Next launch to the Space Station by Orbital ATK

Antares being prepped for launch

Orbital ATK is currently targeting a launch date no earlier than October 9th-13th for the launch of the Cygnus spacecraft. Cygnus will launch atop Orbital ATK's Antares 230 rocket and will be the first time it has flown since the failure on October 28th, 2014. This will also be the first Enhanced Cygnus to fly into orbit and to the Space Station. They will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. A final specific date of the launch will be announced once the final operation milestones and technical reviews are finished. Media credentialing has been opened and the deadline for US Citizens is September 30th. Members of the media should send their accreditation request to keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov.

Falcon 9 could launch from SpaceX's other launchpads

Jason-3 set to launch at the VAFB in California
on  January 17th, 2016

SpaceX is still looking into what caused the Falcon 9 to explode on September 1st before the static fire, but have hopes to return to flight in November. SpaceX has leased NASA's old Space Shuttle launch complex 39A to turn into a new launch pad that can launch the Falcon Heavy as well as Falcon 9 rockets. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president, said that they hope to launch Falcon 9 missions from LC-39A. SpaceX also has a launch site in California at the Vandenberg Air Force Base to help support missions. 

NASA's OSIRIS-REx launches toward the asteroid Bennu

NASA's OSIRIS-REx launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on September 8th at 7:05pm EDT. It launched atop an Atlas V rocket with one strap-on solid rocket booster in the 411 configuration. The probe's purpose is to go to the asteroid Bennu and collect a surface sample. The spacecraft has many scientific instruments to learn about the asteroid and monitor it. It has specially designed solar arrays that can gimbal toward the sun and are extended pointed away from the asteroid. OSIRIS-Rex is also one of the few

spacecraft's to have many small thrusters on its body to help with orientation and translation. The surface sample will be taken by an arm on the spacecraft that extends outward. It's a telescoping arm so the surface sampler can touch the surface for about the 3 seconds it needs for the correct amount of it. It releases nitrogen gas to push the regolith or light surface rock, into the sample canisters. It'll put the canister into the sample return capsule and go on its return trip back to Earth, where the capsule will parachute back into Utah and the spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere. It is planned to return in September of 2023. 

NASA's Historic Spacecraft to launch this evening

Photo from the Kennedy Space Center
Facebook page

Tonight at 7:05pm EDT, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on an Atlas V. The Atlas V is in its 411 configuration with a 4m fairing, 1 solid rocket booster, and 1 centaur upper stage engine. The weather has improved to a 90% chance of favourable weather. More than 8,000 viewers are at KCS to view the launch of this historic mission to the Asteroid Bennu. View the live broadcast of the launch here on NASA TV. 

Falcon 9 explodes during static fire fueling

On September 1st around 9:07am EDT a Falcon 9 rocket with AMOS-6 was fueling for the planned hold down firing of its nine Merlin engines when an anomaly occurred causing the loss of the rocket and the payload that costed around $200 million. A few days before launch, SpaceX raises the launch vehicle vertical and begins fueling it and go through a regular launch sequence. Then, they ignite all nine Merlin engines to ensure that everything is functioning correctly and usually lasts a few seconds. During the fueling process, an explosion occurred around the area where the strongback umbilical connects to the second stage. This caused the tanks to rupture under pressure and

the liquid contents of the second stage ignited and poured down onto the first stage. The structural integrity of the first stage weakened and the tanks ruptured, which caused the second large explosion. The cause of the initial ignition is still unknown, but the SpaceX team is working hard to find the cause so they can return to flight as soon as possible. The explosion of the rocket caused damage to the launch pad and major damage to the strongback. This event is not like what happened during CRS-7 last year when a broken strut caused an overpressurization event in the second stage resulting in the loss of the vehicle and payload. With this also being an issue with the second stage, this creates a larger setback for SpaceX's launch manifest. SES also stated that what happened doesn't change their plans on launching with a recovered booster. SES-10 was set to launch sometime in October, but with damage to the pad and strongback it may be

pushed back. All photos used are credited to US Launch report who also captured this intense video of the explosion. Updates to this anomaly can be found at SpaceX's website here.