Category: Uncategorized

  • SpaceX begins 2019 with successful Iridium Next launch

    SpaceX completed the last of there contracted launches for Iridium Next with the successfully delivery of 10 satellites to orbit this morning. The launch which had been delayed several times due to satellite and vehicle technical issues successfully lifted off at 10:31 AM EST. This was the 2nd flight of the booster 1049 which again…

  • SpaceX successfully launches SAOCOM-1A

    This evening SpaceX successfully delivered the SAOCOM-1A, a radar observation satellite for Argentina to orbit and performed their first Return To Launch Site (RTLS) on the west coast. This was the 17th launch this year for SpaceX and 10th landing and was the 62nd launch for Falcon 9 and 30th landing. https://youtu.be/vr_C6LQ7mHc

  • International Docking Adapter successfully installed

    The International Docking Adapter (IDA) that was transported to the International Space Station (ISS) in the trunk of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was successfully installed to the end of the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA-2) during a spacewalk today. Astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins performed a 5 hour 58 minute spacewalk to complete the…

  • Technology for the Journey To Mars – Laundry

    In this series of posts we are going to take a look at some of the technology that will need to be developed so that we can make the trip to Mars. Today we are going to take a look a something that may not be so obvious but for a 18-24 month round trip…

  • SpaceX moves a step closer to Return To Flight

    SpaceX has completed the first static fire test of their enhanced Falcon 9 rocket as they move closer to return to flight.  The upgraded rocket (name not yet known) uses Full Thrust Merlin 1D engines, previous flights the engines had only been run at 85% thrust. This upgrade which was already in the works before…

  • TMA-17M Docks with ISS

    Following the successful launch earlier the Soyuz TMA-17M carrying Oleg Kononenko, Kimiya Yui and Kjell Lindgren arrived at the international Space Station following a four orbit journey. After the launch it became clear that as with TMA-14M one of the solar panels had not deployed correctly, this didn’t impact the docking and as before the…

  • Latest GPS Satellite launched by ULA

    This morning a United Launch Alliance Atlas V lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying the latest GPS 2F satellite to orbit. The rocket used the 401 configuration, which is the simplest version of the Atlas V family.  Due to the configureability of the Atlas V family of rockets these numbers represent a four meter payload…

  • LightSail Update – Solar Sails deployed successfully

    The Planetary Society’s LightSail cubesat reach another amazing milestone this weekend as it became the first privately funded spacecraft to deploy a Solar Sail in orbit. The spacecraft which was launched two weeks ago had been silent for eight days due to a computer glitch, suddenly on Saturday 30th May it started communicating again after a reboot…

  • Atlas V launches military’s X-37B space plane

    Following a smooth countdown today United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V launched the military’s X-37B space plane.  The rocket lifted off from SLC-41 and carried the space plane to orbit before deploying it, the rocket also carried a secondary payload of Cubesat’s including The Planetary Societies LightSail test.  The Planetary Society is currently raising money…

  • The Little Rover that Could continues to impress

    Eleven years ago the Mars Opportunity Rover landed on the surface of the planet for a planned 90 sol (Mars day) mission, nearly 4000 sols later the rover is still operating.  This week it achieved a another significant milestone becoming the first rover to complete the equivalent of a marathon driving across the surface of…