Tag: Japan
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SpaceX launches Falcon 9 carrying private Japanese moon lander
SpaceX has used its Falcon 9 rocket to send a privately funded mission toward the surface of the moon. After a series of delays, HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) at 2:38 AM EST (07:38 UTC) on Dec. 11. An initial launch…
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Artemis I releases 10 cubesats, including a Moon lander, for technology and research
The Artemis I mission, the first flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS, is now underway after a successful launch from Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 1:47:44 AM EST (06:47:44 UTC) on Nov. 16. Artemis I not only launched the Orion spacecraft to the Moon but also 10 6U CubeSats, most massing…
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JAXA Epsilon fails on sixth flight carrying RAISE-3 and others
Epsilon launched from the Mu Pad at the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan at 00:50 UTC on Oct. 12. This launch marked the sixth flight of JAXA’s Epsilon rocket, and the launch vehicle was to loft a rideshare mission into orbit consisting of RAISE-3 and numerous other satellites. Live coverage by JAXA of the launch…
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SpaceX Crew-5 mission docks with ISS
SpaceX and NASA have launched a group of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Crew-5 mission. The crew flew atop a Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 12:00:57 PM EDT (16:00:57 UTC). With…
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Expedition 66 concludes 2021 with busy December aboard ISS
While many cultures celebrated their respective holiday traditions on Earth, the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) carried on with their busy schedules high above. December 2021 saw three major visiting vehicle movements, one spacewalk, and many of the research and maintenance tasks that allow the ISS to function as one of the world’s…
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H-IIA launches next-generation Inmarsat-6 Flight 1 satellite
Japan succesfully launched the Inmarsat-6 Flight 1 (I-6 F1) satellite Wednesday as a part of Inmarsat’s next-generation satellite broadband service. I-6 F1 launched aboard an H-IIA 204 rocket at 12:32 AM local time Thursday (15:32 UTC Wednesday). Designated H-IIA F45, Wednesday’s launch is Japan’s third orbital flight of 2021 and H-IIA’s second mission of the…
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Soyuz MS-20 lands following 12-day ISS mission
Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and Japanese spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano have concluded their short, 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz MS-20 – carried the trio home – undocked from the Station’s Poisk module on December 19 at 23:50 UTC, ahead of landing in Kazakhstan on December 20 at 03:13…
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Japan’s Epsilon launches RAISE-2 and eight secondary satellites
Japan has finally launched its small satellite launcher Epsilon to deliver nine satellites to orbit. Notably, this includes the RAISE-2 technology demonstrator. Previously delayed due to weather and a scrub, the launch from Uchinoura Space Center occurred at 00:55 UTC on Nov. 9. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) RAISE-2 was the primary payload aboard…
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Japan launches H-IIA with QZS-1R satellite
Japan’s H-IIA rocket launched on October 26 at 02:19 UTC from LA-Y1 at the Tanegashima Space Center, carrying the QZS-1R satellite. This was 44th launch of the H-IIA rocket for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). For the mission, the H-IIA launched in the 202 configuration. QZS-1R The QZS-1R satellite will…
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SpaceX, Crew-2 mission cleared for launch as eyes turn to the weather
The Crew-2 mission’s Launch Readiness Review, or LRR, has been completed at the Kennedy Space Center, with managers from NASA, SpaceX, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) formally clearing the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Endeavour for launch of four international astronauts to the Space Station…