SSI News
Starship’s IFT-2 flight test ends in a magnificent failure as both stages blow up after doing the difficult bits (Updated)
Starship IFT-2’s test flight was a highly anticipated event as it marked the first follow-up to the launch vehicle’s maiden flight failure earlier in the year. There were long delays as SpaceX had to prove that the rocket was safe to fly. This was no easy task after...
Ceres-1 launch failure: abnormal ablation of nozzle was the cause
Galactic energy has released the results of the investigation into the Ceres-1 launch failure in September which lost the Jilin 1 High Resolution 04B-01 (Gaofen 4B-01) imaging satellite resulting in an insurance loss of US$7.5 million. The lift off occurred at 0459...
Falcon 9 launches Transporter-9 multi-satellite rideshare mission – but three failed to deploy (Updated)
A Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket launched the Transporter-9 multi-satellite rideshare mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA, at 1849 GMT on11 November 2023. The reusable first stage, B1071 on its 12th flight, landed back on Californian land at...
O3b launches unmodified third pair of mPOWER satellites on Falcon 9 despite electric issues with first two pairs
A Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket launched a pair of O3B mPOWER communications satellites into orbit as the fifth and sixth of a block of 11 high-throughput communications satellites for a new generation O3B Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation, ordered from Boeing....
On a lighter note: Escapee of the week leads to pun-ditry in orbit
Warning - this story is loaded with puns and might put you off your breakfast/lunch. During the 1960s and early 1970s, astronauts did not have a formal toilet, just not-nice-to-use faecal bags (US spelling "fecal" bags) and wet wipes, leading some to try and avoid...
SpaceX launches Dragon CRS-29 resupply freighter
Dragon CRS-29 cargo ship operated by SpaceX on behalf of NASA was launched by a Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket at 0128 GMT on 10 November 2023. The launch took place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center - Pad 39A. The uncrewed Dragon re-supply craft is expected to...
On a Sadder Note: Apollo 8 pioneer astronaut Frank Borman dies
Leading Apollo astronaut, test pilot, engineer and airline executive, Colonel Frank Borman, has died at the age of 95. Frank Borman was a pioneer astronaut who commanded the Apollo 8 flight – the first human mission around the Moon. This key flight enabled the later...
Chinese Long March 3B rocket puts Chinasat-6E in orbit
Via a launch of its Long March 3B/G2 (2) Improved (CZ-3B/G2 (2) Improved) rocket, China put its new Chinasat-6E (Zhongxing-6E) communications satellite into orbit from Xichang launch site in China. The launch occurred at 1123 GMT on 9 November. The spacecraft was...
RS-1 launch failure investigation: launch mount-induced aft fire damage to electrics caused engines’ shutdown
The cause of the launch failure of the RS-1 launch of a pair of Varisat-1 communications technology test satellites in January has been revealed. The launch took place at 2327 GMT on 10 January 2023 from Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA. At 10.87s after lift-off the first...
Electron launch failure in September: electrical arcing event was the cause
Rocket Lab has released the results of its investigation into the launch failure of its Electron KS rocket on 17 September 2023. Rocket Lab launched Electron KS from Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand, at 0655 GMT on 19 September 2023. The Electron was carrying Acadia 2,...
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