Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
December 13, 2024
ROCKET SCIENCE
NASA's crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis I



Grand Forks, ND (SPX) Dec 13, 2024
Off the coast of Baja California in December 2022, sun sparkled over the rippling sea as waves sloshed around the USS Portland dock ship. Navy officials on the deck scrutinized the sky in search of a sign. The glow appeared suddenly. A tiny spot at first, it gradually grew to a round circle falling at a great speed from the fringes of space. It was NASA's Orion capsule, which would soon end the 25-day Artemis I mission around and beyond the Moon with a fiery splashdown into the ocean. Orion' ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Undeterred by Friday the 13th, SpaceX plans pair of launches
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 12, 2024
SpaceX plans to launch 23 Starlink communications satellites into low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Friday morning, weather permitting. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
China successfully tests XZY 1 verification rocket engine
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 13, 2024
China's XZY 1 verification rocket has successfully completed a static firing test at Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port in Shandong province, marking a major milestone for the nation's aerospace innova ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Artemis II core stage positioned for integration
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 13, 2024
NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket core stage is now vertical inside High Bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The maneuver was completed on Tu ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Equatorial Launch Australia shifts focus to new Queensland spaceport site
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 11, 2024
Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has announced the immediate cessation of operations at the Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, citing unresolved lease negotiations. The company will rel ... more
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ROCKET SCIENCE
China Long March 8A prepares for first flight in January 2025
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
The Long March 8A rocket, developed to become China's primary launch vehicle for medium- and low-Earth orbit missions, is set to make its maiden flight in January 2025, as announced by the China Aca ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab conducts hypersonic suborbital test launch for DoD
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has successfully executed a suborbital hypersonic mission in November, advancing technology testing for the Department of Defense under the Multi-Service Advanced ... more
DRAGON SPACE
China boosts Lunar and Mars mission capabilities with advanced Long March rockets
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
China's Long March 10, the next-generation manned launch vehicle, is set to significantly enhance the nation's lunar mission capabilities, increasing its lunar transfer orbit payload capacity from 8 ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Blue Ring Pathfinder payload ready for integration on New Glenn first mission
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
Blue Origin has announced that its Blue Ring Pathfinder payload is prepared for integration ahead of the inaugural flight of its New Glenn rocket, NG-1, slated for later this year. This mission will ... more

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ROCKET SCIENCE
PLD Space secures euro 11 million loan to advance MIURA 5 launch site
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
PLD Space, the Spanish aerospace company specializing in reusable space launchers, has obtained euro 11 million in financing from COFIDES to propel the development of its MIURA 5 rocket launch site ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX launches 23 more Starlink satellites
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 8, 2024
SpaceX early Sunday launched 23 Starlink spacecraft from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
China's new Long March rockets to enable lunar and Mars missions
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 08, 2024
China's next-generation Long March 10 carrier rocket will significantly boost the nation's capacity for manned lunar exploration, increasing its lunar transfer orbit payload from 8.2 tonnes to 27 to ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab prepares to launch Synspective EO satellite
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 06, 2024
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has confirmed the launch window for its next Electron mission, which will deploy Synspective's latest Earth observation satellite. This mission is part of an ongo ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Double success for Europe as Sentinel-1C and Vega-C take flight
Paris, France (SPX) Dec 06, 2024
The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched the Sentinel-1C satellite aboard the Vega-C rocket, signifying a major milestone for Europe's space ambitions. The Sentinel-1C mission, part ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Iran launches heaviest space payload into orbit: media
Tehran (AFP) Dec 6, 2024
Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. ... more
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Europe's Vega-C rocket launches satellite into orbit after delays
Kourou (AFP) Dec 6, 2024
Europe's new Vega-C rocket launched Thursday from French Guiana and put a satellite into orbit in its first takeoff since a failed flight two years ago. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX reaches milestone with 300th successful booster landing
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 5, 2024
SpaceX reached another milestone for the reusability of its first-stage boosters as it launched another round of Starlink satellites from California. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Vega-C set for launch marking its return to service
Paris, France (SPX) Dec 05, 2024
ESA's Vega-C rocket has been fully assembled at Europe's Spaceport and is prepared for liftoff. The final component, including the Sentinel-1C satellite payload, was placed atop the 35-meter rocket ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
ESA launches spacecraft that will eventually create artificial solar eclipse
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 5, 2024
The European Space Agency said that two spacecraft were launched from India on Thursday designed to form a single ship that will create an artificial solar eclipse while in orbit. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
India launches European 'artifical eclipse' satellites
Mumbai (AFP) Dec 5, 2024
India on Thursday successfully launched into space a pair of European satellites that will create artificial solar eclipses to help scientists catch a rare glimpse of the Sun's mysterious atmosphere. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Europe's troubled Vega-C rocket launches after delays
Kourou (AFP) Dec 5, 2024
Europe's new Vega-C rocket launched Thursday from French Guiana in its first takeoff since a failed flight two years ago, an AFP correspondent said. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Long March 3B reaches 100th launch milestone
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 04, 2024
China successfully launched a Long March 3B rocket on Tuesday afternoon from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, delivering an experimental satellite, Communication Technology D ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX sets record launching Falcon 9 first-stage booster 24 times
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 4, 2024
SpaceX set a record for the most launches by a first-stage booster Wednesday morning when one of its Falcon 9 rockets lifted a new round of Starlink satellites into space. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Primary investigation highlights potential of Ram-Rotor Detonation Engine
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 04, 2024
Detonation, a supersonic combustion wave driven by shock waves and chemical energy, is a powerful means of converting chemical energy into thrust. This method has long been explored to enhance aeros ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
New rocket debuts at Hainan spaceport with advanced design
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 03, 2024
China's space ambitions took another step forward as the Long March 12 rocket completed its inaugural flight Saturday night, launching from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan provin ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Long March 8 set for Launch at Hainan Commercial Space Center
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 03, 2024
Preparations are underway for the second mission of the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, with the Long March 8 carrier rocket set for launch. Liu Hongjian, the center's gener ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
LandSpace achieves milestone with successful ZQ 2E-Y1 rocket launch
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 03, 2024
LandSpace, a leading private aerospace company headquartered in Beijing, successfully launched the modified ZQ 2E-Y1 rocket on Wednesday, deploying two experimental satellites into orbit from the Ji ... more
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Vega-C Set to Launch Sentinel-1C Satellite
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 30, 2024
The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for an important launch as the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite is set to soar into orbit aboard the Vega-C rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for December 4, ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
European rocket carries scientific experiments to microgravity
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 28, 2024
The SubOrbital Express-4 sounding rocket launched successfully from Sweden's Esrange Space Center near Kiruna at 06:00 CET yesterday, achieving a peak altitude of 256 kilometers. The mission provide ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
China's Lijian-1 Y6 carrier rocket ready for late December launch
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 28, 2024
China's Lijian-1 Y6 carrier rocket has successfully completed its final assembly test in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, according to its developer, CAS Space. The rocket, which has also passed its f ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
What we know about Russia's Oreshnik missile fired on Ukraine
Moscow (AFP) Nov 28, 2024
A new intermediate-range ballistic missile called Oreshnik used by Russia in a strike on Ukraine this month is a state-of-the art weapon that the West cannot intercept, President Vladimir Putin has said. ... more
ROCKET SCIENCE
Six science experiments launched from Sweden onboard SubOrbital Express 4
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 27, 2024
A key moment in space science unfolded Tuesday as six cutting-edge experiments launched aboard SubOrbital Express-4 from SSC's Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. The rocket, carrying internati ... more
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