saturday to place two more small optical imaging satellites into orbit for BlackSky, the U.S. remote sensing company.

NASA’s Space Launch System on launch pad 39B. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA commenced a two-day countdown dress rehearsal for the agency’s huge Space Launch System moon rocket Friday, with clocks ticking down to a critical milestone Sunday, when the heavy-lifter will be fueled and pressurized on the launch pad for the first time.