Airbus Defense and Space – Spaceflight Now

BepiColombo Mercury mission tested for journey into ‘pizza oven’

July 10, 2017

Three spacecraft built in Europe and Japan have completed their final joint tests to ensure they are ready for departure to Mercury on an Ariane 5 rocket late next year on the nearly $1.9 billion BepiColombo mission to survey the solar system’s innermost planet.

Launch timeline for Ariane 5’s flight with ViaSat 2 and Eutelsat 172B

June 1, 2017

An Ariane 5 rocket will fire into the sky from French Guiana Thursday evening and deliver a record heavyweight payload to orbit less than an hour later.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 rocket launches on record-breaking mission

June 1, 2017

An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off Thursday at 2345 GMT (7:45 p.m. EDT), flying from a French Guiana launch pad to geostationary transfer orbit with the ViaSat 2 and Eutelsat 172B communications satellites.

EchoStar, SES satellites enter service after March launches from Cape Canaveral

May 19, 2017

Two communications satellites launched from Cape Canaveral in March aboard Falcon 9 rockets, including a broadcasting craft that lifted off on SpaceX’s first re-flown booster, have entered commercial service, according to their owners.

Brexit raises question mark over UK’s role in some European space projects

April 15, 2017

The future participation of major segments of Britain’s space industry in Europe’s Galileo navigation system and Copernicus environmental network, two multibillion-dollar flagship programs with dozens of satellites, is sure to be a significant part of negotiations as the UK withdraws from the European Union, according to a member of the European Commission.

Photos: SpaceX’s photos from Thursday’s reflight of Falcon 9 booster

April 1, 2017

Remote sound-triggered cameras around launch pad 39A captured stunning views of Thursday evening’s launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the first reflight of a commercial orbital-class booster.

SpaceX flies rocket for second time in historic test of cost-cutting technology

March 31, 2017

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sporting a fresh cleaning and several refurbishments took off Thursday from a seaside launch pad in Florida to send an SES communications satellite into space, then landed on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean to repeat a feat the same booster achieved nearly one year ago.

Photos: Press site views of SpaceX’s rocket relaunch

March 31, 2017

These photos of Thursday evening’s successful relaunch of a Falcon 9 rocket booster, which returned to Earth after a maiden mission last year, were taken at the Kennedy Space Center press site about 3.1 miles from launch pad 39A.

Falcon 9 launch to landing replay

March 31, 2017

Video from the SpaceX webcast, featuring the launch of the SES 10 satellite atop a previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket, followed by a successful barge landing by the first stage.

Watch replay of Falcon 9 launch as seen from the press site

March 30, 2017

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, powered by a previously-flown booster, lifts off from launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:27 p.m. EDT (2227 GMT) on March 30, 2017, carrying the SES 10 communications satellite. The launch marked the first time SpaceX has reused the first stage of one of its Falcon 9 rockets.