Category: General News

NASA Administrator Message Responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and Mission Updates

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – NASA and the nation continue to deal with the ever expanding fallout from the deadly coronavirus COVOD-19 pandemic. Below is the newest update from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on April 2. Specifically related to NASA, some missions like the International Space Station (ISS) including the upcoming Soyuz crew launch on April 9

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Primary Mirror Passes Deployment Test, COVID-19 Crisis Suspends Work: Video

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 1 April 2020 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – The team building NASA’s mammoth James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently accomplished a major milestone – namely fully deployed its 21 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror into the same configuration it will have when it is carrying out astronomical observations in space. However, NASA has also suspended virtually

OneWeb Files for Bankruptcy

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Despite successfully building and launching 74 satellites into low Earth orbit initiating the start of a mega satellite constellation to provide global internet low latency service London based OneWeb has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an official announcement from the company that will result in job losses after failing to secure

Final Ultrasecure AEHF Military Comsat Launches on Atlas V on 1st US Space Force Mission: Photos

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – The sixth and final satellite in a constellation of critical and ultra secure military communications satellites for the nations warfighters – namely the Advanced Extremely High Frequency- 6 (AEHF-6) comsat – streaked to geostationary orbit Thursday afternoon March 26 on the venerable Atlas V on the first mission for

ULA Atlas V Poised for Afternoon Liftoff with Nuclear Hardened AEHF-6 Milcomsat for US Air Force Despite Coronavirus Threat: Photos

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – In what may be the last launch for a while from the military run Eastern range at Cape Canaveral due to ever expanding threats from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the most powerful version of the venerable Atlas V rocket manufactured by rocket builder United Launch Alliance (ULA) is poised

NASA, SpaceX Target May for 1st Crew Dragon Launch with Astronauts to ISS – But Will it Happen with COVID-19 Crisis?

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – NASA and SpaceX have jointly announced that they are targeting May – roughly two months or so from now – for the first launch of the private Crew Dragon ferry ship with two agency astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Demo-2 mission from the Florida Space Coast.  That is

NASA Administrator Statement Responding to Coronavirus Pandemic with Facility Closings and Artemis Mission Impacts

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Like everyone else NASA is feeling the ever growing impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the globe as known cases and deaths climb precipitously as more cases of COVID19 are diagnosed among the NASA workforce. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine issued a new statement today, Thursday, March 19, that moves the agency’s Michoud

SpaceX Resets Falcon 9 Starlink Liftoff to March 18 After Engine Abort: Watch Live/Photos

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – SpaceX is retargeting the next Falcon 9 Starlink launch to Wednesday morning, March 18, 2020 following Sunday morning’s automatically aborted liftoff of the ‘flight-proven’ rocket moments after the first stage engines dramatically ignited for the planned blastoff of the next Starlink mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, FL under picture perfect

SpaceX Aborts Falcon 9 Starlink Liftoff After Engine Ignition: Photos

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – Today’s Sunday morning liftoff of a ‘flight-proven’ SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was automatically aborted moments after the first stage engines ignited for the planned blastoff of the next Starlink mission at 9:22 a.m. ET (1322 GMT) March 15 at Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A) on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, FL under picture perfect