Our SpaceLaunch News Archive

 RUSSIAN PROTON-M DELIVERS DIRECTV SATELLITE: A Russian rocket delivered to orbit an advanced high definition broadcast satellite for the United States on Monday as the final earth launch of the year took place.

 A new DirecTV satellite will support broader high definition broadcasts to the United States, and increase the amount of channels DirecTV carries. Liftoff of the Proton M rocket (UR-500) with the DirecTV-12 satellite occurred on time on December 28 at 7:22 pm EST (0022 GMT Dec. 29) from pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.  (Read Story)

 NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION UPDATE: NASA's space shuttle mission management team on Thursday announced a new planning launch date for the next flight.

 Endeavour will carry two segments up to the International Space Station beginning with an early morning launch on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7th. The launch time is planned for 4:39 am EST.

 Endeavour has been mated with her external tank and boosters, and will rollout to her ocean side launch pad 39-A on January 6th at 4AM.

 NEW STATION CREW ARRIVES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: An international crew of five will hang their stockings today near the Space Station's airlock with care in hopes that St. Nick soon will be there.

 A Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft docked with the Russian Zarya section of the International Space Station at 5:48:20 pm EST (1:48 am Moscow time) Tuesday evening 220 miles off the east coast of southern Brazil, and bringing the total crew size from two to five. Carrying a small decorated Christmas tree and wearing a red...  (Read Story)

 ARIANE 5 LIFTS-OFF WITH FRENCH MILITARY SATELLITE: Just in time for the Holidays, an Ariane 5 lifted-off from South America on Friday giving Arianespace a celebration as they conclude the year with seven successful flights and their 30th year in the launch business.

 The Ariane 5 GS fired it's core engine and rocket boosters and launched from pad ELA-3 at the Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 11:26:07 am EST, on Dec. 18 (1626 GMT) into a blue sky.

 The 151-foot heavy lift launcher...  (Read Story)  (Watch the Launch Replay)

 NASA WISE TELESCOPE LAUNCHES: A new NASA satellite has started on a seven month mission as it aims it's infrared telescope out toward deep space and peers out to uncover new galaxies, asteroids and stars.

 Lift-off of a United Launch Alliance Delta II-7320 rocket occurred under cloudy California skies on Monday, December 14 at 9:09:33 am EST, from Vandenberg, AFB. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) will...  (Read Story)   (Replay the WISE Launch)

 ATLAS V FIGHTS WEATHER DELAYS TO LAUNCH COMSAT: A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket waited out multiple launch delays this week and lifted-off at the last minute tonight on a successful flight to deliver an advanced military communications satellite into orbit.

 Weather and a technical glitch delayed this 11th launch of a Delta IV by several days, and again high winds pushed the launch time this evening from the the first minute of the launch window to the final minute. The third Delta IV launch of...  (Read Story)  (Delta IV Launch RePlay)

 RUSSIAN SOYUZ TMA15 UNDOCKS FROM STATION: A Russian Soyuz spacecraft departed the International Space Station with a crew of three following a six month stay, leaving the station a quieter place to live and work.

 Orbiting the earth from 220 miles over deep southern Russia near eastern Mongolia, Belgian Frank De Winne, Canadian Robert Thirsk and Russian Roman Romanenko separated from the station at 10:56 pm EST, on Nov. 30th (9:56 am Dec. 1st Kazakhstan time).  (Read Story)

 ATLANTIS CONCLUDES 11-DAY STATION RESUPPLY FLIGHT: The space shuttle Atlantis dropped through a cold, blue sky on Nov. 27th and steered toward a beautiful morning landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

 The ship's deorbit burn occurred on time at 8:37 am EST, on Nov. 27th. The burn slowed the craft down by around 211 mph to allow for it's drop out of earth orbit. Atlantis' touchdown occurred here at KSC runway 33 at 9:44 am...  (Read Story)  (Watch the Landing Replay)

 ATLAS 5 LAUNCHES FOLLOWING WEATHER DELAY: A beautiful night launch illuminated America's Space Coast on Nov. 23rd following a 65 minute delay due to high upper level winds over the area.

 Launch of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 occurred at 1:55:01 am EST, this morning from launch complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Through Sunday night, the launch team marched toward a 12:50 am lift-off. However, high winds between 22,000 to 25,000 feet...  (Read latest Story)   (Watch the Launch Replay)

 RUSSIAN ROCKOT LAUNCHES DUEL ESA PAYLOADS: A Russian Space Agency rocket successfully carried duel science payloads into a dark, foggy sky on November 2 and up into orbit, including a European satellite which will study the earth's soil and water values over the next few years.

 The Canadian Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) science satellite and the Project for Onboard Autonomy (Proba-2) launched from northern Russia aboard the Rockot ballistic missile at 1:50 UTC this morning (8:50 pm EDT on Nov. 1). (Read Launch Story))  (Watch the Launch Replay)

 ARIANE 5 SUCCESSFULLY MARKS SIXTH 2009 FLIGHT: A heavy-lift European launcher lifted-off October 29th from South America on a flight which delivered two communications satellites into earth orbit -- and making it's sixth successful flight of the year.

 The European Space Agency's Ariane 5 rocket launched on it's 48th flight at 4:00:07 pm EDT (5PM local time), from the Guiana Space Center as the Sun sat upon French Guiana. Burning 1,300 tons of thrust, the Ariane 5...  (Read our Launch Story)  (Launch Video Replay)

 NASA ARES 1-X SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES: The world's tallest rocket set to carry America to the space station and beyond in 2015 launched into blue skies and into the next generation of space flight -- that is if the Obama administration provides the necessary funding.

 Lift-off of the new Ares 1-X test flight from the Kennedy Space Center occurred at 11:30 am EDT on October 28, following a two hour launch delay due to clouds and systems checks caused by several local lightning strikes the...  (Read our Launch Story) (Launch Video Replay)

 ATLAS 5 LAUNCHES INTO FOG AND HISTORY: On a foggy Sunday morning, America's 600th launch of an Atlas rocket occurred on time from Vandenberg, AFB in California on military weather satellite delivery flight.

 The first minutes of the 9:12 am EDT (12:12 pm EDT) launch was normal as the United Launch Alliance Atlas V carried the Air Force’s Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F18, DMSP F18, into geostationary orbit on October 18th. (Read Story)   (Launch Video Replay)

 RUSSIAN CARGO CRAFT LAUNCHES: A Russian Space Agency rocket lofted a major cargo craft into earth orbit early on October 15, beginning a three day journey bound for the International Space Station.

 Lift-off from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan occurred Wednesday night at 9:14:37 pm EDT (5:14:37 am Thursday Moscow time) from Pad 1 . The Soyuz upper stage with the Progress M-03M supply ship arrived in a low orbit ten minutes later. The Progress will continue to fly lower than the space station's 222 mile high orbit to allow the craft to...   (Read our Story)

 Atlantis moves to her Launch Pad: NASA and launch teams here at the Kennedy Space Center spent October 14 moving the space shuttle Atlantis out to her ocean side launch pad in preparation for her journey into space next month.

 Riding a top Mobile Launcher Platform #3, Atlantis (above, NASA) departed the massive Vehicle Assembly Building to begin her 3.4 mile trip out to launch pad 39-A at 6:38 am EDT on Wednesday morning -- a bit later than planned due to light rain.  (Read Story)

 DUEL IMPACTS HUNT FOR WATER ON MOON: A rocket's upper stage and a NASA spacecraft made craters of their own upon the Moon on October 9th as the space agency begins a strong search for signs of water on the Lunar surface.

 The LCROSS satellite and it's launch booster Centaur slammed into the south pole just four minutes apart beginning with the Centaur at 7:31 am EDT. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) slammed in the Cabeus crater at 7:35:35 am...  (Read our Story)

 DELTA 2 LAUNCHES FROM VANDENBERG, AFB: Earth has it's first high resolution imaging satellite in orbit today following its lift-off into the beautiful blue sky from it's California launch site.

 DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 satellite was launched into a polar orbit, an orbit which will see the spacecraft cover and create high resolution images of over 94% of the earth's surface as it travels from pole to pole. Lift-off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg, AFB in California occurred a few minutes late at 2:51 pm EDT (11:51 am local time), due to a...  (Read our Story)

 ARIANE 5 LAUNCHES ON MULTI-SATELLITE FLIGHT: A European Space Agency heavy lift launcher departed the Spaceport in French Guiana on Thursday evening on a multi-satellite delivery mission for both Spain and Germany.

 Lift-off of the 47th Ariane 5 rocket from launch pad ELA-3 at Kourou, located in South America's upper east coast, occurred on October 1 at 5:59:07 pm EDT (6:59 pm local time) -- the opening of a 71 minute launch window. As the clock striked T-0, the Ariane 5's core engine is ignited followed by the vehicle's twin solid rocket boosters...  (Read our Story)

 SOYUZ SPACE CRAFT NEARS SPACE STATION: An international crew of three lifted-off on September 30 from the deserts of Kazakhstan bound for earth's orbital outpost as two of them begin a six month voyage in the ocean of space.

 A Russian Soyuz FG rocket with the Soyuz TMA16 spacecraft a top launched on time on September 30 at 3:14:42 am EDT (11:14 am local time) under blue skies from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The nine minute ride to earth orbit...  (Read Our Mission's Stories)

 DELTA 2 LAUNCHES MISSILE DEFENSE SATELLITES: NASA and the United Launch Alliance launched a Delta II rocket on September 25th on a multi-satellite delivery mission for the missile defense agency this morning from America's Space Coast. The countdown for the Delta II-7920 ticked smoothly toward zero without issue, and then lifted off at 8:20 am EDT, and into the blue sky over Cape Canaveral.

(Listen to SLN Radio Coverage)  (Our Delta II - STSS Demo Mission Stories)

 DISCOVERY RETURNS HOME: Heavy gray clouds and anxious technicians greeted the space shuttle Discovery on September 21st as she arrived at America's Spaceport following a 2500 mile journey riding piggyback a top a NASA Boeing 747 jet.

 The massive wheels of the 747-200 aircraft slammed the concrete of runway 33 at the shuttle landing facility here at the Kennedy Space Center at 12:06 pm EDT. Inside the orbiter, is a space module which spent one week docked to the ...  (Read the full Story)

 JAPANESE CARGO MODULE DOCKED TO STATION: A Japanese cargo craft with some five tons of supplies and equipment for the international space station was firmly docked to the orbiting complex on Thursday as it begins a six week stay.

 The H-II Transfer Vehicle was slowly and carefully aligned with the station's Harmony module's docking port and hard mated officially at 6:26 pm EDT, on September 17 as the orbital pair flew 220 miles above the eastern central Pacific Ocean. The Japanese cargo...  (Read the full Story)

 DISCOVERY LANDS IN CALIFORNIA: Dropping out of a cloudy California blue sky reflected by a setting Sun, the space shuttle Discovery tonight concluded a fourteen day mission to resupply and outfit the international space station with new equipment.

 Discovery's main gear hit the Edwards, AFB concrete runway at 225 mph in the southern California desert at 8:53:25 pm, on September 11. Pilot Kevin Ford then deployed the drag chute to help slow the orbiter...  (Read full Story)  (STS-128 Page)  (Discovery Landing Video)

 A NEW ERA IN JAPAN OPENS: A brand new Japanese cargo module filled with supplies and science experiments successfully lifted-off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan on September 10, on it's first flight to dock with the international space station.

 The cargo craft, known as the H-II Transfer Vehicle, will spend one week in earth orbit prior to docking with space station's Kibo Japanese module. Launch of the first flight of the H-IIB rocket occurred on time at 1:01:46 pm EDT.  [Read Launch Story]

 ATLAS 5 LAUNCHES FROM THE CAPE: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 successfully lifted-off from America's Space Coast on September 8 on a classified mission to deploy a communications satellite into earth orbit. - Listen to our SLN Radio Coverage -

Launch occurred on time under beautiful blue skies at 5:35:01 pm EDT, from launch complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Today's seventeenth flight of an Atlas 5 rocket since 2002 saw the copper...  [ Atlas 5 Launch News Thread]

 We're Heading to Mars in 2011! SpaceLaunch News will travel to Mars in both spirit and name in 2011, and oh, guess what...? You can too!

 The name "SpaceLaunch News" will be placed upon a microchip along with thousands of other names from around the globe, and the chip placed aboard the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory rover prior to it's launch in the Fall of 2011.  [Read Story]

 DISCOVERY LAUNCHES: NASA's fourth space shuttle mission of the year thundered into earth orbit on August 29th to begin a two week mission to resupply the international space station with supplies, equipment and a new treadmill.

In the darkness of America's spaceport, Discovery's three main engines roared to life followed by the ignition of her twin solid rocket boosters committing Discovery to a lift-off at 11:59:37 pm EDT, on August 29th...  [Read Story]   [Replay the Delta II Launch]

 ARIANE 5 LAUNCHES: The workhorse of the European Space Agency launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, South America today on a duel satellite delivery mission which will provide strong telecommunications from the central and southern Pacific communities.

 Lift-off of the Ariane 5 on it's fourth flight of the year occurred on time at 6:09:07 pm EDT today, as the twin solid rocket boosters ignited propelling the rocket toward space. Combined with a Vulcan single engine, the boosters burned...  [Read Story]   [Replay the Ariane 5 Launch]

 DELTA II LIFTS-OFF: A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket departed Cape Canaveral on the morning of July 17 in a sunrise launch to boost a new Global Positioning System satellite into earth orbit.

 Launch of the Delta II-7925 from launch complex 17-A occurred at 6:35 am EDT, as the sun's rays brought a hint of red and blue hues upon...  [Read Story]   [Replay the Delta II Launch]

 ENDEAVOUR RETURNS HOME: Hailing the newly concluded flight of space shuttle Endeavour as a "fantastic mission", the crew departed the orbiter and made a few comments after the traditional walk around of their craft. "What a fantastic mission!", Polansky continued to say. "What can we say but thanks to everybody at the Kennedy Space Center for working so hard on Endeavour. It's a beautiful vehicle and we enjoyed every minute of it."

 Landing occurred at KSC's on July 31 at 10:48:08 am EDT. [VIDEO] [Read Story]

 SPACE MONUMENTS: A new monument dedicated to the men and women of the Apollo program of the 1960's thru 1970's was officially dedicated on July 17 at Space View Park in Titusville, Florida.

 Come with SpaceLaunch News photographers Heather Summy and Charles Atkeison as we take you around this beautiful area of the only park built in the shadows of America's space program - the Kennedy Space Center.    [Space View Park 2009]

 HUBBLE RECORDS IMPACT: The Hubble Space Telescope, fresh from a major overhaul in May, recorded a very colorful deep red image of the July 19 asteroid impact on our solar system's largest planet, Jupiter. The Hubble image was taken in high resolution on Thursday (July 23rd) with its Wide Field Camera 3, which was brought up and installed during the May space shuttle Atlantis flight.

 Jupiter, now some 360 million miles from earth when the image was taken, was discovered by a lone Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley on July 20th, who took...  [Read Story]

 PROGRESS 34 HEADS TO STATION: A Russian cargo craft full of supplies from the expanded permanent crew of six aboard the international space station lifted-off on July24th for docking.

 Today's launch of a Progress M-67 (34) craft aboard a Soyuz-U rocket occurred at 6:56:56 am EDT, or 4:56 pm local time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, in western Russia. The Progress supply ship would dock about 48 hours following launch to the space station, however with space shuttle Endeavour continuing...   [Read Story]

 APOLLO 11 @ 40: Forty years ago, two NASA astronauts brought a golden spacecraft down upon the Moon's surface, and stepped onto another world as America walked upon the lunar surface for the first time.

 Launched on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission was commanded by Neil A. Armstrong. Command module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Lunar Module Pilot Michael Collins rounded out the crew. Following a white-knuckle, trouble-filled ride down to the lunar surface...  [SLN Recalls Apollo 11]

 SLN MAGAZINE 1998: SpaceLaunch News recalls our 1998 issue and its story on the legendary Walter Cronkite, following his passing on Friday night in New York. For the STS-95 issue, we covered Walter's return to the news desk.

 The issue also includes stories on John Glenn's return to space, and the passing of astronaut Alan Shepard. Click to view a few of the pages from this collector's issue.  [STS-95 Issue]

 ARIANE 5's SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT: A European Space Agency Ariane V heavy-lift booster rocketed off its South America launch pad on July 1st carrying the largest commercial satellite which will allow cellular PDA phones satellite voice across America and Canada.

 Lift-off of Ariane's 31st consecutive successful launch occurred at 1:52 pm EDT, with only ten minutes left in the two hour launch window due to a weather hold. This 189th Ariane mission launched from it's French Guiana launch pad under cloudy skies.   [Ariane V Updates]

 GOES-O WEATHER SATELLITE: A new weather satellite successfully arrived into earth orbit on June 27 following a beautiful ride aboard a Delta IV rocket from America's space coast. The United Launch Alliance Delta IV, with its twin boosters, lifted off at 6:51 pm EDT, 37 minutes late due to severe thunderstorms and lightning near it's launch pad here at Cape Canaveral, AFS.

 Acording to NASA, GOES-O "will add to the global community of knowledge, embracing many civil and government environmental forecasting organizations that work to benefit people everywhere and help save lives".    [GOES-O Updates]

 NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter entered our moon's orbit June 23, beginning a year long period of imaging the lunar surface for possible manned landing sites as America returns to the moon in 2020. Over the next few days, according to NASA's Ames Research Center, the spacecraft will begin powering up its instruments and imager and begin to lower its orbit slightly to begin mapping operations.

 Meanwhile, the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite gave it's scientists their first data and LIVE television of the earth's moon from...   [LRO/LCROSS Updates]

 "Ten feet. Five feet. One foot...Touchdown!" pilot Johnson radioed to his commander as the main gear hit the desert runway at 220 mph at 10:39:05 am EDT.  [Read Story]

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