Tag: CubeSats
-
China launches Earth-observing satellites, solar sail experiment
A Long March 4B rocket lifted off Thursday from the Taiyuan space center in China. Credit: CCTV Two Earth-imaging satellites and an experimental solar sail payload rocketed into orbit Thursday aboard a Chinese Long March 4B launcher, the first flight for China’s Long March 4 rocket family since an upper stage failure in May. The…
-
Two satellites launch aboard Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket
Two experimental Chinese satellites have launched on a Kuaizhou 1A rocket from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China. The Kuaizhou 1A light-class launcher lifted off at 2341 GMT (7:41 p.m. EDT) on Aug. 30 from Jiuquan, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Two small satellites were aboard the Kuaizhou 1A rocket — one…
-
Launch providers announce rideshare missions large and small
Artist’s illustration of a Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX and Arianespace recently announced plans to launch rideshare missions to sun-synchronous and geostationary orbit, dedicating big rocket capacity for small satellites as the U.S.-based launch broker Spaceflight committed to using a new Indian microsatellite launcher set to debut later this year. The announcements…
-
Rocket Lab launch fulfills initial block of BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket streaks into the sky over Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand in this long exposure image. Credit: Rocket Lab The fourth and last spacecraft in BlackSky’s initial flock of commercial Earth-imaging microsatellites successfully launched Monday aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket with three other payloads, setting the stage for the final assembly…
-
China’s Jielong 1 smallsat launcher successful on first flight
The first flight of the Chinese Jielong 1 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan space center in northwestern China at 0411 GMT (12:11 a.m. EDT) Saturday. Credit: Xinhua A solid-fueled small satellite launcher named Jielong 1 fired into orbit Saturday on its first flight from northwestern China, debuting a new rocket developed by a spinoff…
-
Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches four satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying four small satellites into orbit on a rideshare mission arranged by Spaceflight and Rocket Lab. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s live video webcast begins approximately 15 minutes…
-
Smallsat companies teaming up on deorbit experiment
Artist’s concept of a satellite manufactured by Millennium Space Systems. Credit: Millennium Space Systems TriSept Corp. has announced plans for a commercial technology demonstration mission set for launch next year on a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle to test a deployable conductive tape, made by Tethers Unlimited, that could help small satellites more quickly fall out…
-
Cygnus supply ship departs space station, begins extended mission
The Cygnus spacecraft begins a departure burn after release from the International Space Station’s robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now Wrapping up 109 days attached to the International Space Station, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship departed the orbiting research lab Tuesday to begin an extended four-month mission for additional technology demonstrations and smallsat deployments.…
-
LightSail team declares success in solar sail experiment
This image was taken by a camera aboard the LightSail 2 satellite during the solar sail deployment sequence at 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, July 23. Credit: The Planetary Society The gentle push of sunlight is slowly changing the orbit of the Planetary Society’s crowd-funded LightSail 2 satellite after it unfurled a thin…
-
JAXA to launch eighth HTV space station cargo mission in September
Japan’s eighth H-2 Transfer Vehicle, seen here, is being prepared for launch from the Tanegashima Space Center on Sept. 10 with supplies and experiments for the International Space Station. Credit: JAXA Japan’s eighth resupply mission to the International Space Station is set for liftoff Sept. 10 with another batch of upgraded batteries, crew provisions and…