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Mission Reports
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Observing satellite launched by modified Iranian missile
Iran launched its third satellite Friday, demonstrating a maturing space and missile capability as tensions mount over the country's nuclear program.
FULL STORY
Russia orders Soyuz delays in wake of test mishap
Russian space managers have ordered delays for upcoming manned Soyuz flights to the International Space Station in the wake of a test mishap that over pressurized and damaged the descent module of a Soyuz scheduled for launch March 30 to ferry three fresh crew members to the outpost, a senior NASA managers said Thursday.
FULL STORY
Europe signs deal for eight more Galileo satellites
The European Commission signaled Thursday it remains committed to the Galileo navigation network, finalizing contracts worth $400 million for eight more spacecraft and adapting the Ariane 5 launcher to deliver four satellites to orbit in a single flight.
FULL STORY
SpaceX fires powerful abort thruster for manned Dragon
SpaceX announced Wednesday the successful firing of a prototype abort engine for the company's Dragon spaceship, a crucial step in the contractor's program to outfit the capsule for astronaut crews.
FULL STORY - with video!
Launch campaign begins for NASA's black hole hunter
After a cross-country road trip from Orbital Sciences Corp. in Virginia last week, technicians have unpacked NASA's NuSTAR X-ray telescope at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and begun methodically checking the craft for the final time before its launch date in mid-March.
FULL STORY
VIDEO: GRAIL flies over the far side of the moon
NASA released footage Wednesday from one of the agency's twin GRAIL lunar probes, showing the rugged far side of the moon in a time lapse video from a camera built to help educate and inspire U.S. middle school students.
VIDEO:FAR SIDE OF THE MOON
From tragedy to the gap: How America got here
Nine years ago Wednesday morning in the atmosphere above Texas, seven humans died and the course of America's space program was forever changed.
A SPACEFLIGHT NOW COLUMN
Endeavour back in hangar to prepare for Los Angeles
After more than five months of storage inside bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the retired space shuttle Endeavour was rolled back over to Orbiter Processing Facility 2 on Wednesday to resume preparations for museum display. The ship will head west to the California Science Center in October.
PHOTO GALLERY FINAL FLIGHT OF ENDEAVOUR VIDEO:FINAL MISSION ARCHIVE HDTV:HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO
Assembly complete for Vega rocket's first mission
Workers finished assembling the first Vega rocket in South America last week, adding two Italian satellites and seven small CubeSat payloads to Europe's new space launcher. The rocket's launch window opens Feb. 9.
FULL STORY IMAGES:PAYLOADS LIFTED ATOP VEGA ROCKET IMAGES:VEGA LAUNCHER REVEALED ON PAD
Shuttle-era astronauts Lucid and Ross retire from NASA
Two long-serving and distinguished American astronauts whose flying days had ended a while ago before moving into ground-support positions have announced their retirements from NASA.
FULL STORY
Satellite tastes atoms from beyond the solar system
NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, the centerpiece of a $169 million mission mapping the frontier of the sun's influence, has detected atoms from interstellar space streaming by Earth, finding the material is different from the chemical make-up of the solar system, scientists announced Tuesday.
FULL STORY
Countdown dress rehearsal underway for next Atlas 5
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket that will propel the U.S. Navy's next-generation mobile communications spacecraft into orbit Feb. 16 was rolled to the Complex 41 pad at Cape Canaveral Monday morning for a practice countdown that was completed on Tuesday.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Japan's next asteroid probe approved for development
Japanese government officials last week gave the green light to Hayabusa 2, a robotic explorer due for launch in 2014 on a journey to retrieve and return rocks from a near-Earth asteroid.
FULL STORY
Romney visits Space Coast, weighs in on NASA's future
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stumped on Florida's Space Coast on Friday, identifying human survival, science and health, commercial applications and national defense as top objectives of the U.S. space program.
FULL STORY
Section of bridge collapses after struck by rocket vessel
The ocean-going cargo vessel used to transport rocket stages from the manufacturing factory in Alabama to the two primary U.S. launch sites in Florida and California struck a bridge in southern Kentucky Thursday night, causing a section to collapse.
FULL STORY
Space station welcomes Russian cargo ship arrival
Flying in smooth fashion on autopilot, the Russian-made Progress M-14M cargo freighter docked to the International Space Station at 7:09 p.m. EST Friday to deliver a fresh load of provisions, spare parts and rocket fuel for orbiting laboratory complex.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Another scrub and rollback for Proton rocket launch
Saturday's planned launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying an international communications satellite will be postponed at least a couple of weeks because of an unspecified technical problem with the booster.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage! IMAGES:ROCKET'S FIRST ROLLOUT GALLERY
Presidential candidates clash over future of space
Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, frontrunners to be the Republican nominee for president, sparred over the future of the U.S. space program in a Florida debate Thursday.
FULL STORY
Kepler finds 11 new solar systems beyond our own
Amid a flurry of planetary discoveries from NASA's Kepler space telescope, scientists announced Thursday they have found 26 new worlds around 11 stars outside the solar system.
FULL STORY
Gingrich offers 'grandiose' vision for space program
Visiting Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich unveiled what he called a "bold" and "visionary" plan for space exploration, vowing to construct a permanent moon base by 2020 and catalyze robust commercial activity in near-Earth space.
FULL STORY
Threat from retired satellite exceeds NASA standards
The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, a NASA satellite retired from service Jan. 5, has a 1-in-1,000 chance of harming someone when it makes an uncontrolled fall from Earth orbit some time after 2014, a level ten times riskier than NASA now requires for re-entering spacecraft, according to an agency spokesperson.
FULL STORY
Two Intelsat craft on Sea Launch manifest this year
Intelsat has tapped Sea Launch to haul a communications satellite to orbit in the third quarter of 2012, the companies announced this week, affirming the company's plans to launch at least two satellites this year after it returned to flight operations last year.
FULL STORY
Space station resupply ship successfully launched
A Russian Soyuz booster successfully launched Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and propelled a resupply freighter on its two-day pursuit to rendezvous with the International Space Station.
FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER
Instrument glitch found on renamed Suomi NPP craft
With a stunning new snapshot of the Earth to share, the United States' new dual-purpose polar-orbiting weather satellite and climate-tracking observatory has been branded with a new name to honor a pioneer.
FULL STORY ARCHIVED LAUNCH COVERAGE
Happy birthday to long-lived Opportunity rover
Eight years ago Tuesday was a night of technological triumph and human inspiration as the Mars rover Opportunity bounced onto the surface of the Red Planet, embarking on an exploratory mission that continues operating today to unravel the world's watery history. Relive that landing from Jan. 24, 2004 in our Mission Status Center:
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Proposed next-generation weather satellites get the ax
Complying with the decisions of Congress, the U.S. Air Force has ceased work on the Defense Weather Satellite System that would have been the military's next-generation polar observatory program.
FULL STORY
Titan's dunes give new insights into Saturn's moon
The piercing radar emitted by the Cassini spacecraft in orbit at Saturn has revealed how the expansive and peculiar dune features on the moon Titan vary by regions.
FULL STORY
Soyuz rolls out for next space station resupply run
The Russian Soyuz rocket topped by the next resupply freighter Tuesday morning rolled to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad and took aim toward a rendezvous with the International Space Station.
PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERY
One Russian ship vacates station port for next vehicle
After 82 days docked to the International Space Station, a Russian Progress resupply freighter pulled away Monday afternoon to fly independently into a higher orbit for deployment of a science satellite and setting the stage for another cargo ship launching to the outpost later this week.
FULL STORY
This video production by United Launch Alliance provides a unique recap of last week's successful Delta 4 rocket flight that deploy the U.S. military's newest communications satellite. For more info, see our launch coverage.
Photo spread: Atlantis to VAB, but only for storage
The shuffling of NASA's three retired space shuttle orbiters between the two remaining hangars at the Kennedy Space Center continued Friday morning as Atlantis was moved into a two-month storage at the Vehicle Assembly Building. Check out our 5-page photo collection from the event. PHOTO GALLERY
Satellite spies cruise ship tragedy from space
As seen from space by one of the sharp-eyed Earth-imaging satellites operated by DigitalGlobe, the Costa Concordia cruise ship is pictured where it came to rest after running aground with more than 4,000 passengers and crew on January 13 while sailing dangerously close to the island of Giglio in Tuscan waters.
PHOTO GALLERY
SpaceX cargo flight on hold until at least late March
Launch of a SpaceX commercial cargo ship on an initial test flight to the International Space Station, originally planned for Feb. 7, is expected to slip to at least the end of March, officials said Friday, to give engineers time to complete additional hardware and software testing in the wake of a recent simulation, software analysis and work in Florida to close out the craft for flight.
FULL STORY DRAGON BACKGROUND INFO PHOTO GALLERY OF CAPSULE FALCON 9 ROCKET PHOTO GALLERY FALCON ARCHIVE
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
WGS 4 BLASTS OFF ABOARD DELTA 4 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DELTA 4 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 3 PLAY VIDEO:
ATLAS 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 2 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH PREPARATIONS PLAY VIDEO:
WGS 1 LAUNCH SEEN FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Rocket details laid out in Air Force's 9-launch order
Nine national security spacecraft ranging from spy platforms to navigation birds, communications satellites and weather observatories have been entrusted to Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets in a $1.5 billion booster purchase through the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the Defense Department has announced. FULL STORY OUR ATLAS ARCHIVE OUR DELTA ARCHIVE
Construction about to begin on Atlantis' new home
Kennedy Space Center tourism officials, Florida's lieutenant governor and the final space shuttle commander Wednesday morning broke ground on the $100 million complex that will showcase the retired orbiter Atlantis.
FULL STORY FINAL FLIGHT OF ATLANTIS VIDEO:FINAL MISSION ARCHIVE HDTV:HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO
Good night, Discovery
The space shuttle Discovery, undergoing her retirement and transition to museum status at the Kennedy Space Center, has been outfitted with hollowed thruster and rocket pods, replicas of the main engines, the payload bay doors sealed up and the emotional moment of being powered down for the final time. We take a look back at all of those events in this video package presented for Spaceflight Now+Plus users.
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FERRYFLIGHT TAIL CONE PUT IN PLACE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MAIN ENGINE "EYE LIDS" INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
EMOTIONS AFTER FINAL POWERDOWN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DISCOVERY POWERED OFF FINAL TIME PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PAYLOAD BAY DOORS SWING SHUT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
REPLICA MAIN ENGINES INSERTED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS' MIDDECK KITCHEN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NOSE THRUSTER PIECE INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
HOLLOWED RIGHT-HAND OMS POD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND OMS POD ATTACHED PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Youth of America names NASA's twin lunar probes
The twin NASA spacecraft currently looping in orbits around the Moon to reveal profound new insights about our nearest neighbor in the night sky have been given symbolic names through a contest with U.S. schoolchildren.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
GRAIL NAMES UNVEILED IN CEREMONY PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Former space shuttle launch director joins ULA
As another sign of the changing landscape in the U.S. space program, NASA's long-time space shuttle launch director has joined United Launch Alliance to lead the commercial firm's human spaceflight operations.
FULL STORY
Ill-fated Mars probe reportedly falls to Earth
A $170 million Russian Mars probe, stranded in low-Earth orbit after a malfunction following launch in November, reportedly fell back into the dense lower atmosphere Sunday, apparently breaking up over the southern Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
FULL STORY
Spotlight shines on JWST after near-death experience
Entering the new year with solidified political support and renewed scientific potential, some work on the James Webb Space Telescope will be accelerated this year to keep the $8.8 billion observatory on track for launch in late 2018.
FULL STORY
Chinese weather satellite launched by Long March
A new Chinese weather satellite streaked into space Friday on top of a Long March 3A rocket, China's second flawless space launch this week.
FULL STORY
A numbers game: How many planets in our galaxy?
More than 100 billion planets could populate the Milky Way galaxy, and many of the undiscovered worlds could be the size of Earth, according to a study released Wednesday.
FULL STORY
Scientists discover smallest planetary system so far
Using data collected by NASA's Kepler space telescope, researchers have discovered the three smallest planets so far found outside the solar system, scientists announced Wednesday.
FULL STORY
Opportunity rover parked on slope for Martian winter
The Opportunity rover exploring Mars has parked on a sun-facing slope to give its dusty solar panels a better position to generate electricity for the next few months, according to NASA.
FULL STORY
NASA turns off aging X-ray timing observatory
NASA decommissioned the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer last week, ending a 16-year-mission that gave researchers glimpses of the inner workings of black holes and neutron stars, the space agency announced Monday.
FULL STORY
China targets 2013 for launch of lunar lander
Under a new five-year plan unveiled in December, China will continue to make methodical progress in human spaceflight, expand its satellite navigation system, explore the moon and seek space technology partnerships with developing nations.
FULL STORY
Land surveying satellite orbited by Chinese rocket
China launched a Long March rocket Monday with a high-resolution civil mapping satellite to survey natural resources and a craft to relay marine tracking data for U.S.-based Orbcomm Inc.
FULL STORY
Photos: International Space Station flies by the Moon
No, the International Space Station has not left Earth orbit and flown to the Moon. But you might think that when you first glance at these stunning new NASA photos of the outpost flying by our lunar neighbor.
SEE THE PHOTOS
Delta 4 rocket and Air Force payload joined for launch
Moving from the cleanroom to the Cape Canaveral launching pad, the next update to the U.S. military's space-based communications network was hoisted aboard its booster rocket Wednesday in preparation for blastoff in just two weeks.
FULL STORY ARCHIVE:ROCKET ROLLED TO LAUNCH PAD ARCHIVE:WGS 4 ARRIVES FROM FACTORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
DELTA 4 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 3 PLAY VIDEO:
ATLAS 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH WGS 2 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH PREPARATIONS PLAY VIDEO:
WGS 1 LAUNCH SEEN FROM PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
The fight to save AEHF 1 produces remarkable rescue
As the new year is ushered in, flight controllers are continuing with the detailed checkout of the U.S. military's newest ultra-secure communications satellite after a miraculous recovery saved the craft's life.
FULL STORY OUR ARCHIVED COVERAGE LAUNCH HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO
2011: Atlas & Delta launch $20 billion in payloads
It was a flawless 2011 for United Launch Alliance's Atlas and Delta rocket families highlighted by deploying a $6 billion batch of big-name NASA missions and lending imperative space-lift support to U.S. national security.
FULL STORY
Lunar tandem successfully enters orbit around Moon
When you gaze up at the Moon tonight, know there's now two new spacecraft orbiting to unveil the hidden lunar interior. The GRAIL twins have reached lunar orbit to join forces in a gravity-mapping tandem after a 2.6-million-mile voyage from Earth. The first craft braked into orbit Saturday and the second followed suit Sunday.
FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! GRAIL-A STORY PREVIEW STORY OUR LAUNCH COVERAGE VIDEO:GRAIL LAUNCH ARCHIVE HDTV:HIGH-DEFINITION GRAIL VIDEO
Globalstar craft 'flawlessly' orbited by Soyuz rocket
With a rumble and bright orange glow, a Soyuz rocket blasted off and disappeared into frigid clouds over Kazakhstan on Wednesday to deliver six second-generation Globalstar communications satellites to orbit.
FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY VIDEO:SOYUZ TRANSFERRED TO LAUNCH PAD
This year's highlights from the Saturn system
NASA's Cassini spacecraft circling Saturn returned scores of picturesque scenes of the giant planet and its moons in 2011, opening new research horizons and dazzling the public with colorful views of the final frontier.
IMAGES:HOLIDAY POSTCARDS FROM SATURN
Experience a space shuttle launch like never before
These slow-motion films capture the awe-inspiring sight of a space shuttle blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center on one of the program's final missions, Discovery soaring skyward in February headed for the International Space Station. The amazing videos are presented here for Spaceflight Now+Plus users.
VIDEO COLLECTION STS-133 VIDEO ARCHIVE
Unbelievable comet pictures from the space station
The International Space Station's commander has again seen the grandeur of comet Lovejoy in new pictures taken from the orbiting outpost, this time also capturing the Earth's horizon and background stars in exquisite detail.
PHOTO GALLERY
NASA seeks to bolster ties with commercial crew firms
NASA and private space firms are determined to strengthen partnerships in the next phase of development in the agency's commercial crew transportation program, which is due to kick off in February, officials said last week.
FULL STORY
Monday's Proton launch postponed to January
The Proton rocket with the SES 4 telecommunications satellite payload will be rolled back from the launch pad to the final assembly hangar on Tuesday for repairs after a technical fault was discovered during Monday's countdown.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage! IMAGES:ROCKET ROLLOUT GALLERY
Tracking satellite retired after 22 years of service
NASA decommissioned an aging tracking and data relay satellite this month after it linked ground controllers with space shuttles, the International Space Station and launching rockets for more than 22 years, according to agency officials.
FULL STORY IMAGES:RELIVE THE LAUNCH OF TDRS 4
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
SHUTTLE MISSION DEPLOYS TRACKING SATELLITE IN 1989 PLAYSUBSCRIBE NOW
Soyuz rocket falls in Siberia after launch mishap
A Soyuz rocket and a Russian military communications satellite crashed in Siberia on Friday, continuing a pesky series of launch mishaps blemishing Russia's space program in the last year.
FULL STORY
Comet sighting wows crew aboard the space station
The commander of the International Space Station, peering out the multi-windowed Cupola observatory, has captured what's sure to be some of the most iconic images ever taken aboard the outpost.
FULL STORY AND PHOTOS
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
COMET LOVEJOY AS SEEN FROM THE STATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
STATION COMMANDER DESCRIBES THE SIGHTING PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Soyuz successfully docks to International Space Station
The Soyuz spacecraft carrying three new residents for the International Space Station performed a flawless automated rendezvous and docking in its 2-day pursuit of the orbiting complex, linking up Friday at 10:19 a.m. EST (1519 GMT).
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage!
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
SOYUZ TMA-03M DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
POST-DOCKING NEWS CONFERENCE FROM KOROLEV PLAY VIDEO:
NEW CREW WELCOMED ABOARD THE STATION PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Dawn gets best look yet of giant asteroid Vesta
NASA's Dawn spacecraft has reached its closest approach to asteroid Vesta and is sending back sharp imagery showing new details of the body's airless, charcoal-colored surface.
IMAGES:SHARP IMAGERY OF VESTA'S SURFACE
Final Chinese launch tally surpasses U.S. rocket fleet
For the first time since the dawn of the space age, China's Long March rocket family eclipsed the annual flight rate of the U.S. fleet of space launchers Thursday with the successful deployment of a high-resolution mapping satellite.
FULL STORY IMAGES:LIFTOFF FROM SNOWY SPACEPORT
Photo gallery: Soyuz rocket blasts off with 3-man crew
Look back at Wednesday's countdown and launch of the Russian Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft carrying a three-man crew bound for the International Space Station.
COUNTDOWN AND LAUNCH PHOTOS
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FULL EXPERIENCE FROM LIFTOFF TO ORBIT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FOUR LAUNCH PAD CAMERA REPLAYS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW DEPARTS SITE 254 FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FAMILIES CHAT WITH CREW BEFORE LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW MEMBERS DON THEIR SOKOL SPACESUITS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH DAY TRADITIONS AT CREW QUARTERS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
EXPEDITION 30-31 MISSION PREVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PETTIT, KONONENKO, KUIPERS BIOGRAPHIES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW TOURS BAIKONUR COSMODROME PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PRESS DAY TO SEE THE CREW UP-CLOSE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CHECKING OUT THE SOYUZ TMA-03M CAPSULE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CEREMONIAL ARRIVAL AT THE LAUNCH SITE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Eighth WGS satellite ordered by U.S. military
As anticipated, the U.S. Air Force has followed through with plans to purchase an eighth military communications satellite for its Wideband Global SATCOM program from The Boeing Company. FULL STORY
Next trio launches on space station's 30th expedition
In bitterly cold weather, a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying a three-man all-veteran crew blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday, streaking into orbit and setting off after the International Space Station to boost the lab's crew back to six.
FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! KUIPERS VIDEO NEWS RELEASE BUY THE CREW PATCH
First Earth-size worlds found orbiting another star
NASA's Kepler space telescope has found the first confirmed Earth-size planets orbiting another star, astronomers announced Tuesday, a major milestone in an ongoing project aimed at finding out how commonplace -- or rare -- Earth-like worlds may be across the cosmos. FULL STORY
Soyuz moves to launch pad in bitterly cold weather
Pushing forward despite temperatures of -15 degrees F, the Russian Soyuz rocket was rolled to its launch pad at dawn today in preparation for blastoff Wednesday to the International Space Station.
ROLLOUT PHOTO GALLERY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FINAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SOYUZ PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOYUZ ROCKET ROLLED TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPOKESMAN'S REPORT FROM LAUNCH SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH VEHICLE IS HOISTED VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
POST-ROLLOUT COMMENTS FROM OFFICIALS PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
NASA science portfolio gets former astronaut as leader
The "Hubble Hugger" himself, former astronaut John Grunsfeld, will assume control of NASA's science directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington effective Jan. 4, 2012. FULL STORY
Powerful Nigerian satellite lifts off on Chinese rocket
China launched a massive Nigerian communications satellite Monday to link Africans with television programming, education services and better navigation products. Liftoff was at approximately 1641 GMT (11:41 a.m. EST).
FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY
First navigation signals heard from Galileo satellite
Engineers are analyzing the first signals from a Galileo navigation satellite after its payload began switching on last week for testing, according to the European Space Agency. FULL STORY
Deep Impact sets path for asteroid encounter in 2020
Flying on its last bit of fuel, NASA's Deep Impact probe is carefully reshaping its course toward a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid in hopes the spacecraft can survey the body in January 2020. FULL STORY
Russians now preparing for re-entry of Mars probe
Russia's $163 million Phobos-Grunt Mars probe, stranded in low-Earth orbit after a malfunction following launch Nov. 8, is expected to fall back into Earth's atmosphere next month, Russian officials confirmed Friday. FULL STORY
Shuttle Discovery's historic payload bay goes dark
After deploying 21 satellites from expansive confines, including the Hubble Space Telescope, commercial spacecraft and military eavesdroppers, hosting scientific platforms and hauling key pieces of the International Space Station, the payload bay of space shuttle Discovery was closed and locked as the spacecraft was powered off for the final time Friday.
PHOTO GALLERY STS-133: DISCOVERY'S FINAL FLIGHT VIDEO:FINAL MISSION ARCHIVE HDTV:HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO
Decision increases risk in commercial crew program
NASA's decision to give up insight and influence in the design of privately-developed space vehicles could cause delays in the resumption of U.S. human spaceflight, officials said Thursday.
FULL STORY
NASA switches strategy for commercial crew contracts
Faced with uncertain budgets, NASA is giving up fixed-price contracts and moving back to more flexible, but less comprehensive, Space Act Agreements to continue design work on a new commercial manned spacecraft to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station, officials said Thursday.
FULL STORY
Shuttle Enterprise's future home now visualized
With the ownership title now in hand, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has unveiled artwork depicting how the space shuttle Enterprise will be displayed within a protective bubble on the aircraft carrier's flight deck starting next summer.
FULL STORY
Venture back in history to relive Enterprise's moments
Spaceflight Now+Plus viewers can travel back to the late 1970s and mid 1980s right now and watch fun footage of space shuttle Enterprise, NASA's prototype orbiter, during its landing tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California, assembly and pad checks at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then demonstrations for the West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
"THE SPACE SHUTTLE: TRANSPORT FOR TOMORROW" PLAY VIDEO:
ENTERPRISE TAKES PIGGYBACK TEST-RIDE ATOP 747 PLAY VIDEO:
THE SHUTTLE'S FIRST APPROACH AND LANDING TEST PLAY VIDEO:
HOISTING ENTERPRISE IN VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE ROLLS TO LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY VIDEO:
ENTERPRISE FINISHES LAUNCH PAD FIT-CHECKS PLAY VIDEO:
PACKING UP ENTERPRISE TO LEAVE FLORIDA PLAY VIDEO:
TESTING AT VANDENBERG'S SHUTTLE PAD PLAY VIDEO:
THE SATURN 5 AND ENTERPRISE PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Private spaceflight gets new contender with Stratolaunch
Designer Burt Rutan, billionaire Paul Allen, rocketman Elon Musk and former NASA boss Mike Griffin are teaming to develop an air-launch rocket system that would use a super aircraft the size of two 747s to carry a liquid-fueled SpaceX booster to 30,000 feet where it would be dropped to fire hardware and humans into orbit.
FULL STORY- with animation!
Commercial rocket gets new name as debut launch nears
Orbital Sciences has rebranded its new commercial rocket that will ferry provisions and equipment to the International Space Station starting next year -- changing the booster's name from the Taurus 2 to Antares.
FULL STORY ANIMATED PREVIEW OF FLIGHT TO SPACE STATION
Where are they now? Shuttle skippers move on
Two of the final space shuttle commanders have landed new gigs in the commercial world working for companies competing to launch private crew-transports to and from the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
Soyuz rocket rolls out for next South American launch
The second Soyuz rocket to fly from the commercial launch base in Kourou, French Guiana made a short but meaningful trip Monday when it was rolled from the assembly hangar to the pad and rotated to stand up vertically.
PHOTO GALLERY
Two satellites share one rocket launch into orbit
An Israeli-owned telecommunications bird and a Russian data relay satellite that will route communications with the International Space Station and other low-Earth-orbiting spacecraft shared a Proton rocket ride Sunday.
FULL STORY LAUNCH PHOTOS AND VIDEO - NEW!
Japan deploys radar reconnaissance satellite
A Japanese radar reconnaissance satellite rode into orbit atop an H-2A rocket Monday, expanding the country's capacity to observe military and civil developments around the world.
FULL STORY
Moving a shuttle mockup across Florida spaceport
The life-like space shuttle orbiter replica was hauled away from Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex to the barge dock adjacent to the Complex 39 press site on Sunday morning. "Explorer" as it is named will be shipped by sea to the Johnson Space Center's Space Center Houston tourism facility in the spring for display there as the Florida spaceport makes room to construct a building for the retired shuttle Atlantis.
PHOTO GALLERY
Crew gets comfortable aboard its Soyuz capsule
The crew to fly aboard the next Russian Soyuz manned spacecraft got to climb inside their capsule Friday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for inspections and fit checks in the seats. Check out this three-page photo gallery.
PHOTO GALLERY KUIPERS VIDEO NEWS RELEASE BUY THE CREW PATCH
SpaceX test flights merged as launch date targeted
The next demonstration test-flight for the SpaceX Dragon cargo freighter will link up with the International Space Station, officials have decided, allowing the company to combine the two previously-planned flyby and capture missions into one, launching from Cape Canaveral on February 7.
FULL STORY DRAGON BACKGROUND INFO PHOTO GALLERY OF CAPSULE FALCON 9 ROCKET PHOTO GALLERY FALCON ARCHIVE
Next space station trio counting down to blastoff
Three new flight engineers to return the International Space Station's resident crew to the full 6-person size traveled from their Russian training base outside Moscow to the Kazakhstan launch site Thursday.
FULL STORY
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CREW'S DEPARTURE FROM TRAINING BASE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
One year ago: First private capsule goes up and back
SpaceX launched the Dragon spacecraft from Florida for a two-orbit test flight on Dec. 8, 2010, and the company brought the automated capsule back to Earth less than three-and-a-half hours later. Relive the historic achievement in our archives!
FALCON ARCHIVE
Prepping satellite to test Albert Einstein theory
A small sphere-shaped satellite covered with laser retroreflectors to test part of Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity is being readied for its shot into space aboard the qualification flight of Europe's new Vega light launcher.
FULL STORY
New weather satellite opens its eyes on western U.S.
There was a changing of the guard 22,300 miles above Earth on Tuesday as an 11-year-old weather observatory gave way to its replacement to cover the western view of the Americas.
FULL STORY GOES 11 LAUNCH COVERAGE GOES 15 LAUNCH COVERAGE
Voyager on the cusp of entering interstellar space
Plowing through the solar system's unexplored frontier, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a region of stagnant solar wind and magnetic pressure and is on the precipice of crossing over into interstellar space, scientists said Monday.
FULL STORY
Discovery getting replica engines for Smithsonian
In preparation for displaying the space shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, technicians began installing replica main engines on Monday.
PHOTO GALLERY STS-133: DISCOVERY'S FINAL FLIGHT VIDEO:MISSION ARCHIVE HDTV:HIGH-DEFINITION COVERAGE
Kepler finds planet in another star's comfort zone
NASA's Kepler space telescope has discovered a planet circling at just the right distance from another star, making for comfortable temperatures and supporting an environment for liquid water and possible life, scientists announced Monday.
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Final space shuttle commander to leave NASA
NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, the commander of the final space shuttle mission, will leave NASA at the end of this week, the space agency announced Monday.
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China's launch rate set to surpass United States
For the first time since joining the spacefaring community in 1970, China is poised to eclipse the number of U.S. space launches in a single year.
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Cassini radar paints new picture of icy Enceladus
NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured unprecedented radar imagery of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus last month, uncovering new details of the moon's highly reflective frozen surface.
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ESA shutting down Phobos-Grunt listening campaign
The European Space Agency announced Friday it would cease attempts to contact Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mars probe, as hopes diminish of ever recovering the stranded spacecraft and guiding it toward the red planet.
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Put on your 3D glasses and check out asteroid Vesta
NASA released a 3D video of asteroid Vesta this week, showing rifts and valleys across the 330-mile-wide world sandwiched between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
VIDEO:TOUR ASTEROID VESTA
Successful Chinese space launch breaks annual record
Shattering a record for annual Chinese launch activity, a Long March rocket streaked into a predawn sky Thursday and entered orbit with a Beidou navigation satellite.
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Globalstar swaps satellites before next launch
Struggling with recurring problems with satellite momentum wheels, Globalstar exchanged one of six mobile communications spacecraft set to launch in December with a spare platform to ensure it does not succumb to an issue that has knocked one of the company's newest satellites out of service.
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It's our birthday!
Thursday marked the 12th anniversary of Spaceflight Now's launch onto the Internet. We have covered hundreds of rocket launches, flyout of the space shuttle program and robotic expeditions across the solar system. Thanks to all our readers for visiting the site every day!
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Delta 4 rocket to provide launch services for WGS 5
As United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 rocket gets ready to launch the next craft for the U.S. military's backbone communications satellite constellation in January, the Air Force has awarded the booster the rights to deploy the subsequent bird as well.
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Current Station Mission Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! The crew emblem for the International Space Station's current expedition to the outpost! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Telescopes.com
Largest selection and the best prices anywhere in the world. Free shipping on select items. Telescopes.com is the largest dealer of both Meade and Celestron Telescopes. Visit Telescopes.com or call toll free 1-800-303-5873.
Final Shuttle Mission Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Celebrate the shuttle program Free shipping to U.S. addresses! This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Anniversary Shuttle Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Mercury anniversary Free shipping to U.S. addresses!
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Fallen Heroes Patch Collection The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Apollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE
The crew emblem for the International Space Station's current expedition to the outpost!
U.S. STORE
Largest selection and the best prices anywhere in the world. Free shipping on select items. Telescopes.com is the largest dealer of both Meade and Celestron Telescopes. Visit Telescopes.com or call toll free 1-800-303-5873.
The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!
This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!
This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
VIDEO:
WGS 4 BLASTS OFF ABOARD DELTA 4 
