Spaceflight Insider

  • Astra suffers anomaly following first orbital-attempt liftoff

    Michael McCabeSeptember 13th Astra suffered a setback during their first orbital attempt, as their Rocket 3 series rocket lifted off into the skies over Launch Pad 3B in Kodiak, Alaska at 7:19 P.M. ADT, before an anomaly occurred causing the rocket to fall back to earth. 

  • Northrop Grumman cancels OmegA rocket following NSSL contract loss

    Matt HaskellSeptember 10th In an expected move following recent contract awards, Northrop Grumman has announced the cancellation of their OmegA launch vehicle program.

  • First segment of Orion capsule delivered for assembly ahead of Artemis III mission

    Theresa CrossSeptember 10th Lockheed Martin takes delivery and begins production of the Artemis III Orion capsule, as the first parts of the pressure vessel are delivered to the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

  • OPINION: Arecibo Observatory should be rebuilt

    Laurel KornfeldSeptember 7th After experiencing a series of misfortunes ranging from earthquakes to hurricanes to budget cuts, the National Science Foundation‘s (NSF) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, both a scientific and cultural icon, was seriously damaged when an auxiliary cable broke on Monday, August 10 at 2:45 am.

  • Sunrise at the port: welcoming home Falcon 9 booster B1060.2

    Theresa CrossSeptember 6th It was a beautiful morning on the Space Coast of Florida as many gathered to watch another SpaceX first stage make its way into Port Canaveral. Arriving at the Cape early on Sunday, September 6, 2020, B1060.2 is fresh off its second mission which launched from LC-39A earlier in the week. B1060 first flew as […]

  • Morning update: delayed Starlink mission set to fly in less than an hour

    Sean CostelloSeptember 3rd SpaceX is poised to launch their next batch of Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 today, currently scheduled to liftoff at 8:46 a.m. EDT.

  • Northrop Grumman continues to advance NASA’s Artemis program

    Matt HaskellSeptember 3rd Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman continues to meet milestones in preparation for NASA’s Artemis program, as it completes a successful booster test fire for Artemis IV, and delivers the final abort motor for Artemis II

  • US Air Force Global Strike Command conducts Minuteman III test from Vandenberg Air Force Base

    Ashly CullumberSeptember 2nd On Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 12:03 a.m. Pacific Time, an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was conducted from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

  • Orion spacecraft passes final milestone for first Artemis launch

    Cullen DesforgesSeptember 2nd On September 1, NASA announced that the flight-ready Orion Crew capsule had completed a significant milestone in preparation for its voyage on the first launch of the Artemis Program, Artemis 1.

  • NASA to air Northrop Grumman FSB-1 test fire from Utah

    Theresa CrossSeptember 2nd On Wednesday, September 2 at 2:45 p.m.. EDT, NASA will broadcast a full-duration test fire by Northrop Grumman of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket booster. It will air on NASA television and will also be viewable online, via their website. The test will be conducted at Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing and test facilities in Promontory, […]

  • Following schedule adjustment, Starlink now set to launch September 3

    Theresa CrossSeptember 1st SpaceX has officially shifted Tuesday’s planned launch of 60 Starlink internet satellites from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Representatives from SpaceX wrote on Twitter, “Now targeting Thursday, September 3 at 8:46 a.m. EDT for launch of Starlink from Launch Complex 39A, pending Range acceptance — team is using additional time for […]

  • SpaceX launches first polar launch from Florida in 60 years

    Matt HaskellAugust 30th SpaceX has successfully launched the SAOCOM-1B satellite for the Argentinian Space Agency, CONAE – the first polar trajectory launch from Florida’s Space Coast in 60 years.

  • Astra suffers anomaly following first orbital-attempt liftoff

    Michael McCabeSeptember 13th Astra suffered a setback during their first orbital attempt, as their Rocket 3 series rocket lifted off into the skies over Launch Pad 3B in Kodiak, Alaska at 7:19 P.M. ADT, before an anomaly occurred causing the rocket to fall back to earth. 

  • Northrop Grumman cancels OmegA rocket following NSSL contract loss

    Matt HaskellSeptember 10th In an expected move following recent contract awards, Northrop Grumman has announced the cancellation of their OmegA launch vehicle program.

  • OPINION: Arecibo Observatory should be rebuilt

    Laurel KornfeldSeptember 7th After experiencing a series of misfortunes ranging from earthquakes to hurricanes to budget cuts, the National Science Foundation‘s (NSF) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, both a scientific and cultural icon, was seriously damaged when an auxiliary cable broke on Monday, August 10 at 2:45 am.

  • Sunrise at the port: welcoming home Falcon 9 booster B1060.2

    Theresa CrossSeptember 6th It was a beautiful morning on the Space Coast of Florida as many gathered to watch another SpaceX first stage make its way into Port Canaveral. Arriving at the Cape early on Sunday, September 6, 2020, B1060.2 is fresh off its second mission which launched from LC-39A earlier in the week. B1060 first flew as […]

  • Northrop Grumman continues to advance NASA’s Artemis program

    Matt HaskellSeptember 3rd Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman continues to meet milestones in preparation for NASA’s Artemis program, as it completes a successful booster test fire for Artemis IV, and delivers the final abort motor for Artemis II

  • US Air Force Global Strike Command conducts Minuteman III test from Vandenberg Air Force Base

    Ashly CullumberSeptember 2nd On Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 12:03 a.m. Pacific Time, an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was conducted from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

  • Orion spacecraft passes final milestone for first Artemis launch

    Cullen DesforgesSeptember 2nd On September 1, NASA announced that the flight-ready Orion Crew capsule had completed a significant milestone in preparation for its voyage on the first launch of the Artemis Program, Artemis 1.

  • NASA to air Northrop Grumman FSB-1 test fire from Utah

    Theresa CrossSeptember 2nd On Wednesday, September 2 at 2:45 p.m.. EDT, NASA will broadcast a full-duration test fire by Northrop Grumman of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket booster. It will air on NASA television and will also be viewable online, via their website. The test will be conducted at Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing and test facilities in Promontory, […]

  • SpaceX launches first polar launch from Florida in 60 years

    Matt HaskellAugust 30th SpaceX has successfully launched the SAOCOM-1B satellite for the Argentinian Space Agency, CONAE – the first polar trajectory launch from Florida’s Space Coast in 60 years.

  • No delay expected for SAOCOM 1B, Starlink missions

    Matt HaskellAugust 29th With less than 25 hours remaining until the second planned lift off of a possible double-header flight day, SpaceX is marching forward with plans to launch and recover two Falcon 9 rockets, just 9 hours apart.

  • Update from ULA on abort event, status of NROL-44 payload

    Sean CostelloAugust 29th   United Launch Alliance (ULA) provided SpaceFlight Insider with additional insight and detail regarding the current status of the NROL-44 payload, launch vehicle and the efficacy of their Delta IV Heavy auto-launch system.

  • Hot Fire Abort safely keeps Delta IV Heavy, NROL-44 on the ground

    Sean CostelloAugust 29th A hot fire abort was called at T-3 seconds, after ignition of engines aboard the Delta IV Heavy but prior to the vehicle being released for flight.

  • SpaceX aiming for first polar launch from Florida in 60 years

    Cullen DesforgesAugust 28th On August 30, SpaceX is planning to make another entry in the modern-day history books, flying a launch trajectory not seen from Florida’s Space Coast in over 60 years. The mission to launch the SAOCOM-1B payload into a sun-synchronous polar orbit is also part of a rare, two-launch day on the Eastern Range.

  • 24-hour scrub leaves Delta IV and NROL-44 on the pad at SLC-37

    Theresa CrossAugust 27th This morning’s planned launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta lV Heavy rocket, set to carry the NROL-44 mission, was scrubbed while the countdown was in a planned hold at T-minus 4 hours and 15 minutes.

  • ULA set to launch mission for National Reconnaissance Office

    Matt HaskellAugust 26th United Launch Alliance is preparing to launch the NROL-44 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office atop their Delta IV Heavy rocket early Thursday morning. 

  • A busy week planned for the Space Coast, 3 launches in 3 days

    Theresa CrossAugust 25th The countdown is on for three planned launches from Cape Canaveral this week, beginning with an early morning United Launch Alliance flight scheduled for 06:12 GMT (2:21 a.m. EDT), Thursday August 27. Launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 37B, the triple body Delta-lV Heavy rocket (the largest of the Delta lV family) […]

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