Tag: Space Force
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Space Force awards $87.5M to Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, SpaceX and ULA for testing
An artist’s conception shows Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on the rise. (Blue Origin Illustration) The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command today announced awards totaling $87.5 million to support prototype commercial projects relating to next-generation rocket testing and enhancements to make upper stages more resilient. The awards were made under the aegis of the…
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Astra’s third orbital launch attempt suffers engine failure and termination
Continuing the iterative path toward reaching orbit, Astra attempted its third orbital launch on Aug. 28. The first Rocket 3.3 vehicle, designated LV0006, lifted off on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 3:35 PM PDT (22:35 UTC). Less than one second after liftoff, an engine on the first stage failed, causing a sideways ascent off the pad.…
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Rocket Lab returns Electron to flight with dedicated US Space Force mission
Rocket Lab conducted the 21st flight of its Electron small satellite launch vehicle, a return to flight mission following a failure over two months ago. The launch carried a satellite for the United States Space Force on a dedicated trip. Electron launched at the opening of the launch window at 06:00 UTC Thursday. Electron lifted-off…
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Microsoft and Ball Aerospace enlist the cloud to speed up Space Force’s data flow
An artist’s conception shows Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite in orbit. (Telesat Illustration) How will Pentagon planners cope with the torrents of data that are expected to rain down from a constellation of satellites monitoring hotspots from low Earth orbit? Microsoft and Ball Aerospace say they’ve demonstrated that the cloud can handle it — and…
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US Space Force missile tracking satellite rides first Atlas V launch of 2021
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has successfully launched an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to loft a new Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) military reconnaissance satellite into Geostationary transfer orbit. Following a scrub on Monday, liftoff of SBIRS GEO-5 is occurred on Tuesday, 18 May at 13:37…
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Eastern Range discusses drive toward “airport model” operations, eyes increased launch demand
At the 47th Spaceport Summit, formerly known as Space Congress, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Kennedy Space Center/45th Space Wing of the Space Force, and the FAA provided an overview and update on the Florida spaceport’s status and how it is preparing for an even busier schedule than it’s already looking at in 2021.…
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Two Washington state women join ‘Artemis Team’ to go on NASA’s moon missions
Artemis astronauts Kayla Barron and Anne McClain have roots in Washington state. (NASA Photos) NASA today named the first 18 astronauts of its “Artemis Team” for missions to the moon — and two of the teammates trace their roots to Washington state. One of the pair, Anne McClain, was born in Spokane and went on…
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Pentagon worries that satellite attacks could spark ‘mutually assured destruction’
Satellite constellations are becoming increasingly important for military communications. (DARPA Illustration) In the years ahead, the long-running nightmare of the nuclear Cold War — mutually assured destruction — could return in a new context on the final frontier, a Pentagon adviser said today at a Seattle-based space policy conference. Brad Townsend, a space strategy and…
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After month-long stand down, SpaceX launches fourth GPS III launch
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 mission with the fourth GPSII satellite at 18:24 EST (23:24 UTC) on Thursday, 5 November. The launch followed a scrub on 2 October, when Falcon 9 aborted two seconds before liftoff. The resulting investigation identified an issue within the gas generators on some first stage engines and prompted several…
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SpaceX Manifest Takes Shape as Falcon Heavy Hardware Arrives at McGregor
A new Falcon booster has been installed on the test stand at SpaceX’s Rocket Development and Test Facility in McGregor, Texas. Based on the logos and hardware on the exterior of the booster, the stage has been identified as a Falcon Heavy side booster, slated to support the next flight of SpaceX’s heavy lift rocket…