Tag: Earth observation
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Japanese H-2A rocket lifts off with two satellites
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated at 0300 GMT Saturday (10:00 p.m. Friday) with confirmation of a successful launch. A Japanese H-2A rocket lifts off at 0126:22 GMT Saturday (8:26:22 p.m. EST Friday) from the Tanegashima Space Center. Credit: JAXA Two research satellites to probe Earth’s climate patterns and test ion engine technology to counter atmospheric drag in an…
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Rocket Lab test launch delayed to early 2018
Credit: Rocket Lab The launch of a light-class booster by Rocket Lab, a U.S.-New Zealand company aiming to provide rides to orbit for small satellites, has been delayed to early next year after technical reviews, repairs and unfavorable weather combined to keep the test flight grounded this week. The mission’s pre-approved 10-day launch window closes…
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Recent snapshots from the International Space Station
Recent photos from the International Space Station’s Expedition 53 crew show wildfires burning in Southern California, expansive views of the Himalayas, cities by night and day, and colorful vistas of sites around the world. The space station orbits around 250 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth, on a path that takes it between 51.6 degrees north…
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Rocket Lab begins new countdown with fix for propulsion system glitch
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Electron launch was scrubbed again Wednesday night (U.S. time), and liftoff has been rescheduled for Thursday night (U.S. time). The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket was raised vertical again on its launch pad in New Zealand ahead of a launch attempt Wednesday (U.S. time). Credit: Rocket Lab With a fix in place for…
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Electron countdown aborted at engine start, next launch attempt Wednesday
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launch was aborted moments after engine ignition. Credit: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab counted down to the second test flight of its commercial Electron satellite launcher Monday, U.S. time, but a dramatic computer-commanded abort triggered moments after its engines ignited kept the light-class booster on its New Zealand launch pad for at…
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Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s second Electron launch delayed to early 2018
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket’s live video webcast begins around 15 minutes prior to launch, and will be available on this page.
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Launch timeline for the Electron rocket’s second test flight
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated for new launch attempt Jan. 20. Rocket Lab’s light-class Electron launcher is set to take off on its second orbital test flight from New Zealand, aiming to deliver three small shoebox-sized CubeSats into low Earth orbit for Planet and Spire. The two-stage, 55-foot-tall (17-meter) rocket could take off as soon as 8:30…
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Rocket Lab pushes back second Electron launch to Sunday
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Dec. 8 to reflect launch delay to Sunday, Dec. 10, U.S. time. Rocket Lab’s second Electron rocket stands vertical at the company’s New Zealand launch site during pre-flight testing. Credit: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab plans to roll out the company’s second light-class Electron rocket to its launch pad in New Zealand on…
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Chinese military imaging satellite lifts off from Jiuquan space base
A Long March 2D rocket lifted off Sunday from the Jiuquan launch center in northwest China. Credit: Xinhua A Long March 2D rocket boosted a Chinese military imaging satellite into a 300-mile-high orbit Sunday after liftoff from a remote launch base in the country’s northwestern frontier. The clandestine payload rode a two-stage, 134-foot-tall (41-meter) Long…
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Rocket Lab to launch second orbital-class rocket as soon as next week
Rocket Lab’s second Electron rocket at the company’s New Zealand launch base. Credit: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab has scheduled the launch of its second Electron rocket from New Zealand as soon as Dec. 7, U.S. time, on a test flight that will aim to deploy three small CubeSats in orbit. The two-stage booster has a…