COMET NEOWISE SHINES IN STUNNING PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Astronauts caught a stunning natural light show this weekend from a comet that has been dazzling skywatchers on Earth as well. That streaker, called Comet NEOWISE or C/2020 F3, first came on the scene at the end of March. At that point, the icy lump was quite faint in our skies, and astronomers weren't sure that would change. But as time has passed, the comet has brightened immensely, tantalizing skywatchers even after they were disappointed by two other recent comets that faded away.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 7)

ISRAEL SUCCESSFULLY PLACES SURVEILLANCE SATELLITE INTO ORBIT - For the first time in nearly four years, a rocket successfully shot into orbit from Israel on Monday with a military reconnaissance satellite to shore up the country’s space-based capability to surveil Iran and other adversaries. A Shavit 2 launcher carried the Ofek 16 Earth-imaging satellite into orbit from the Palmachim air base in central Israel. The three-stage rocket lifted off at 0100 GMT Monday (9 p.m. EDT Sunday), or at 4 a.m. local time in Israel, according to the Israel Ministry of Defense.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 7)

THE LONG COUNTDOWN TO COMMERCIAL CREW’S LIFTOFF - Success, the saying goes, has a thousand fathers. Sure enough, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off May 30, placing a Crew Dragon with two NASA astronauts on board into orbit on the first human orbital spaceflight from U.S. soil in nearly nine years, plenty of prospective parents stepped forward. President Donald Trump, who attended the launch at the Kennedy Space Center, was quick to take credit for it.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jul 6)

VIRGIN GALACTIC WILL HELP NASA TAKE PRIVATE PASSENGERS TO SPACE STATION VERY SOON - Virgin Galactic has announced a collaboration with NASA to encourage space tourism, with commercial participation in orbital human spaceflight to the International Space Station. In case you didn’t know, Virgin Galactic is known to be working on commercial space tourism trips aboard its VSS Unity, that launches passengers mid-air after being dropped from an aircraft carrier.    More
(Source: India Times - Jul 6)

LONG MARCH 4B LOFTS NEW GAOFEN SATELLITE - China launched a new remote sensing satellite on Friday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Launch of the Gaofen multi-mode integrated imaging satellite took place at 03:10 UTC from the LC9 launch Complex using the Long March-4B (Y43) rocket. The new remote sensing satellite was accompanied by the small Xibaipo (BY 70-2) on its ride to orbit.   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jul 5)

ROCKET LAB SATELLITE LAUNCH FAILS BEFORE REACHING ORBIT - A failure during the second stage burn of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket caused seven small commercial satellites to crash back to Earth Saturday following liftoff from New Zealand. Carrying satellites from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, the Electron launcher lifted off from Rocket Lab’s privately-run spaceport on New Zealand’s North Island at 5:19:36 p.m. EDT (2119:36 GMT).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 5)

ROCKET LAB PLANS NEXT LAUNCH SATURDAY, CLOSES IN ON FIRST MISSION FROM VIRGINIA - Rocket Lab is readying for a launch from its New Zealand spaceport Saturday (U.S. time) with seven commercial satellites from Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, while teams at Wallops Island, Virginia, move closer to Rocket Lab’s first launch there as soon as August. The mission Sunday will take off from Rocket Lab’s primary privately-run spaceport on Mahia Peninsula, located on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 4)

SPACE STARTUP MOMENTUS PROVIDES ‘LAST MILE DELIVERY’ FOR SATELLITES LAUNCHED ON ANY ROCKET - A space startup offering a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft is continuing its deal spree this year, becoming an increasingly important player in the growing small satellite market. Momentus, a Santa Clara, California-based company, has so far struck $40 million worth of customer contracts this year and announced on Thursday its latest deal with Dutch small satellite specialist ISILaunch. Its the eighth such deal Momentus has unveiled in 2020, with the company providing its orbit transfer services for ISILaunch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in December.   More
(Source: CNBC - Jul 3)

AFTER WEATHER DELAYS, ARIANESPACE DELAYS VEGA LAUNCH TO RECHARGE BATTERIES - After an unusual stretch of excessive high-altitude winds prevented launch from French Guiana of 53 small satellites on a Vega rocket in June — and no sign of a letup in winds in the coming days — Arianespace said Wednesday that the mission will be delayed to Aug. 17 to allow time for teams to recharge launcher and payload batteries.    More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 3)

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