Commercial Space Flight

SpaceX

SpaceX - Space Exploration Technologies - operates the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets as well as the Dragon cargo and crewed spacecraft. The company is pursuing reusable launch vehicle technology and future flights to distant targets, including Mars.

Arianespace

Arianespace is Europe's leading launch provider situated at the Guiana Space Center from where the heavy-lift workhorse Ariane 5, the Russian flagship Soyuz and the light-lifter Vega can be launched.

Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK is an American aerospace and defense industry company with a diversified array of products. It operates a number of launch vehicles including the Antares, Pegasus & Minotaur rockets. Orbital ATK is also known as a spacecraft manufacturer and supplier of aerospace system components such as large solid rocket motors.

ILS

International Launch Services, based in the United States, offers the Russian Proton rocket on the commercial launch market. The company will also operate launches of the new Angara launch vehicle once it becomes operational.

ULA

United Launch Alliance operates the Delta II, Delta IV and Atlas V launch vehicle families to provide launch services to the U.S. government and commercial organizations. ULA is currently developing the new Vulcan launch system to take over from Atlas & Delta.

Sea Launch

Sea Launch is the commercial operator of the Zenit launch system, utilizing a sea-going launch platform to lift Geostationary Satellites into equatorial orbits.

Commercial Spaceflight Updates

Atlas V Pierces into Vandenberg Fog on first West Coast Interplanetary Mission
Atlas V Commercial Space Featured Interplanetary Mars NASA News Newsfeed Science United Launch Alliance 

Atlas V Pierces into Vandenberg Fog on first West Coast Interplanetary Mission

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Atlas V Pierces into Vandenberg Fog on first West Coast Interplanetary Mission

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket (AV-078) launched from Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 11:05 UTC on May 5, 2018 with NASA’s InSight Mars Lander and two MarCO CubeSats

Chinese Long March 3B Launches APStar-6C Communications Satellite
China Commercial Space Communications Featured Launch Launch Long March Long March 3B Military Space News Newsfeed 

Chinese Long March 3B Launches APStar-6C Communications Satellite

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Chinese Long March 3B Launches APStar-6C Communications Satellite

China was back in action on Thursday, conducting a rare commercial launch of a Long March 3B rocket with the APStar-6C communications satellite for APT Satellite Holdings

Blue Origin’s New Shepard Reaches new Heights in latest Test Flight
Blue Origin Commercial Space Featured New Shepard News Newsfeed 

Blue Origin’s New Shepard Reaches new Heights in latest Test Flight

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Blue Origin’s New Shepard Reaches new Heights in latest Test Flight

Blue Origin returned to its West Texas testing grounds on Sunday for the eighth flight of its reusable New Shepard launch system – reaching new heights in a test designed to expand the vehicle’s operational envelope

Re-Entry: Iridium 13
Commercial Space Communications News Re-Entry Re-Entry Feature 

Re-Entry: Iridium 13

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Re-Entry: Iridium 13

Iridium 13 re-entered the atmosphere on April 29, 2018 after over 20 years in orbit as part of the original Iridium Communications Constellation

Chinese Long March 11 Launches Five Video & Hyperspectral Satellites for Zhuhai Constellation
Commercial Space Earth Observation Launch Launch Long March Long March 11 Military Space News Newsfeed 

Chinese Long March 11 Launches Five Video & Hyperspectral Satellites for Zhuhai Constellation

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Chinese Long March 11 Launches Five Video & Hyperspectral Satellites for Zhuhai Constellation

A Chinese, all-solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket packed with five Earth-imaging satellites lifted off from the country’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 4:42 UTC on Thursday

Falcon 9 Lifts TESS Exoplanet Hunter to Survey Earth’s Cosmic Neighborhood for Habitable Worlds
Astronomy Astrophysics Commercial Space Falcon 9 Featured Launch NASA News Newsfeed Orbital ATK Science SpaceX 

Falcon 9 Lifts TESS Exoplanet Hunter to Survey Earth’s Cosmic Neighborhood for Habitable Worlds

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Falcon 9 Lifts TESS Exoplanet Hunter to Survey Earth’s Cosmic Neighborhood for Habitable Worlds

NASA’s search for Earth-like planets around other stars took one major step forward Wednesday night when the agency’s TESS exoplanet hunter received a smooth ride into a high-energy transfer orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9

Photos: Falcon 9 Races into Crystal Clear Skies with TESS Exoplanet Mission
Astronomy Astrophysics Commercial Space Falcon 9 NASA News Orbital ATK Photos Science 

Photos: Falcon 9 Races into Crystal Clear Skies with TESS Exoplanet Mission

Patrick Blau Comments Off on Photos: Falcon 9 Races into Crystal Clear Skies with TESS Exoplanet Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 raced into crystal-clear afternoon skies over Florida’s Cape Canaveral at 22:51:31 UTC on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 with NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Surveying Satellite.

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