Tag: commercial-space
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Video: Ariane 5 takes off from French Guiana
Video credit: Arianespace Watch a replay of the liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday from the Guiana Space Center, a spaceport carved from the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The launcher carried four Galileo navigation satellites into orbit. The 155-foot-tall (47-meter) Ariane ES rocket lifted off from the ELA-3 launch pad at 1125 GMT…
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SpaceShipTwo rocket plane pushes the envelope in third supersonic test flight
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, VSS Unity, fires up its hybrid rocket motor during a supersonic test flight. (MarsScientific.com and Trumbull Studios via Virgin Galactic) Virgin Galactic sent its SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, VSS Unity, to its highest-ever altitude today during its third powered test flight — setting the stage for a full-powered push across the boundary…
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Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from California
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 next-generation Iridium communications satellites. SpaceX’s live video coverage begins at approximately 4:24 a.m. PDT (7:24 a.m. EDT; 1124 GMT). Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow…
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Photos: Falcon 9 ready for launch from California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket loaded with 10 Iridium Next communications satellite is awaiting a predawn launch Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The Falcon 9 launcher, flying in SpaceX’s latest “Block 5” configuration, is set to lift off at 4:39:30 a.m. PDT (7:39:30 a.m. EDT; 1139:30 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4-East at…
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Successful Ariane 5 launch fills out European navigation fleet
An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off at 1125 GMT (7:25 a.m. EDT; 8:25 a.m. French Guiana time) from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – Service Optique The final flight of a discontinued version of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket added four more spacecraft to Europe’s Galileo…
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Video: Falcon 9 lifts off in a veil of fog
Video credit: SpaceX A thick marine layer blanketing Vandenberg Air Force Base in California restricted views of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifting off early Wednesday, but cameras fixed to the launcher provided spectacular imagery of the predawn departure with 10 Iridium satellites on-board. The Falcon 9 took off from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg…
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SpaceX’s second launch in three days lofts 10 more Iridium satellites
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket fires into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX Firing through a veil of fog blanketing California’s Central Coast, a Falcon 9 launcher climbed into orbit Wednesday with 10 more satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay constellation, pushing the upgraded network closer to completion as SpaceX accomplished another…
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Launch timeline for Iridium’s seventh launch with SpaceX
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the another set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Wednesday at 4:39 a.m. PDT (7:39 a.m. EDT; 1139 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in…
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Ariane 5 rocket, Galileo satellites on launch pad in French Guiana
An Ariane 5 rocket nears its launch pad Monday in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon Ground crews in French Guiana on Monday transferred an Ariane 5 rocket to its launch pad, moving the vehicle into position for liftoff Wednesday with four European Galileo navigation satellites on the…
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SpaceX’s fairing-catching boat heads to sea, this time with a bigger net
SpaceX’s fairing recovery boat, Mr. Steven, will debut a bigger net during Wednesday’s launch f a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX After several near-misses in tries to catch payload shrouds jettisoned from Falcon 9 rockets climbing into space, a high-speed boat tasked with retrieving the fairings for SpaceX to…