Unmanned

ILS Proton-M launches with SIRIUS FM-5

International Launch Services (ILS) have launched the SIRIUS FM-5 communication satellite on its way to a geostationary transfer orbit via their Proton-M launch vehicle, following lift off from Launch Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch occurred on time at 20:10 UTC, starting a launch phase that lasted a total of nine hours.

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Delta IV launches with GOES-O weather satellite

June 27th, 2009

The launch of an United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, carrying the GOES-O weather satellite for the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has launched on Saturday, following Friday’s scrub due to unacceptable weather. Launch from LC-37B at Cape Canaveral was confirmed at 6:51pm local time.

Zenit-3SLB launches repaired MEASAT-3a into orbit

June 21st, 2009

Sea Launch have successfully launched their Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle, carrying the MEASAT-3a telecommunication satellite. The Land Launch branch of the multi-national company lofted the Orbital Sciences built satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA Successfully Launches LRO/LCROSS for Return to the Moon

June 18th, 2009

An Atlas V rocket carrying NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and sister payload Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) has launched from complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on Thursday evening. Both its payload passengers were successfully sent on their journey to the moon.

Orbital successfully launch TacSat-3 via Minotaur 1

May 19th, 2009

An Orbital Minotaur 1 has finally launched from the Wallops Island Flight Facility with the Tactical Satellite-3 (TacSat-3) satellite. The launch was heavily postponed, with several scrubs relating from the weather to the launch vehicle and facility.

ISS preparing for debuts of Canada’s Dextre operations and Japan’s HTV

April 16th, 2009

Canada’s Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) robot “Dextre” has reported himself as fit for duty, as the clock ticks down to his debut tasks on the International Space Station (ISS). Meanwhile, preparations are building up for the arrival of the first Japanese HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) - which may involve spare robotic work station hardware being [...]

LIVE: ULA Atlas V launches WGS-2 for USAF

April 3rd, 2009

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has launched the WGS-2 satellite on an Atlas V rocket, with lift-off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral at 21:33 EDT, Friday. The launch was realigned following an issue with the Centaur LOX pump led to the termination of tanking and put pay to the March 17 launch attempt.

Delta II launches penultimate GPS-IIR satellite

March 24th, 2009

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket has launched this morning, carrying GPS-IIR-20, the penultimate spacecraft of the current block of GPS satellites. Lift-off from Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral was on time, at the start of a window running from 08:34 to 08:49 GMT (04:34-04:49 EDT).

Delta II launches with Kepler Planet-Finder Launch

March 6th, 2009

The Delta II launch team at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station have launched NASA’s new Kepler observatory, a telescope designed to search for Earth-like terrestrial planets in the Cygnus and Lyra constellations. The initial three and half year mission launched at 10:49pm. EST from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Orbital’s Taurus XL fails during Orbiting Carbon Observatory spacecraft launch

February 23rd, 2009

Orbital Science’s Taurus XL rocket lifted-off from Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) this morning. However, the mission was deemed as a failure during or slightly after third stage flight, after it was noted the fairing failed to separate as required.

ULA Delta II launches on third attempt with NASA’s NOAA-N Prime

February 4th, 2009

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket has launched with the NASA NOAA-N Prime spacecraft at the third attempt to launch from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California - at 2:22am PST - following two scrubs due to technical issues.

Japanese H-2A vehicle launches with Ibuki satellite

January 22nd, 2009

Japan has launched a satellite that will be used to observe the concentration distribution of greenhouse gases from space. The launch of the Ibuki satellite (also known by GOSAT - Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) took place on January 23 at 03:54 UTC from the LP1 launch platform of the Yoshinubo launch complex on Tanegashima.

Delta IV Heavy finally launches with NRO L-26

January 17th, 2009

After three years of delays, United Launch Alliance have launched the third Delta IV Heavy, carrying the classified NRO L-26 satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket finally launched liftoff from Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at 02:47 GMT (21:47 local time), following the resolution of a number of [...]

ULA Delta II launches with COSMO-3

October 24th, 2008

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II launch vehicle has launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) with COSMO-3, the third satellite of the COSMO-SkyMed (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation) constellation. Launch was on schedule at 10:28 pm EDT.

ILS’ Proton-M launches with Canada’s Nimiq 4

September 19th, 2008

International Launch Services (ILS) have launched their Proton M launch vehicle from Pad 39 (Area 200) at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying the Nimiq 4 satellite for Canada. Lift-off was recorded at 5:48 pm EDT.
NASASpaceflight.com is covering the launch as a live event, with background, live updates, images and a free launch video all [...]

ILS Proton M launches with Inmarsat-4 F3

August 18th, 2008

International Launch Services (ILS) have returned their Proton M back into service for the multi-national company, with the launch of the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
NASASpaceflight.com covered the launch as a live event, with background, live updates, and a free launch video - all available on the links below (read [...]

Sea Launch lofts EchoStar 11 - EchoStar 2 dies on orbit

July 15th, 2008

Sea Launch have returned to action tonight with the launch of the EchoStar 11 telecommunications satellite via their Zenit-3SL launch vehicle from their Odyssey Launch Platform. The launch was on time at 10:21pm PDT.
Meanwhile, one of the EchoStar’s older birds failed earlier this week, with an official announcement confirming the loss of EchoStar [...]

ULA Delta II launches with Jason-2 for Europe/US

June 20th, 2008

A United Launch Alliance Delta II (7320-10) launch vehicle has launched with Jason-2 - a European/American Ocean Surface Topography satellite - from SLC-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), California. Liftoff was confirmed at the opening of the window at 00:46 PDT.
NASASpaceflight.com covered the launch as a live event, with background, images, live [...]

Delta II-H launches with NASA’s GLAST telescope

June 11th, 2008

A United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy launch vehicle has lifted-off with NASA’s next major space observatory, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). The launch from Cape Canaveral’s SLC 17-B was slightly delayed to 12:05pm EDT.
NASASpaceflight.com covered the launch as a live event, with background, up to the second live updates, images, [...]

NASA’s Phoenix lands successfully on Mars

May 25th, 2008

Following its opening journey on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II launch vehicle, NASA’s Phoenix mission bridged the gap between Earth and Mars and - from all current indications - landed successfully. Controllers at JPL are now awaiting the first images from the newest spacecraft to land on the Red Planet.
The event [...]