For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Japanese space scientists are positively gleeful as they have now confirmed that their ambitious Hayabusa 2 spacecraft successfully collected over 5 grams of pristine black as coal soil and rock samples gathered from the ancient near earth asteroid Ryugu in a re-entry capsule that parachuted safely to Earth earlier this month after a
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – China’s daring Chang’e-5 moon probe successfully brought back the first lunar soil and rock samples gathered from the surface in over four decades following a safe soft landing of the return capsule in a remote, snow covered region of Inner Mongolia, in northern China on Wednesday, Dec 16 – demonstrating a spectacular
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – After raising the Falcon 9 rocket from vertical to horizontal this afternoon, Wednesday, Dec. 16, SpaceX is targeting Thursday morning, Dec.17 for the breakfast time launch of the clandestine NROL-108 mission spy satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from the Florida Space Coast. And the weather outlook is rather
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – China’s daring Chang’e-5 moon probe is now on its way back to Earth with the first ever pristine samples of lunar soil and rocks gathered by a Chinese lunar lander and is expected to touchdown with a landing in Inner Mongolia, in northern China on Wednesday, Dec 16 – says the China
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – The Sirius SXM-7 digital audio radio satellite aimed to deliver entertainment broadcast and data services broadcasts to tens of millions of subscribers across North America soared to geostationary orbit from the Florida Space Coast at lunchtime Sunday, Dec. 13 atop a ‘flight-proven’ SpaceX Falcon 9 – that counts as
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – SpaceX is now targeting Sunday, Dec. 13 for the lunchtime liftoff of a veteran Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sirius SXM-7 digital audio radio satellite for mobile radio broadcasts to geostationary orbit from the Florida Space Coast following a last minute scrub on Friday, Dec. 7 due to ground
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – Spectators gushed at the spectacular nighttime soar to orbit of a triple barreled United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket hosting a clandestine spy satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Thursday, Dec. 10, from Florida’s spaceport after 3 months of numerous delays for a
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – Weather is looking very good for the dinnertime launch of the oft delayed United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket hosting a top secret spy satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Thursday, Dec. 10, from Florida’s spaceport. To date the launch of this triple
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM TITUSVILLE/CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SpaceX is targeting Friday, Dec. 11 for the lunchtime liftoff of a veteran Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sirius SXM-7 digital audio radio satellite for mobile radio broadcasts to geostationary orbit from the Florida Space Coast following a successful post sunset static fire test Monday, Dec. 7 – that counts as only
Ken Kremer – For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – The first of the next generation SpaceX Cargo Dragon supply ships successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) today, Dec. 7, as the two vehicles were traveling 268 miles over the southern Indian Ocean at 17, 500 mph – just over 26 hours after the flawless and fantastic blastoff