Satellite Launched to Connect Indonesia

Successful liftoff of a Falcon9 carrying the HTS-113Bt satellite from LC40. Image by Richard P Gallagher

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to deploy the HTS-113BT telecommunications satellite in a geosynchronous orbit this afternoon, marking a big advancement in Indonesia’s telecommunications infrastructure. The mission launched into a beautiful blue Florida sky right on time at 3:11 pm from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Romancing The Stars: SpaceX Plans Pair Of Valentines Day Rocket Launches

A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket lifts off from LC40 at CCSFS in Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket lifts off from LC40 at CCSFS in Florida. Image by Richard P Gallagher

This Valentines Day, SpaceX is setting hearts aflutter with not one, but two rocket launches. The Falcon 9 rockets are scheduled to take off from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

PACE Streaks To Orbit

PACE Mission Launches
NASA’s PACE Mission lifts off from Pad 40 at CCFS. Photo: Ed Cordero / FMN

In the early hours of Thursday, NASA’s latest Earth science mission began its journey to space, marking the start of a mission to better our understanding of the planet’s marine life and atmospheric conditions.

Now On Deck – Nova C: Another Moon Landing Attempt Launches In February

Nova-C Mission Patch
Nova-C Mission Patch

For 10 days in January, the Peregrine Lunar Lander, made by US company Astrobotic, kept spaceflight observers on the edge of their seat. Peregrine, the first US lunar lander in over 50 years was to mark our country’s return to the moon. More importantly, the landing was a major step in sending a manned lander to the moon in 2026 under the Artemis program.  A propellant leak cut that mission short, and eventually scuttled it with the craft making a fiery return to earth.

Next Launch to Examine Earth’s Climate: PACE Satellite Targets 1:33am Tuesday Liftoff

PACE POSTER
Image Credit: NASA

In an era where understanding Earth’s climate dynamics is more critical than ever, NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, will be a vital asset to furthering and tracking our knowledge of the Planet. Set to launch from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40, this mission embodies the culmination of years of meticulous planning and collaboration between NASA and SpaceX, aiming to extend our comprehension of the planet’s climate system and its intricate processes. Lift is set for 1:33am Tuesday morning with the first stage booster returning to LZ 1 at CCSFS.

NASA Announces Crew-9 Roster: Who Are They?

NASA Announces Crew-9 Roster: Who Are They?

Crew 9 Portrait
Official NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 portrait: (L-R) Stephanie Wilson, Aleksandr Gorbunov, Nick Hague, and Zena Cardman.
NASA

NASA today announced the four astronauts that will travel aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station later this year: Zena Cardman will be the Mission Commander,  Nick Hague will be the Pilot, along with Stephanie Wilson and Russian Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov will travel to ISS no earlier than August 2024.

SpaceX Launches Northrup Grumman NG-20 From the Cape

SpaceX Falcon 9 Lifts off from Pad SLC-40 at Canaveral Space Force Station on January 30, 2024.
Photo: Chris Leymarie, Florida Media Now

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jan. 30, 2024 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the Northrup Grumman NG-20 mission toward ISS this afternoon. The launch was at 12:07 PM EST from the company’s launch pad at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Once it had completed its part of the mission, Booster 1077 completed its tenth flight when it safely touched down at Landing Zone 1, about 5.6 miles to the south of where it launched a little more than eight minutes earlier.

What “Last Minute Cargo ” Will Be Loaded On The Cygnus Mission?

New access door for Cygnus resupply module
Northrop Grumman’s NG-20 Cygnus resupply spacecraft, named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson, is moved in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it is prepared for its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

In an NG-20 pre-launch media teleconference on January, 26, 2024, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX VP  Build and Flight Reliability, revealed that a new access door had been added to the fairing that protects the Cygnus spacecraft atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. But Why?

SpaceX Delays NG-20 Launch By One Day

The launch of Northrup-Grumman’s Cygnus NG-20 has been delayed until Tuesday, January 30th at 12:07 PM EST.

William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of Build and Flight Reliability, said in a news conference on January 26th that, “it’s taken a lot of modifications on our part to get this hardware ready to go fly, and we want to make sure it goes right. We think it is good to delay a little bit and make sure we get all this activity right and we’re ready to get this cargo inserted into Cygnus and get ready to fly on Tuesday.”