Re-Entry: Flock 1E-14
Planet Labs’ Flock 1E-14 satellite re-entered the atmosphere on July 30, 2016 after just over one year in orbit, collecting Earth imagery that Planet Labs offers on the commercial market.
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Month: July 2016
Classified NROL-61 Satellite spotted in Orbit
The classified NROL-61 satellite launched atop an Atlas V rocket on Thursday was spotted in its secret orbit within hours of its takeoff from Florida’s Space Coast.
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Returned Falcon 9 Booster fires up for full-duration Ground Test in Texas
SpaceX test fired a returned Falcon 9 first stage on Thursday, progressing toward the first re-flight of a booster on an operational mission later this year to mark another milestone in the company’s efforts to establish a routine re-use of rocket boosters.
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Aiming for Mars – ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 completes critical Deep Space Maneuver
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter completed a major course correction on Thursday, setting its aim on Mars for an October 19 orbital insertion and landing of the Schiaparelli pathfinder.
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Atlas V blasts off from Florida with clandestine National Reconnaissance Office Payload
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, embarking on a secret U.S. government mission to replenish the country’s spy satellite fleet.
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Photos: Atlas V thunders off with secret NROL-61 Payload
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, embarking on a secret U.S. government
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Video: Atlas V races into clear skies with secret National Defence Payload
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, embarking on a secret U.S. government
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Fireball over Western U.S: Chinese Rocket Debris
Authorities in the Western United State received dozens of calls Wednesday night and Social Media was a buzz after a long-lasting fireball streaked through the night skies from California to Utah.
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Atlas V rolls out for Thursday Liftoff with classified Satellite Payload
A ULA Atlas V rocket rolled to its Cape Canaveral Launch pad on Tuesday to set up for a Thursday morning liftoff with the classified NROL-61 payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office responsible for the operation of all American spy satellites.
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Re-Entry: Flock 1E-6
Planet Labs’ Flock 1E-6 satellite re-entered the atmosphere on July 21, 2016 after almost exactly one year in orbit, collecting Earth imagery that Planet Labs offers on the commercial market.
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Photos: Dragon Cargo Spacecraft arrives at ISS
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft links up with the International Space Station for a robotic capture to mark the start of a five-week stay facilitating the transfer of over two metric tons of cargo including the robotic installation of International Docking Adapter 2 to prepare the Station for the start of commercial crew traffic.
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WorldView-2 Earth Imaging Satellite involved in Space Debris Event
The WorldView-2 satellite under operation by DigitalGlobe was involved in a “debris-causing” even on Tuesday liberating at least eight pieces of unknown size, the Joint Space Operations Center reported.
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ISS Crew captures Dragon Spacecraft for Delivery of Science Experiments, Docking Adapter
The crew aboard the International Space Station successfully tamed a Dragon on Wednesday when the SpaceX cargo spacecraft was captured by the Station’s robotic arm under control of Expedition 48 commander Jeff Williams.
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Re-Entry of Soyuz Rocket Stage surprises New Zealanders
The fiery demise of a Soyuz rocket stage surprised observers in New Zealand Tuesday night, sparking dozens of reports of a bright meteor over the South Island.
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Progress MS-03 links up with ISS for Orbital Cargo Delivery
Russia’s Progress MS-03 spacecraft completed an orbital cargo delivery Monday night, arriving at the International Space Station to drop off over two metric tons of supplies for the six crew members staffing the orbital laboratory.
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Photos: Falcon 9 Night Launch & Landing
It was a spectacle with two acts at Florida’s Space Coast Sunday night when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lit up the night skies twice, first when thundering into orbit with the Dragon SpX-9 cargo ship and again when the rocket’s first stage fell back toward a powered landing on a flat pad south of the launch site.
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Cargo Traffic inbound to Space Station – Progress MS-03 sets up for Overnight Docking
Two spacecraft are en-route to the International Space Station after successful launches from Russia and the United States to keep up a steady chain of supplies for the six crew members living and working in orbit.
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