CHINA REVEALS REUSABLE CARGO SHUTTLE DESIGN FOR TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China has unveiled the design of a new reusable shuttle to take cargo to and from the country's space station. The Haolong space shuttle is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is one of two w... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 13)
CHINESE PRIVATE ROCKET LAUNCHES 1ST SATELLITE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER - Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space announced that it successfully launched 15 satellites into Earth orbit, including one for the Sultanate of Oman. CAS Space's Kinetica-1 (also known as Lijian-1) solid rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on Sunday 11... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 13)
CHINESE COMMERCIAL LIJIAN-1 ROCKET LAUNCHES 15 SATELLITES - A Chinese commercial rocket sent 15 satellites into orbit late Sunday, including launch service provider CAS Space’s first international payload. The Lijian-1 (Kinetica-1) solid rocket lifted off at 11:03 p.m. Eastern Nov. 10 (0403 UTC, Nov. 11) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The CA... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 12)
STARLINK SATELLITE FALLS TO EARTH, BURNS UP AS STUNNING FIREBALL OVER US - A brilliant fireball that lit up the skies over four U.S. states is reported to be from the fiery reentry of a SpaceX Starlink satellite. Dozens of eyewitnesses reported seeing a meteor on Saturday (Nov. 9) just after 10:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (11:00 p.m. EST or 0400 GMT on Nov. 10). The A... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 12)
SPACEX LANDS FALCON 9 BOOSTER FOR A RECORD 23RD TIME AMID KOREASAT-6A MISSION - SpaceX launched the latest communications satellite for KT SAT Corporation Ltd., a satellite service provider in South Korea Monday in the noontime hour. The Falcon 9 rocket was the first of what could shaped up to be a double launch day. Liftoff of the Koreasat-6A mission happened at 12:22 p.m. ... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 12)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 24 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM FLORIDA ON MONDAY - SpaceX plans to launch 24 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast on Monday (Nov. 11). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday during a four-hour window that opens at 4:02 p.m. EST (2... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 11)
SPACEX TO LAUNCH KOREASAT-6A ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - SpaceX is preparing to launch the latest communications satellite for KT SAT Corporation Ltd., a satellite service provider in South Korea. The Falcon 9 rocket is set to be the first of a potential double launch day on Monday. Liftoff of the Koreasat-6A mission is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. EST (17... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 11)
NASA EXTENDS ISS CARGO CONTRACTS THROUGH 2030 - NASA has extended three contracts with companies to continue providing transportation of cargo to and from the International Space Station through the projected end of the station’s life in 2030. In procurement filings Nov. 8, NASA stated it planned to extend the existing Commercial Resupply Se... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 10)
LONG MARCH 2C LAUNCHES 4 PIESAT-2 COMMERCIAL RADAR SATELLITES - A Long March rocket launch sent four satellites into orbit late Friday to provide commercial X-band radar imaging services. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off at 10:39 p.m. Eastern Nov. 8 (0339 UTC, Nov. 9) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Insulation tiles fell away from th... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 10)
SPACEX LAUNCHES FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CALIFORNIA WITH 20 STARLINK SATELLITES - A Falcon 9 rocket lofted another batch of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink internet service from California on Friday. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 10:14 p.m. PST (1:14 a.m. EST, 0614 UTC on Saturday) after a two-day delay.... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 10)
WHY DID THE UK'S FIRST SATELLITE END UP THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN? - Someone moved the UK's oldest satellite and there appears to be no record of exactly who, when or why. Launched in 1969, just a few months after humans first set foot on the Moon, Skynet-1A was put high above Africa's east coast to relay communications for British forces. When the spacecraft c... More (Source: - Nov 9)
POWERFUL NEW US-INDIAN SATELLITE WILL TRACK EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE - The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission will measure the motion of nearly all of the planet’s land and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days. The pace of NISAR’s data collection will give researchers a fuller picture of how Earth’s surface changes over time. “This kind of r... More (Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory - NASA - Nov 9)
WE’RE ENTERING THE ERA OF PRIVATE SPACE STATIONS - Lockheed Martin’s Starlab is one of several currently proposed private space stations. The company hopes to have it built by 2027. Credit: Nanoracks The era of the International Space Station (ISS) is coming to a close. In the near future, NASA plans to bring down the station in a controlled ... More (Source: Astronomy Magazine - Nov 8)
CREW UNPACKS NEW STATION SCIENCE DELIVERED ABOARD DRAGON - New science experiments and research samples delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft on Tuesday are being installed today aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, more science and lab maintenance continued ensuring the upkeep of the orbital outpost. The four NASA astronauts ... More (Source: NASA - Nov 8)
SPACEX'S DRAGON IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING TO THE ISS IT'S NEVER DONE BEFORE - SpaceX will boost the space station for the first time Friday (Nov. 8), as the company prepares to eventually kill the orbiting complex. A Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) will fire its engines for 12.5 minutes on Friday (Nov. 8), NASA officials said at a pr... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 8)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 20 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA EARLY NOV. 9 - SpaceX will launch 20 Starlink internet satellites from California early Saturday morning (Nov. 9). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft — 13 of which have direct-to-cell capability — is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday, during a four-hour windo... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 8)
RUSSIA SENDS 53 SATELLITES TO ORBIT ON RECORD-BREAKING LAUNCH - Russia launched 53 small satellites into orbit on Monday (Nov. 4), a mix of Russian and international spacecraft. A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat upper stage lifted off from the Vostochny spaceport in the Russian Far East at 6:18 p.m. EST on Monday (2318 GMT; or 2:18 a.m. on Nov. 5 loca... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 8)
CARGO SHIP BRINGS SUPPLIES, SCIENCE GEAR AND HOLIDAY TREATS FOR SPACE STATION CREW - An unpiloted SpaceX Dragon cargo ship caught up with the International Space Station and glided in for a smooth docking on Tuesday — Election Day across the U.S. — bringing 3 tons of supplies, science gear and other equipment to the lab, including holiday treats for the crew. The Dragon's Fal... More (Source: CBS News - Nov 7)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 23 MORE STARLINK SATELLITES FROM FLORIDA ON NOV. 7 - SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 7) from Florida's Space Coast. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Thursday during a four-hour window that opens at 3... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 7)
