SES confirms flight with SpaceX's landed booster

CRS-8 Booster on the Droneship

SES, an international communications satellite operator in Luxembourg have officially announced that the same booster that

Launch of CRS-8

flew CRS-8 and was the first one to land on the droneship will boost SES-10 into orbit. They say launch date will be around October from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This will be the first ever flight of one of SpaceX's reused boosters. The launch of SES-10 will help show the reliability of the boosters and will help other customers to feel safer with using reused boosters for their payloads. CRS-8 launched on April 8th, 2016 carrying the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station and landing back on the droneship in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The SES-10 satellite is a

SES-9 on top of a Falcon 9

heavy satellite and needs a lot of velocity to carry it into the desired orbit. This means that the booster will have to land on thedroneship for the second time. SES-10's planned orbit is a Geostationary orbit nearly 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface.

SpaceX recovered booster on display

Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

SpaceX recently raised one of their flown boosters, from ORBCOMM-2, on permanent display in front of their HQ in Hawthorne, California. This stage launched 11 satellites into orbit and returned back to the land site at a landing pad using precision landing and trajectory algorithms. While going through multiple engine

relights and shutdowns and undergoing intense reentry speeds through the Earth's atmosphere, the booster landed back at Cape Canaveral, Florida at Landing Complex 1. When a first stage booster lands, it's covered in soot and gives it a cool look shown on the image to the left. This soot is formed on the body from flying through its own exhaust while doing reentry and landing burns. After washing up the booster, it was transported back to SpaceX's HQ in Hawthorne and waited to be lifted onto display. People watched as cranes lifted the booster into an upright position and attached the legs soon after.

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex viewed before encapsulation

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex was viewed by the media for the last time before encapsulation yesterday on August 20th. Members of the media entered the cleanroom where the Spacecraft sat on display with the Atlas V 4 meter fairing sitting nearby. The launch is set for September 8th aboard an Atlas V in its 411 configuration with one strap-on Solid Rocket Booster. During the media event, principal investigator Dante Laurette who has been working on the project for 12 years, helped to fill us in with the mission guidelines and goals. "Once the OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft gets to Bennu, we'll basically be flying in formation with the asteroid.". The spacecraft will use the combination of four reaction wheels for orientation and sixteen small thrusters across it to keep its science instruments pointed at the asteroid. There are also star trackers on the spacecraft to help guide it through space using the stars. This is also the first spacecraft to launch with the sixteen low-thrust engines. Another feature of OSIRIS-Rex is the solar panels are on gimbals and have sensors to track the sun and keep the panels pointed at it. "We'll go from flybys into orbit and in orbit we and do characterization from points of interest," said Dante while explaining the timeline of the mission at the asteroid. For this mission, the required sample from the asteroid is 60g (2oz) of material. The spacecraft will do several low-altitude flybys of the asteroid until it's point of interest is chosen and is set to retrieve a sample. The arm on the spacecraft will extend and grab the required sample in 5 seconds of contact,

then put it in a detachable capsule that has a heat shield on it. The spacecraft will then leave the asteroid and mark its way back to Earth. Once to Earth it will decouple the capsule and have it spun up, "Like throwing a football," Dante explained. It will hit the atmosphere at 27,000mph and will gradually decrease as it descends. This reentry will have the fastest reentry speeds by NASA. The capsule will slow down to subsonic speeds and deploy the drogue, then the main parachutes for a landing at the Utah Test Training Range on September 24th, 2023.

NASA takes another step on their Journey To Mars

RS-25 engine test
Credit: NASA

Around 6 o'clock on August 18th, NASA tested another RS-25 rocket engine that will be a part of the Space Launch System's first stage. People gathered to watch the 420-second test fire of the RS-25 engine. These rockets are upgraded versions of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) so they can perform to the higher temperatures and stresses needed to propel the rocket into Space on it's way to Mars. The Space Launch System, or SLS, will be powered by four of the RS-25 rockets as well as two strap-on Solid Rocket Boosters that are manufactured by Orbital ATK. These boosters have been test fired in Utah as QM-1 and QM-2. NASA is aiming to launch SLS to the Moon with the Orion Spacecraft on top to gather data of the performance of the rocket and the Spacecraft during flight. 

Delta IV brings Twin Satellites to GTO

Last night at 12:52am EDT, the Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket roared to life as it ignited it's RS-68 engine and 2 solid rocket boosters and flew off the pad. The rocket produced 1.1 Million pounds of thrust to push itself and 2 twin satellites into space. The twin satellites are for surveillance purposes launched into a Geosynchronous Orbit around the Earth. This orbit is so the satellites stay above the same part of Earth as it orbits. After fairing separation the live broadcast ended as requested by the customer. Seven hours later, a press release confirmed the two satellites made it successfully into their proper orbits leading to another successful launch by ULA. 

JCSAT-16 landed first stage arrives in Port Canaveral

JCSAT-16 first stage returning from Sea
Credit Mary Ellen Jelen / We Report Space

Closeup of slight damage from Reentry
Credit Mary Ellen Jelen / We Report Space

After SpaceX's perfect landing on the droneship Sunday morning, it rolls back into Port Canaveral. The first stage landed upright on Of Course I Still Love You after launching JCSAT-16 into it's Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). People watched as the 14-story tall rocket came over the horizon toward shore after a 3-day journey. Falcon 9 first stage arrived into Port Canaveral, Florida Wednesday around Noon. The droneship docked at Port Canaveral and a crane attached to the booster and lifted it off onto shore on a stand. Recovery teams will then begin work on removing the legs and positioning the booster horizontal onto a trailer to ship off to the hanger in KSC at Launch Complex 39A.

ISS Crew get ready for IDA-2 installation

IDA-2 being loaded into Dragon's Trunk

There was a spacewalk briefing Monday discussion the installation of the International Docking Adapter (IDA) that was launched to the ISS by SpaceX on CRS-9 back in July. The IDA is for the upcoming spacecraft, SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner. These spacecraft are launching Astronauts from US soil to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The installation first begins with extracting IDA-2 from SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft this afternoon. The Canadarm2 will bring the docking adapter over just a few inches away from the front of the Harmony Module. It will then sit there until Friday and wait for Williams and Rubins complete the installation during their 6.5-hour spacewalk. 

Delta IV launch early Friday morning

Early Friday morning at midnight, United Launch Alliance is

launching a Delta IV from Cape Canaveral carrying the third and fourth satellites for the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP. The rocket will be launching in its Medium+ (4,2) configuration with a 4m payload fairing and 2 strap-on solid rocket boosters. Currently, weather favours an 80% chance of a successful liftoff. The launch will occur sometime between 12am-4am Friday, no exact launch time has been announced. If the launch gets delayed 24 hours there's another launch opportunity Saturday morning. 

CST-100 Crew Access Arm installed this morning

For the first time since the Space Shuttle era, there is a Crew access arm and Whiteroom at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Today, August 15th, the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft's Crew Access Arm was installed at ULA's launch pad for when their Atlas V launches crew to the ISS for the first time around 2017. Construction of the crew access arm began about 7 months ago, "This is another step in a long process we began back in February 2015 to construct our crew access tower.". It will take a few months to hook up and install everything on the tower and to test it. The lead of Boeing's Commercial Crew Launch Site, Lisa Locks said, "This is 

a momentous day. It's been a long time coming.". They're on track to launch Astronauts to the ISS in about 18 months. The forward and aft domes of the spacecraft that will launch on its first flight have been manufactured. 

SpaceX nails the landing with JCSAT-16 launch

Launch of JCSAT-16
Photo Cred: SpaceX

Sunday morning at 1:26am EDT, SpaceX successfully launched the JCSAT-16 satellite into it's GTO Transfer orbit. It The launch was a flawless on-time launch as SpaceX's Falcon 9 ignited all of its engines and flew off the pad. As the rocket's engines lit, the sky was illuminated as it travelled toward space. Unlike the CRS-9 launch of Dragon, the first stage continued along its ballistic trajectory toward the droneship OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You) instead of doing a boostback burn back to land. Most high-velocity mission landings consist of a landing burn with 3 engines, but this landing was done using the single center engine for better control over the vehicle. As the first stage separated and fell toward  OCISLY the second stage continued to power JCSAT to its LEO parking orbit. The first stage the went through its reentry burn then shortly started the landing burn to softly touch down on the surface

JCSAT-16 first stage on Droneship after landing
Photo Cred: SpaceX

of the droneship located in the Atlantic Ocean. The second stage coasted until it reignited the engine to bring it's trajectory to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and released JCSAT shortly after shutting down.

SpaceX to launch JCSAT-16

The SpaceX team is prepping for the launch of JCSAT-16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1:26am EDT on Sunday. You can watch the launch live at http://www.spacex.com/webcast. The press kit can be found here.

SpaceX to launch Geostationary Satellite and attempt Droneship landing

JCSAT-14 First Stage on
Droneship on its way back to port

On Sunday, August 14th, SpaceX will be launching JCSAT-16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX is targeting a liftoff time of 1:26am EDT into a Geostationary orbit. Currently, the weather conditions give JCSAT-16 an 80% chance of a successful liftoff. The Falcon 9 completed the static fire for this mission late Wednesday in preparations for launch. Following the launch of JCSAT-16 the Falcon 9's first stage will separate and attempt another droneship landing on OCISLY (Of Course I Still love You) which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. During the first stage's reentry, it'll perform a series of burns to help slow it down and reduce stresses on the vehicle. From knowledge learned from the last JCSAT landings by SpaceX, this landing will be high in velocity and a lower chance of success. This will require a 3 engine landing burn instead of a single engine burn to deaccelerate at a higher rate to help land softly. The webcast for the JCSAT launch on Sunday can be viewed here at 1:06am EDT.

OSIRIS-Rex to launch on Atlas V 411 in a month

First launch of the Atlas V 411 with the
ASTRA 1KR Satellite

With the days counting down until the launch of OSIRIS-Rex, United Launch Alliance's unusual looking rocket will carry the spacecraft into orbit on September 8th. The Atlas V in the 411 configuration is a regular Atlas V but with one solid rocket booster strapped to the side of it. The stacking of the rocket started yesterday morning with the first stage booster going onto the Mobile Launch Platform at Launch Complex 41. the single solid rocket booster will be attached today and the Centaur boattail will be attached on Wednesday. The initial power of up the rocket and its systems will take place on Thursday. The critical checkout of the vehicle will happen on Monday, Aug. 15th.

Starliner Crew Access Arm Installation

Starliner and Crew Access Arm.
Photo by: Carleton Bailie/Spaceflight insider

Media credentials have now opened for viewing the installation of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew access arm on Aug. 13th. The deadline for applying is on Aug 10th and is for U.S citizens only. Apply for media credentials here.

Atlas V for OSIRIS-REx arrives at KSC.

United Launch Alliance's Atlas V in its 411 configuration that will carry OSIRIS-REx to space arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center by barge. The Atlas V arrived in its two separate stages, the Centaur second stage and the first stage booster. The Centaur second stage has one engine for this mission and one extra Solid Rocket Booster will be attached to the side of the Atlas first stage booster. OSIRIS-REx is an asteroid sample return mission by NASA to take a sample of the asteroid Bennu and return it back to Earth for research. The media has a chance on August 20th to view the spacecraft before encapsulation into its fairing.

ULA Interns launch high-powered sports rocket

A 50-foot high powered rocket built by ULA Interns launched high over Fort Carsen Army Post on July 24th. Working on their own time, they planned, designed, build, and tested all components of the rocket with the help of mentors. The 'Future Heavy' rocket stood at 50-feet tall, weighed more than 1,200lbs, and generated 6,600lbs of thrust off the launch pad. K-12 kids from Colorado helped create additional payloads that flew and were deployed during its flight. "It' is an exciting time to be in the space industry, and United Launch Alliance continuously works to excite the next generation of rocket scientists,astronauts, space entrepreneurs and enthusiasts," said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. View the launch of the future heavy rocket here

Media gets chance to view OsIRIS Rex

OsIRIS Rex completed

Members of the media have been given the opportunity to view NASA's OsIRIS Rex spacecraft before it's encapsulated and launched on September 8th, 2016. Media accreditation is currently open and the deadline is August 15th (August 9th for foreign nationals). The media will be able to view and photograph the spacecraft that will be launched to asteroid Bennu for a surface sample. OsIRIS Rex will take a surface sample from the asteroid and return it back to Earth for research

.

Dreamchaser spacecraft to begin phase 2 of flight testing.

Dreamchaser test vehicle ready to ship to NASA's AFRC

Sierra Nevada Cooperation's Dreamchaser test vehicle is now ready for transportation to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California for its second phase of flight testing. When Dreamchaser arrives it will be put through a series of ground tests to verify and validate the spacecraft's systems. After these pre-flight ground tests, the vehicle will enter its phase 2 free-flight test which is when the spacecraft is carried to high altitude and dropped to glide back and land on a runway. “Dream Chaser continues to make strong progress toward orbital flight,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems business area. The data from the free-flight tests will confirm Dreamchaser's subsonic aerodynamic properties, flight software, and control system requirements.

SpaceX fires landed booster

The landed Falcon 9 first stage from the May JCSAT mission was raised and tested at SpaceX's McGregor test facility in Texas on July 28th, 2016.

United Launch Alliance launches NROL-61 on Atlas V

NROL-61 lifted off on July 28th at 8:37am EDT this morning on United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket. NROL-61 is a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office and its functions are classified. The Atlas V rocket in its 421 configuration with a 14ft wide fairing, 2 solid rocket boosters, and one centaur engine.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 with Dragon to the ISS!

Early Monday morning at 12:45am EDT, SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 with Cargo Dragon enroute to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 launched beautifully lighting up the night sky and successfully delivered Dragon into the desired orbit to catch up to the space station. After the first stage separation, it immediately entered it's flip and started the boostback burn toward Cape Canaveral. The second stage then continued to push Dragon into orbit as the first stage fell back to Earth. Three of the first stage's engines ignited again to start the reentry burn to help slow down the rocket while entering the atmosphere to prevent serious damage. Shortly after the engines shutdown, one re-lit for the landing burn allowing the first stage to softly touchdown at Landing Complex 1. Dragon then separated from the second stage and deployed it's solar panels and is now on its way to the space station.
(Photo credit: SpaceX, www.flickr.com/spacex )