Tag: KSC

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Galileo Satellites from KSC

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX hit some notable milestones with the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Saturday. Most notably, the weekend flight marked the first time that the European Commission’s Galileo satellites (similar to the United State’s Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites) launched onboard an American-made rocket and from U.S. soil.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Florida with navigation satellites for Europe
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Launches 23 Starlink Satellites Marking 5th Anniversary of First Dedicated Starlink Flight

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its third Falcon 9 launch in less than 48 hours with a mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. As with its launch Wednesday night, SpaceX sent another 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Either serendipitously or intentionally, the Starlink 6-63 mission fell on the fifth anniversary of the first dedicated Starlink launch, Starlink v0.9 on May 23, 2019.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Prepare for Hurricane Idalia

Florida Today reports that as Hurricane Idalia “churns off the southwest coast of Florida, the impacts on Brevard’s local space economy are already being felt.” On Monday, “United Launch Alliance teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 began the hours-long process of standing down from a launch attempt of an Atlas V rocket originally set for liftoff Tuesday morning.” SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch “set for Thursday from the Cape’s Launch Complex 40 still appeared to be on the Eastern Range’s schedule, though the company hadn’t yet confirmed the Starlink 6-13 mission. … Meanwhile, in space, four members of NASA’s Crew-6 mission, which launched to the space station in March, wait for an opportunity to come home. Initially slated to depart the station five days after the arrival of Crew-7 on Sunday, the quartet will spend at least one extra day in space.”
Full Story (Florida Today)

AIAA Statement on Successful Rollout of the Integrated Space Launch System and Orion Spacecraft

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 18, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) issued the following statement from AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher:

“Congratulations to NASA and the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems teams on the successful rollout from NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B. Witnessing this engineering marvel move from concept to production, and now to operation, is an inspirational moment for us today and for future generations. It is quite an achievement!

We are excited to see our nation’s space program prepare to take the next steps to the surface of the moon. The powerful SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, along with the essential ground systems, are the foundation of the Artemis program that will establish a sustainable presence on the moon in preparation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. They provide a fundamental new capability enabling us to retain and grow U.S. leadership in space. We eagerly anticipate the program’s progress through tests and launch in the coming months.

We recognize the countless professionals across the aerospace industry involved from the beginning of this program, including those AIAA professional and corporate members, who have helped design, build, and test these new systems. We salute and applaud NASA and all those involved in this effort for making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.”

Media contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804.397.5270

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, andInstagram.

NASA Approves Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser Spaceplane to Land on Runway at KSC

Florida Today reports that NASA has approved Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser spaceplane to land on a runway at Kennedy Space Center. The Dream Chaser “is a reusable, space utility vehicle capable of transportation services to and from low-Earth orbit and is capable of a runway landing.” Under a NASA contract, “the plane is now slated to launch atop United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket from KSC and deliver cargo to the International Space Station in 2022.”
Full Story (Florida Today)