launch report

An Outpost Nowhere Near The End Of The Universe

Expedition 42 has kicked off on the space station, and they’re taking full advantage an an excuse to pay tribute to the Hitchhiker’s Guide answer to life, the universe, and everything. Top image: Launch of a Soyuz TMA-15M out of Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, November 24, 2014. Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani Rollout of…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Nov 24

China Gets A Step Closer To Their Lunar Sample Return Mission

China’s Chang’e 5 test vehicle has successfully completed the most recent stage of its lunar return technology demonstration. Launched on October 24th, the spacecraft swung around the far side of the moon, snapped a gorgeous photo of home, and safely returned to Earth on Halloween. https://gizmodo.com/the-earth-and-the-moon-in-a-single-frame-1652534967 Top image: Chang’e 5 launch on October 24, 2014.…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Nov 1

Cargo Runs To The Space Station Resume With A Successful Launch

The Russian Progress spacecraft launched without incident last night, carrying three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the International Space Station. Less than a day after the unexpected Antares rocket explosion, it’s reassuring to have a successful cargo run. https://gizmodo.com/antares-rocket-explodes-crashing-into-pad-seconds-afte-1651915513 Top image: Progress 57 on approach to dock with the International Space Station. Image…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Oct 29

Uncrewed Antares Rocket Explodes, Crashing Into Pad Seconds After Launch

Instead of a nice, predictable cargo run to the space station, an Antares rocket exploded seconds after launch this evening. No injuries are reported and all personnel are accounted for, but the payload is lost and the launchpad damaged. Orbital Sciences and NASA are investigating the accident. Antares rocket explosion shortly after the launch of…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Oct 28

Astronauts Arrive Safely At Station Despite Minor Spacecraft Malfunction

Despite a glitch with a solar array failing to deploy on Soyuz, three more astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday. Mission 41 is officially underway now that the station crew is back up to six people. The station is also once again at maximum capacity with five docked spacecraft. Top image: Soyuz…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 26

A Dragon Chases The Space Station In Orbit

After a day-long weather delay, the SpaceX Falcon blasted off early this morning, on a cargo run to our astronauts in orbit. The Dragon is carrying bits and pieces for 255 experiments, including a cadre of moustronauts, a new wind-tracking accessory for the station, and a 3D printer. Top image: Falcon 9 lifts off from…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 21

Successful Night Launch For A Spacecraft Shrouded In Secrecy

After a weather delay just long enough to push the launch window into the drama of rockets blazing across the night sky, the United Launch Alliance successfully send CLIO into orbit tonight. If you’re wondering what CLIO is, you’re not the only one. Top image: It took braving swarms of bugs to capture the fiery…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 17

SpaceX Recovers From Explosion With a Flawlessly Beautiful Launch

SpaceX successfully launched, carrying the AsiaSat 6 satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Falcon 9 launch was initially delayed due to concerns after a SpaceX test flight exploded in late August. The launch went perfectly, and communications are established with the satellite. Top image: Falcon 9 launch out of Cape Canaveral on September 7,…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 6

The International Space Station Is Independently Launching Satellites

The International Space Station’s CubeSat cannon has gone rogue, independently firing two more of PlanetLab’s DOVES microsatellites. Even better? It’s sneaky: no astronauts, ground crew, or cameras saw the inadvertent deployment. Assumably, deployment looked something like this earlier deliberate release of DOVES. Image credit: NASA The International Space Station was already a wee bit creepy…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 5

A New, Improved, Jamming-Resistant GPS Satellite Launched Last Night

The United Launch Alliance successfully tossed a new Global Positioning System satellite into position Friday night. The satellite is the seventh of twelve planned launches of interim satellites to refresh aging spacecraft and improve functionality of the GPS network. Timelapse of the GPS IIF-7 launch off of Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 2

Just Another Gorgeous and Successful Rocket Launch

SpaceX had another successful launch today, delivering a commercial payload into orbit. At this point, it’s starting to feel like a forgone conclusion — of course the launch was successful, what are you fussing about?! — marking yet another way that living in the future is awesome. Following on the heels of a picture-perfect commercial…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 14

Orbital’s Cargo Run to the Space Station is Picture-Perfect

After a giggle-worthy moment earlier in the week, Sunday’s rocket launch was a complete success. Orbital Sciences Corporation is fulfilling their second cargo delivery mission, Orb-2, carrying food and scientific equipment to the International Space Station. Launch of the Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo capsule for the Orb-2 mission on Sunday, July 13, 2014. Photo…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 13

NASA’s Orbital Carbon Observatory Has Launched!

After the original Orbital Carbon Observatory crashed into the ocean, and the first attempt at launching the replacement observatory was scrubbed yesterday with less than a minute left in the countdown, we finally have a satellite capable of tracking carbon in our atmosphere. I was there. I’m at the Vandenberg Airforce Base in California, part…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 2

NASA’s New Satellite Could Unravel the Mystery of Our Changing Climate

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is a satellite tasked with tracking carbon sequestration around the world. It could revolutionize climate science, if only it could get into orbit. The original satellite crashed into the ocean, while the replacement’s launch was scrubbed in the final minute of countdown. Timelapse of the Mobile Service Tower (MST) rollback to…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 1

These Night Launch Photos of the Soyuz Are Straight Out of a Movie

An early-morning launch of the Soyuz rocket made for dramatic photographs of controlled explosions leaving a trail of fire across the sky. The rocket was bringing a new crew to the International Space Station. The Soyuz rocket lifted off at 1:57 a.m. local time on May 29th to carry the crew of Expedition 40 to…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jun 10

Night-flight for the Morpheus Lander is Gorgeous

Night launches are inherently stunning, with rocket fire illuminating billowing clouds from within set against a dramatically dark skyline, but the futuristic Morpheus lander adds a whole new component of cool. Morpheus traced a path of fire in the sky, going up to a height of more than 244 meters before picking a safe point…

Tech News Mika McKinnon May 29

It’s Launch-Day (Update: and it didn’t go as planned.)

Soyuz TMA-12M launches today, carrying Expedition 39 to the International Space Station. Watch the live coverage on NASA TV. Update: Hooray for another successful launch, and a great rocket-photo to go with it! https://gizmodo.com/sunrise-on-the-soyuz-rollout-1550522610 Update 2 (Tuesday PM): The third Soyuz thruster burn did not take place as scheduled. As a result, the spacecraft will…

Television Mika McKinnon Mar 25

An Outpost Nowhere Near The End Of The Universe

China Gets A Step Closer To Their Lunar Sample Return Mission

Cargo Runs To The Space Station Resume With A Successful Launch

Uncrewed Antares Rocket Explodes, Crashing Into Pad Seconds After Launch

Astronauts Arrive Safely At Station Despite Minor Spacecraft Malfunction

A Dragon Chases The Space Station In Orbit

Successful Night Launch For A Spacecraft Shrouded In Secrecy

SpaceX Recovers From Explosion With a Flawlessly Beautiful Launch

The International Space Station Is Independently Launching Satellites

A New, Improved, Jamming-Resistant GPS Satellite Launched Last Night

Just Another Gorgeous and Successful Rocket Launch

Orbital’s Cargo Run to the Space Station is Picture-Perfect

NASA’s Orbital Carbon Observatory Has Launched!

NASA’s New Satellite Could Unravel the Mystery of Our Changing Climate

These Night Launch Photos of the Soyuz Are Straight Out of a Movie

Night-flight for the Morpheus Lander is Gorgeous

It’s Launch-Day (Update: and it didn’t go as planned.)

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