Last Week In Spaceflight

Nik Alexander September 12, 2024September 12, 2024 0 Comments Commercial Space, EVA, Falcon 9, HHP, Polaris Program, Spacex

Polaris Program Aims High with First Commercial Spacewalk

On September 10, 2024, one of the farthest-reaching civilian missions in human history lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aiming to smash records and push boundaries in support of human spaceflight objectives. The Polaris Dawn mission, launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9, also completed the first commercial spacewalk, with Commander Jared Isaacman and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis exiting the spacecraft for an extravehicular activity (EVA) lasting just under two hours.

Cape Canaveral Last Week In Spaceflight New Space News and Updates Policy SpaceX

Scarlet Dominik August 31, 2024August 31, 2024 0 Comments Cape Canaveral, Falcon 9, Spacex

Falcon 9 Completes Second Return to Flight of 2024

SpaceX’s Starlink 8-10 mission lifted off successfully at 3:43 AM EDT on the morning of August 31st, deploying 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. This mission represents the second return to flight for Falcon 9 this year, and a historic turnaround.

Blue Origin Cape Canaveral East Coast Last Week In Spaceflight New Space News and Updates

Scarlet Dominik August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 0 Comments Blue Origin, New Glenn

Pressure Mounts as New Glenn Nears Launch Date

2024 is far from over and another new rocket is still expected to earn its wings: Blue Origin’s New Glenn.
If all proceeds according to plan it could happen in less than 60 days. However, substantial milestones remain incomplete, raising questions on the rocket’s readiness.

East Coast Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates ULA

Nik Alexander April 10, 2024April 11, 2024 0 Comments Delta IV Heavy, NRO, SLC-37, ULA

Delta IV Heavy Nails Final Flight

On April 9th, 2024 at 12:53 PM EST- the final rocket of the Delta family lifted off from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, ending a career and lineage with roots as far back as the dawn of the space program.

International Japan Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates

Nik Alexander February 20, 2024February 19, 2024 0 Comments H3, Japan, JAXA, RTF

H3 Returns to Flight, Achieves Milestones

Following a failure with the second stage engine in March 2023 during its maiden flight, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched its second H3 rocket on January 16th, 2024.

Last Week In Spaceflight NASA News and Updates Planetary Science Science Missions

Nik Alexander January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 0 Comments Atlas V, MARS, NASA, Planetary Science, ULA

Ingenuity’s Mission Comes to an End

On January 25, 2024, NASA’s Ingenuity mission officially concluded. The small, autonomous helicopter performed 72 flights on Mars, the first time an aircraft has flown on another planet.

Artemis Astrobotic CLPS East Coast Last Week In Spaceflight New Space News and Updates Science Missions

Nik Alexander January 20, 2024January 20, 2024 0 Comments Artemis, Astrobotic, CLPS, Moon, NASA, ULA

Re-Entry Seals Peregrine’s Fate

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere on January 18th, 2024, ending its mission after a 10 day, tumultuous journey through cislunar space.

International Japan Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates Planetary Science

Scarlet Dominik January 19, 2024January 19, 2024 0 Comments Artemis, JAXA, Moon, SLIM

Japan Becomes Fifth Nation to Land on the Moon

On January 19th 2024, JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully touched down on the surface of the Moon. This makes Japan the fifth nation in history to conduct a successful soft landing on the surface of the Moon, following Russia, the United States, China, and India.

Cape Canaveral East Coast Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates SpaceX

Nik Alexander December 29, 2023December 29, 2023 0 Comments Cape Canaveral, Department of Defense, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Spacex, Starlink

SpaceX Launches USSF-52 and Starlink 6-36 in Record Time

After considerable delay, USSF-52/OTV-7 has gotten underway, lifting off at 8:07 PM on Thursday, December 28th atop a Falcon Heavy.

International Last Week In Spaceflight NASA New Space News and Updates Policy

Nik Alexander December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 0 Comments Artemis, International, NASA, Policy, Space Council

VP Harris Lays Out Cooperative Policy Roadmap

At the National Space Council meeting on December 20, 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris and her advisors announced that the Artemis Program will land an international astronaut on the moon “before the end of the decade.”

India International Japan Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates Planetary Science Policy Science Missions

Scarlet Dominik November 22, 2023November 28, 2023 0 Comments India, ISRO, JAXA, Sample Return, Science

ISRO to Perform Lunar Sample Return

In a lecture given on November 17, Shri Nilesh M. Desai, director of India’s Space Application Center, outlined India’s next missions to the Moon – including the ambitious and tantalizing official plan for Chandrayaan-4.

International Last Week In Spaceflight News and Updates Policy SpaceX

Brandon Berkoff November 15, 2023November 14, 2023 0 Comments Atlas V, Blue Origin, Falcon 9, Internet, Kuiper, Megaconstellation, Spacex, ULA

Project Kuiper and Beyond: An Internet Satellite Overview

On the 6th of October, 2023, United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket lifted off from SLC-41 carrying Amazon’s first two prototype Kuiper internet satellites. This marks the beginning of a new internet age…