ULA’S ATLAS V LAUNCH SATELLITE-INSPECTION MISSION FOR SPACE FORCE - United Launch Alliance carried out an Atlas V launch Friday with the third pair of GSSAP satellites for the US Space Force. Flying in its never-before-used 511 configuration, Atlas lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:00 PM EST (19:00 UTC) for a lengthy mission that will inject the satellites into a near-geostationary orbit. The GSSAP (Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program) is a US Space Force project using small satellites to inspect other spacecraft operating in geostationary orbit. Friday’s launch, which is designated USSF-8 (US Space Force 8), is carrying the fifth and sixth satellites in this series. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jan 21)
BAD WEATHER DELAYS SPACEX DRAGON'S DEPARTURE FROM SPACE STATION TO SATURDAY - A SpaceX resupply ship will have to wait at least one more day before returning to Earth. Yesterday (Jan. 19), cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov ventured outside the safe confines of the International Space Station to conduct a seven-hour, 11-minute spacewalk. While the pair cleaned up following the spacewalk, SpaceX was preparing its robotic Dragon cargo ship to come back to Earth. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 21)
CHINESE SATELLITE IN NEAR MISS WITH RUSSIAN ASAT TEST DEBRIS - A Chinese satellite experienced a near miss Tuesday with a piece of debris created by Russia’s destructive anti-satellite test conducted in November. The Space Debris Monitoring and Application Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) issued a warning Tuesday of an extremely dangerous encounter between the Tsinghua Science satellite (NORAD ID: 46026) and one (49863) of more than a thousand trackable pieces of debris from the Nov. 15 ASAT test. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jan 21)
WATCH TWO RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS TAKE A SPACEWALK OUTSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TODAY - Two Russian cosmonauts are planning to take a spacewalk today (Jan. 19) to ready a new International Space Station module for visiting spacecraft, and you can watch it live. Expedition 66 Cmdr. Anton Shkaplerov and flight engineer Pyotr Dubrov, both of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will spend the day working together outside the International Space Station. Coverage will start at 6 a.m EST (1130 GMT) and will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, NASA social media and here at Space.com. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 20)
SPACEX PASSES 2,000 STARLINK SATELLITES LAUNCHED - SpaceX passed the threshold of more than 2,000 Starlink satellites launched after a Falcon 9 placed another set of broadband internet spacecraft into orbit Jan. 18. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A the Kennedy Space Center at 9:02 p.m. Eastern. The launch was originally scheduled for 7:04 p.m. Eastern, but SpaceX postponed the launch to the second of two opportunities that evening. The company did not disclose the reason for the delay. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jan 20)
FIRST CHINESE SPACE MISSION OF 2022 ROCKETS INTO ORBIT - China launched a Long March 2D rocket Monday with another classified satellite, deploying the spacecraft into a polar orbit on the first of more than 40 Chinese Long March rocket missions planned in 2022. The Long March 2D rocket took off from the Taiyuan launch base in Shanxi province of northern China at 0435 GMT Sunday (11:35 p.m. EST Sunday), according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. or CASC. Liftoff occurred at 10:35 a.m. Beijing time Monday. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 19)
CREW GETS READY FOR SPACEWALK AND DRAGON DEPARTURE THIS WEEK - The Expedition 66 crew is getting ready for a spacewalk on Wednesday while packing a U.S. resupply ship for its departure on Friday. Meanwhile, the International Space Station also hosted a pair of space biology studies exploring exercise and vision. Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov finalized their preparations today for the first spacewalk of 2022 set to begin at 7 a.m. EST on Wednesday. More (Source: NASA - Jan 19)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 49 STARLINK INTERNET SATELLITES, LANDS ROCKET AT SEA - Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Home News Spaceflight SpaceX launches 49 Starlink internet satellites, lands rocket at sea By Mike Wall published about 2 hours ago It was the 10th launch and landing for this particular Falcon 9 rocket first stage. Click here for more Space.com videos... SpaceX's Starlink internet megaconstellation keeps growing. A two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with 49 Starlink satellites lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today (Jan. 18) at 9:02 p.m. EST (0203 GMT on Jan. 19). About nine minutes later, the rocket's first stage came down to Earth for a pinpoint touchdown on the SpaceX droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 19)
YOU CAN WATCH SPACEX LAUNCH MORE THAN FOUR DOZEN STARLINK INTERNET SATELLITES ON TUESDAY. HERE'S HOW. - Update for 2:50 pm ET: SpaceX has postponed the launch of its next Starlink mission to no earlier than Tuesday, Jan. 18, due to weather issues. See our updated story below. A SpaceX rocket will launch a new fleet of the company's Starlink internet satellites into orbit Tuesday night (Jan. 18) and you can watch it live online. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 18)
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