Page 7 - Launch Services Program News Today

Nasa begins to replace the International Space Station Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been chosen by Nasa to begin the replacement of the International Space Station with its successor, the Lunar Gateway. A Falcon Heavy rocket will carry – in 2024 – the first two elements to make up the Gateway, taking off from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Specifically, the company will provide launch services for two modules of the future space station: the Power and Propulsion...

If you would like to see more articles like this please support our coverage of the space program by becoming a Spaceflight Now Member. If everyone who enjoys our website helps fund it, we can expand and improve our coverage further. Artist’s concept of the Europa Clipper spacecraft, with Europa and Jupiter in the background. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA has decided to launch the multibillion-dollar Europa Clipper mission on a commercial heavy-lift rocket in October 2024, and not on the gov...

Virgin Orbits LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt LauncherOne roars into orbit after being dropped by the Cosmic Girl mothership Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit It was the second times a charm as Virgin Orbits airdropped LauncherOne rocket put 10 NASA CubeSat payloads into low-Earth orbit on the second attempt in less than eight months under the space agencys Launch Services Program (LSP). On January 17, 2021, at 10:50 am PST (18:50 GMT), the 747-800 Cosmic Girl mothership with the La...

Photo courtesy of Virgin Orbit/Greg Robinson ExoCube 2 is among 10 small satellites flying aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket –A Cal Poly San Luis Obispo CubeSat will ride on Wednesday Jan. 13 aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket on its second attempt to reach space. The rocket includes nine other NASA-sponsored small satellites on the space agency’s next Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission. This is the first payload carried by Virgin Orbit’s rocket that wil...

2021: Floridas rapid rocket launch cadence is likely here to stay Emre Kelly, Florida Today Replay Video UP NEXT If 2020 was any indication, this years Florida launch cadence will likely follow a similar spate of missions – crewed and uncrewed – flying from Space Coast pads.  Last years record-setting pace of 30 successful orbital launches, which bested 1966s 29, will flow into January as teams prepare to kick off 2021 with at least three missions. Beyond that, the caden...

By Danielle Sempsrott  NASA’s Kennedy Space Center MOJAVE, Calif. — Ten NASA-sponsored CubeSats are preparing to fly on the agency’s next Educational Launch of Nanosatellites  (ELaNa) mission, making this the first payload carried by Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket. With the small satellites safely secured inside the payload fairing, and the fairing mated to the rocket, Virgin Orbit is gearing up for ELaNa 20, the Launch Demo 2 flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Californi...

Blue Origin is now able to compete to launch future NASA missions on its New Glenn rocket in development. On Thursday, the agency announced that it has awarded Blue Origin a NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract.  The NLS II is a contract vehicle under which NASA places orders from commercial providers for launch services as part of its Launch Services Program (LSP). NASA has the option to annually on-ramp new launch service providers and also new launch vehicles from existing providers. NL...

Illustration of the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE). (Credit: Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems) The CAPSTONE mission will see Rocket Lab extend its reach far beyond Earth orbit for the first time to deploy an in-house designed and built Photon spacecraft to the Moon. Long Beach, Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab has reached a key milestone ahead of the company’s first launch to the Moon, with spacecraft qualification underway f...

Advertisement Ten NASA-sponsored CubeSats are preparing to fly on the agency’s next Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission, making this the first payload carried by Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket. With the small satellites safely secured inside the payload fairing, and the fairing mated to the rocket, Virgin Orbit is gearing up for ELaNa 20, the Dec.19, 2020, Launch Demo 2 flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. “This initiative actually e...

Rocket company Astra returned to Kodiak last week to launch their newest rocket from Pacific Spaceport Complex — Alaska. Although initial efforts were scuttled because of inclement weather, the company will try another launch today.  On Friday, the Alameda-based rocket startup tweeted that the planned launch of their newest version, Rocket 3.2, had been pushed back because of high winds and triggered lightning.  “We are standing down today due to extreme upper-level wind shear a...