Launch | Common News Update

May262020 by adminNo Comments

NASA and SpaceX launch: Who are the astronauts?

Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are the astronauts who will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule when it launches on Wednesday.Both men are experienced astronauts and engineers who joined NASA after achieving the rank of colonel as military pilots, but their lives and careers have mirrored each other's for two decades. Their historic launch, scheduled for 9.33pm on Wednesday, will be the first manned spaceflight to launch from the US since the space shuttle was retired in 2011. Behnken will be the joint operations commander for the mission, responsible for the SpaceX Crew Dragon's rendezvous with the International Space Station, as well as docking and undocking.He has previously completed two space shuttle flights and performed three spacewalks, and before joining NASA was a test...

May252020 by adminNo Comments

Virgin Orbit fails on first rocket launch attempt

Technology

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit has failed in its first attempt to launch a test satellite into space aboard a rocket carried aloft by a Boeing 747 and released over the ocean off Southern CaliforniaBy JOHN ANTCZAK Associated PressMay 25, 2020, 9:55 PM4 min read4 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleLOS ANGELES -- Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit failed Monday in its first test launch of a new rocket carried aloft by a Boeing 747 and released over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. The inaugural launch had appeared to be going well until moments after the rocket was dropped from beneath the left wing of the jumbo jet dubbed Cosmic Girl. “We’ve confirmed a clean release from the aircraft. However, the mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmi

May252020 by adminNo Comments

Virgin Orbit terminates rocket launch after releasing it over the Pacific

Science

May 25 (UPI) -- Virgin Orbit said it terminated the launch of a demonstration rocket Monday afternoon shortly after its release from the wing of a 747 jet over the Pacific Ocean. The rocket, called LauncherOne, was to ignite its engines in mid-air for the first time as the company develops a new method to send satellites into orbit. The jet released the rocket just after 3:50 p.m., but the company announced the mission was terminated shortly afterward, without immediate explanation. Later in the afternoon, Virgin Orbit tweeted, "Launcher One maintained stability after release, and we ignited our first state engine, NewtonThree. An anomaly then occurred in first stage flight. "We'll learn more as out engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today." The crew on the plane was sa...

May242020 by adminNo Comments

Nasa SpaceX launch: Astronauts complete rehearsal for historic mission

Science

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have completed their dress rehearsal for Wednesday's flight to the International Space Station.The mission, the first crewed outing from American soil in nine years, will see the pair ride to orbit in a SpaceX Falcon rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.It's a demonstration of the new "taxi" service the US space agency will be buying from the Californian firm.Lift-off on Wednesday is timed for 16:33 EDT (20:33 GMT / 21:33 BST).The weather around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida may have other ideas, however. A forecast released on Saturday by the US Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicted just a 40% chance of favourable conditions come launch time.There is a strong possibility the Kenned...

May232020 by adminNo Comments

NASA, SpaceX review clears historic mission for launch next week

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., May 22 (UPI) -- NASA and SpaceX cleared next week's historic SpaceX Crew Dragon launch to the International Space Station after a flight readiness review Friday. It is to be the first crewed flight scheduled to launch from U.S. soil since the last shuttle lifted off in 2011. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are prepared to carry NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley into space Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and SpaceX officials said. The officials from SpaceX and NASA met for a day and one-half at the space center Thursday and Friday to focus on the readiness of crews, capsule, rocket and the International Space Station to support the flight. Significant risk areas reviewed in the process included the function of SpaceX's re...