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Thursday, 14 December 2023 18:57Final Vega launch delayed because of upper stage tank problem
Thursday, 14 December 2023 17:39US launch of new Vulcan Centaur rocket delayed until January
Thursday, 14 December 2023 17:06The maiden liftoff of a new American rocket called Vulcan Centaur has been delayed from Christmas Eve to January 8, United Launch Alliance, the company developing it, said Thursday.
The postponement stems from last-minute technical snags but ULA's CEO Tory Bruno said on X, formerly Twitter, that a recent dress rehearsal on the launch pad went well.
The rocket will be carrying a private lunar lander, developed by the startup Astrobotic, which could become the first such private craft to touch down on the moon and the first American robot to land on the surface since the Apollo program ended in 1972.
"This is sort of, in a way, the first giant step in the campaign for the US, and for all of our friends, to go back to the moon, eventually with people," Bruno told AFP in an interview last week.
"It's a pretty big deal to have a payload at all, let alone one that goes to the surface of the moon," he added.
"We wanted to do something really important and we have a lot of confidence, obviously, in the design of our rocket," Bruno said.
NASA's NEOWISE celebrates 10 years, plans end of mission
Thursday, 14 December 2023 16:48The asteroid and comet-hunting infrared space telescope has gathered an impressive haul of observations, but it's now at the mercy of the sun, which is accelerating its demise.
NASA's NEOWISE has had a busy decade.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch on hold for now, weather delays Falcon 9 attempt too
Thursday, 14 December 2023 16:25SpaceX is standing down from attempting to launch its powerhouse Falcon Heavy for now citing the need for "systems checkouts" while weather would have been an issue the next couple of days, and has already delayed a Falcon 9 launch as well.
After already delaying a Sunday attempt to launch Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A because of weather and then scrubbing a Monday night attempt less than an hour before its planned liftoff because of a "ground side issue," SpaceX had announced it would try again Wednesday.
But late Tuesday, it called off those plans.
"We are standing down from tomorrow's Falcon Heavy launch of USSF-52 to perform additional system checkouts," the company posted to X. "The payload remains healthy while teams work toward the next best launch opportunity. We're also keeping an eye on the weather and will announce a new launch date once confirmed with the Range."
USSF-52 is a mission to send up the Space Force's secretive mini shuttle, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle built by Boeing, on what would be the spacecraft's seventh trip to orbit.
China launches mystery reusable spaceplane for third time
Thursday, 14 December 2023 14:09Project Kuiper prototypes successfully test inter-satellite optical links
Thursday, 14 December 2023 14:00Media information session from ESA’s 322nd Council in Paris
Thursday, 14 December 2023 13:00ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Swiss ESA Council Chair Renato Krpoun give an update on the roll-out of decisions taken at the Space Summit in Seville, including the implications for space transportation and progress towards enabling a European commercial provider to deliver supplies to the International Space Station by 2028 and return cargo to Earth. The evolution of the European Spaceport in Kourou is also covered.
Furthermore, the briefing addresses upcoming, high-level political meetings on space and international cooperation projects that ESA runs with partners around the globe, as well as ESA’s contribution to Poland’s Earth observation
Apex to open new satellite factory in Los Angeles
Thursday, 14 December 2023 13:00ESA forges ahead with Destination Earth
Thursday, 14 December 2023 12:00The second phase of the European Union’s Destination Earth initiative has been approved at ESA Council. Destination Earth, also known as DestinE, will build digital models of Earth allowing greater insight into weather and climate dynamics and their impacts on society.
ESA leads the way towards a Zero Debris future
Thursday, 14 December 2023 11:00ESA announces two new directors
Thursday, 14 December 2023 11:00Two new senior staff have been appointed by ESA’s 22 Member States at today’s Council meeting. Laurent Jaffart will become the next Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications and Marco Ferrazzani will become the next Director of Internal Services.
NASA's Space Station Laser Comm Terminal Achieves First Link
Thursday, 14 December 2023 10:11A NASA technology experiment on the International Space Station completed its first laser link with an in-orbit laser relay system on Dec. 5, 2023. Together, they complete NASA's first two-way, end-to-end laser relay system. NASA's LCRD (Laser Communications Relay Demonstration) and the new space station demonstration, ILLUMA-T (Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Term
Rocket Lab Sets Launch Date for iQPS's 'The Moon God Awakens' Mission
Thursday, 14 December 2023 10:11In a significant development in the realm of space launches and Earth observation, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKLB), a global leader in launch services, is gearing up for its 42nd Electron mission. Scheduled no earlier than December 15, 2023, between 17:00 - 19:00, the mission, aptly named "The Moon God Awakens," is set to lift off from Pad B at Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. T
UK's Orbex secures funding for carbon-neutral spaceport development
Thursday, 14 December 2023 10:11In a significant step towards advancing sustainable spaceflight, UK-based Orbex has secured a GBP3.3 million grant from the UK Space Agency as part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Boost! initiative. This initiative is a component of ESA's Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support program, aimed at propelling the development of leading-edge space launch technologies. This su