Category: Launches
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ULA launches Cygnus on OA-7 mission to ISS
This morning at 11:14 AM EDT United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched another Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft towards the International Space Station (ISS). This was the third Cygnus that ULA has launched for Orbital and at the present time the last. Named after the late John Glenn, former Astronaut and US Senator who passed away…
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SpaceX makes history with SES-10 launch
Today SpaceX once again made history with the first launch of a previously flown first stage booster. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 6:27 pm EDT today with the SES-10 payload. The booster was previously used for the SpaceX CRS-8 mission on 8th April 2016, the booster was the first to successfully land on an…
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ULA launches WGS 9
Following a delay to resolve an issue with the Delta 4 launcher ULA resolved the issue and delivered the WGS 9 satellite to orbit this evening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOk4ZbWb9dk
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SpaceX launches EchoStar 23
After several delays originally for the static fire test and then the weather SpaceX successfully completed its third launch of 2017 this morning with the delivery of the EchoStar 23 payload to orbit. Liftoff occurred at 02:00 with the ignition of the nine Merlin 1D engines that propelled the towards orbit. 35 minutes later confirmation of…
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ULA launches NROL-79 mission
Following a smooth countdown this morning United Launch Alliance launched an Atlas V 401 carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Due to the nature of this launch the live broadcast was terminated after the payload separation occurred.
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SpaceX CRS-10 launches
This morning SpaceX made history once again as it made its first launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The pad that had previously been used by NASA for Apollo and Space Shuttle launches has been refurbished by SpaceX over the last couple of years. Designed to support the launch of Falcon Heavy,…
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ULA starts it’s 2017 launch manifest
United Launch Alliance began their 2017 launch manifest with the successful delivery of the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-3 satellite. The launch was originally scheduled to launch yesterday but was delayed due to a sensor issue on the RD-180 engine the Atlas V 401 and then a fouled range with an aircraft encroaching…
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SpaceX launches first of seven Iridium Next payloads
This afternoon SpaceX successfully returned to flight operations following the September 1st anomaly with the successful launch of ten Iridium Next satellites. The launch was delayed several times due to the investigation into the anomaly, as well as the unfavorable weather around Vandenburg this week. As a result of the investigation into the anomaly, there…
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SpaceX ready for resumption of Falcon 9 launches
Following a four month investigation into the September 1st anomaly that resulted in the lose of a Falcon 9 rocket with it’s payload the Spacecom Amos 6 satellite and significant damage to Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX announced this week that they have completed the investigate (see report here) and…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 explodes during static fire test countdown
This morning during their standard Static Fire test procedure the Falcon 9 tasked with launching the Spacecom Amos-6 satellite exploded during the countdown to the static fire. SpaceX have confirmed that the Amos-6 payload was lost due to the explosion, however there were no personnel lost due to standard procedures during tanking operations. Statement on…