Tag: sea-launch
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Gravity-1 Launches Nine Satellites on Fourth Flight, Sets Chinese Sea-Launch Records (Video)
Orienspace’s Gravity-1 Y3 solid-propellant rocket launched eight Qianfan broadband satellites and an EUHT technology-demonstration satellite from the East China Sea on September 16, 2026, completing the vehicle’s fourth successful flight and setting new Chinese records for payload mass and orbital altitude on a single sea-launch mission. The rocket lifted off at 6:00 a.m. Beijing time,…
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CAS Space Moves Toward First Sea Launch of Kinetica-1 After Full Mission Rehearsal
Chinese commercial space company CAS Space has completed a full mission rehearsal for the first sea launch of its Kinetica-1 solid-fuel rocket, bringing the maiden maritime launch closer to execution and validating the ground support architecture required to operate the vehicle from a moving offshore platform. The Aug. 25 rehearsal simulated the launch-day sequence from…
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Orienspace Gravity-1 Third Flight Delivers 9 Sats from Shanghai
Did Orienspace’s Third Gravity-1 Mission Succeed? Yes. Orienspace’s third Gravity-1 solid rocket successfully delivered nine satellites to low Earth orbit at 10:54 p.m. Eastern on July 21 (0254 UTC, July 22), lifting off from a launch service ship in the East China Sea near Shanghai. The mission marked Orienspace’s first long-range sea launch — a…
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Lockheed Martin Teams with Firefly and Seagate for Sea Launch
What Does Lockheed Martin’s Entry into Sea-Based Launch Mean? Lockheed Martin has joined a three-way partnership with Firefly Aerospace and Seagate Space to develop an offshore launch platform, marking the defense giant’s first major investment in commercial sea-based launch capabilities. The collaboration will leverage Firefly’s Alpha rocket, Seagate’s maritime expertise, and Lockheed’s systems integration experience…
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Russia debuts new rocket with maiden Soyuz-5 launch
Russia’s brand new Soyuz-5 rocket made its first flight on Saturday, lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday on a suborbital demonstration mission with a dummy payload that will pave the way for its entry into service. This launch is something the Baikonur Cosmodrome has not witnessed for many decades – the debut of…
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SpaceX acquires former oil rigs to serve as floating Starship spaceports
SpaceX has acquired two former oil drilling rigs to serve as these floating spaceports. Named Phobos and Deimos, after the two moons of Mars, they are currently undergoing modifications to support Starship launch operations. SpaceX has long been hinting at future floating launch and landing sites for their Starship launch system. The super heavy lift launch vehicle…
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China conducts first Sea Launch mission with Long March 11 launch of seven satellites
China conducted its first orbital sea launch on Wednesday, with a Long March 11 rocket lifting off from a floating platform in the Yellow Sea off the eastern province of Shandong. The launch, carrying seven satellites into orbit, took place at 04:06:01 UTC. This launch was named ‘LM-11 WEY’ after a strategic partnership between WEY,…
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NASA buys up to five more seats on future Soyuz missions
A Soyuz spacecraft is pictured docked with the International Space Station in this Feb. 3 image. The Florida peninsula is seen in the background. Credit: NASA NASA has purchased two seats on Russian Soyuz capsules launching later this year and in early 2018 to expand the crew on the U.S. segment of the International Space…
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Russia’s S7 Group to take over Sea Launch
File photo of the Sea Launch Commander control ship and the Odyssey launch platform with a Zenit 3SL rocket awaiting liftoff. Credit: Sea Launch The owners of a Russian airline hope to revive the Sea Launch program, a major player in the commercial launch business for a decade, after purchasing the company’s ships and ground…
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Russian weather satellite lifts off aboard Zenit rocket
A weather satellite to help civilian and military forecasters track storm systems over Russia’s vast territory launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Friday aboard a Ukrainian-built Zenit rocket, perhaps on its final flight as Russian-Ukrainian relations sour and demand wanes for the 1980s-era launcher. The Elektro-L 2 weather satellite, enclosed inside the Zenit rocket’s nose…