ARIANE 6 UNDERGOING PREPARATIONS FOR ITS 2022 DEBUT - ArianeGroup and the European Space Agency are carrying out preparations for the maiden launch of the Ariane 6 rocket next year. Ariane 6 represents the next generation of the Ariane family of rockets, intended to allow its customers lower-cost access to space. The rocket and launch pad still have an extensive test program ahead of them, with a current target launch date in the second half of 2022. Ariane 6 is the sixth member of the Ariane family of rockets, whose development began in the 1970s to allow the ESA (European Space Agency) to place its own satellites–and commercial payloads–into geostationary orbit. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Nov 2)
RUSSIAN CARGO SHIP DELIVERS EARLY HALLOWEEN TREATS TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - An uncrewed Russian cargo ship linked up with the International Space Station late Friday (Oct. 29) to deliver nearly 3 tons of supplies and some treats just ahead of Halloween. The supply ship, called Progress 79, docked at the space station Friday two days after launching into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The two ships met at 9:31 p.m. EDT (131 Oct. 30 GMT) as they sailed 258 miles over Argentina, just south of Buenos Aires. More (Source: Space.com - Oct 31)
SPACEX CREW-3 LAUNCH DELAYED DUE TO 'LARGE STORM SYSTEM' - The SpaceX Crew-3 launch, initially slated to liftoff from NASA’s Florida-located Kennedy Space Center early Halloween morning, has been delayed due to a large storm system. The agency said in a Saturday update that the system was meandering across the Ohio Valley and through the Northeast through the weekend, elevating winds and waves in the Atlantic Ocean and along the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft's flight path. More (Source: Fox News - Oct 31)
SPACEX TO LAUNCH EMIRATI IMAGING SATELLITE - SpaceX has won a contract to launch an Emirati high-resolution imaging satellite on a Falcon 9 rideshare mission in 2023. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced at an Oct. 27 press conference here, held during the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, that it selected SpaceX to launch its MBZ SAT satellite in the second half 2023. The center did not disclose the value of the contract. More (Source: SpaceNews - Oct 29)
CHINA LAUNCHES MILITARY SATELLITE THAT WILL TAKE AIM AT SPACE JUNK - China successfully launched a military satellite to test "space debris mitigation technology," according to state media reports. The satellite, riding on board a Long March 3B rocket, lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 9:27 p.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 23 (0127 GMT or 9:27 a.m. local time Sunday, Oct. 24.) More (Source: Space.com - Oct 29)
JEFF BEZOS WANTS A LOW-ORBIT OFFICE PARK TO REPLACE THE ISS - After more than two decades in orbit, NASA is preparing to retire the International Space Station. The habitable satellite only has permission to operate until 2024, and while it’s likely that the space station’s funding could be extended until 2028, NASA plans to decommission the ISS and find a replacement by the end of the decade. Cue Jeff Bezos. The billionaire’s spaceflight company, Blue Origin, has released its proposal for a new, commercial space station called Orbital Reef. More (Source: Vox - Oct 28)
CHINA LAUNCHES JILIN-1 GAOFEN-02F REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE VIA KUAIZHOU 1A - China’s small Kuaizhou 1A rocket has launched the latest satellite in the Jilin-1 Earth-imaging constellation Wednesday, in a low-key mission out of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Kuaizhou lifted off at 06:19 UTC (14:19 Beijing time), deploying its payload into a sun-synchronous orbit. Wednesday’s launch carried the Jilin-1 Gaofen-02F satellite, continuing deployment of the commercial remote sensing satellite network under development by the Chang Guang Satellite Technology Corporation. Gaofen... More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Oct 28)
NASA'S SPACEX CREW-3 ASTRONAUTS LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION ALONGSIDE MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH - NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 mission is set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon on Sunday, Oct. 31. The mission includes three NASA astronauts—mission Commander Raja Chari, Pilot Tom Marshburn, and Mission Specialist Kayla Barron—as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, who will also serve as a mission specialist. More (Source: Phys.org - Oct 28)
'PERFECT LAUNCH' OF SOYUZ ROCKET SENDS RUSSIAN PROGRESS 79 CARGO SHIP TO SPACE STATION - A Russian Soyuz rocket launched a new robotic cargo ship to the International Space Station late Wednesday (Oct. 27) to deliver tons of fresh supplies for astronauts in orbit. The Soyuz 2.1a rocket launched the Progress 79 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan 8 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 27 (0000 GMT or 5 a.m. local time on Friday) to kick off a two-day chase of the space station. The uncrewed supply ship should arrive at the station late Friday (Oct. 29). More (Source: Space.com - Oct 28)
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