CHINA LAUNCHES 14 COMMERCIAL SATELLITES INTO ORBIT ATOP LONG MARCH 2D ROCKET - China has 14 new satellites in orbit following its fifth launch of 2023. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China on Saturday (Jan. 14) at 10:14 p.m. EST (0314 GMT or 11:14 a.m. Beijing time on Jan. 15). Insulation tiles fell from the rocket as pink and purple exhaust propelled it above the frosty surrounding hills of Taiyuan. Aboard were 14 satellites for a range of customers. Six of the payloads were Jilin-1 optical and infrared remote sensing satellites for a commercial satellite firm spun off from an institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 21)

CREW READY FOR SPACEWALK AND CONDUCTS BIOLOGY, PHYSICS RESEARCH - The first spacewalk of 2023 will begin on Friday to continue upgrading the International Space Station’s power generation system. The Expedition 68 crew members finalized preparations today for the excursion while continuing advanced space research and orbital lab maintenance. Astronauts Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Nicole Mann of NASA are due to spend about six-and-a-half hours working outside the station during a spacewalk on Friday.   More
(Source: NASA - Jan 20)

NASA SCALES BACK PROJECT TO SEND SCIENTISTS TO ISS - A budget shortfall has caused NASA to scale back plans for a project that would support sending scientists to the International Space Station to conduct research. NASA sought funding in fiscal year 2023 for Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science, or CERISS, intended ultimately to allow scientists to fly on private astronaut missions to the ISS or future commercial space stations to conduct “hyper-specialized” research more effectively than if done by a professional astronaut.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jan 20)

SPACEX'S FALCON HEAVY ROCKET LAUNCH LOOKED TOTALLY MAGICAL FROM THE ISS - What does a rocket launch look like? It depends where you see it from. Nearby, it looks like a fiery, roaring beast as the rocket and spacecraft ascend. If you're on the International Space Station orbiting above Earth, you might see an ethereal, wispy ghost formation in the distance. On Wednesday, NASA's ISS account tweeted a look at SpaceX's Jan. 15 Falcon Heavy rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The stunning views are just as much art as science.    More
(Source: CNET - Jan 20)

SPACEX DRAGON CAPSULE TO BE 5-PERSON 'LIFEBOAT' IN EVENT OF ISS EMERGENCY - A SpaceX Dragon capsule is being modified on orbit to carry an extra astronaut home to Earth if need be. On Wednesday (Jan. 18), NASA plans to start moving agency astronaut Frank Rubio's seat liner from a Russian Soyuz spacecraft over to Endurance, the Dragon spacecraft that's flying SpaceX's ongoing Crew-5 mission for NASA.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 19)

SPACEX DELIVERS GPS SATELLITE TO 12,000-MILE-HIGH ORBIT - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket just after sunrise Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, hauling a GPS navigation satellite into orbit to replace an aging 16-year-old spacecraft in the global positioning network trusted to guide everything from military weapons to civilian commuters. The mission was the second SpaceX launch for the U.S. Space Force in less than three days, coming on the heels of a Falcon Heavy launch Sunday that accurately delivered two military satellites into a high-altitude geosynchronous orbit.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 19)

GPS NAVIGATION SATELLITE SET FOR LAUNCH ON SPACEX ROCKET - SpaceX’s second launch for the U.S. military in three days is set to blast off from Florida and deliver a GPS navigation satellite into orbit Wednesday, reinforcing the global positioning and timing network as four more GPS spacecraft are in storage at a Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado to be launched as needed over the next few years. The launch of the U.S. Space Force’s GPS 3 SV06 mission — the sixth spacecraft in the latest generation of GPS 3-series satellites — is set for 7:10 a.m. EST (1210 GMT) Wednesday from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 18)

CHINA LAUNCH PLANS MORE THAN 70 LAUNCHES IN 2023 - China’s state-owned and commercial space sector actors are planning a total of more than 70 launches across 2023 as the country’s space activities continue to expand. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s main space contractor and maker of the Long March rocket series, will again aim for more than 50 launches this year, according to an announcement from an early January meeting.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jan 18)

NORTHROP GRUMMAN-BUILT LDPE-3A SATELLITE TO SUPPORT US SPACE FORCE NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION - Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE)-3A spacecraft launched successfully today in support of the USSF-67 mission. This spacecraft helps advance rapid access to space for the U.S. Space Force and marks the third successful launch in the LDPE program. The LDPE-3A was built using Northrop Grumman’s ESPAStar, providing rapid access to space by maximizing the available volume inside a launch vehicle. This bus carries hardware for five independent missions, eliminating the need for each mission to wait for a future launch opportunity.   More
(Source: SpaceRef - Jan 17)

Previous Next