2024 Space and Astronomy News

(OCT 1) Mission engineers at NASA have turned off the plasma science instrument aboard the Voyager 2 spacecraft due to the probe's gradually shrinking electrical power supply. More

(SEP 27) SpaceX is targeting Sunday, September 29 for Falcon 9's launch of the OneWeb Launch 20 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The window opens at 11:54 p.m. PT. If needed, there is a backup opportunity on Monday, September 30 at 11:49 p.m. PT.

About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9's first stage will land on SpaceX's Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.

SpaceX's live webcast will begin approximately 10 minutes before Falcon 9's liftoff at spacex.com/launches.

SpaceX

(SEP 17) NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. of Littleton, Colorado, to develop a lightning mapping instrument as part of NOAA's Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program.

This cost-plus-award-fee contract is valued at approximately $297.1 million. It includes the development of two flight instruments as well as options for two additional units. The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and five years of on-orbit storage, for a total of 15 years for each flight model. The work will take place at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Sunnyvale, California, and Littleton, Colorado, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The GeoXO Lightning Mapper will detect, locate, and measure the intensity, duration, and extent of lightning flashes. The instrument will continue critical observations provided by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R) Series Geostationary Lightning Mapper. Data from Lightning Mapper will be used to analyze severe storms, increase warning lead time for hazardous weather, and provide earlier indications of impending lightning strikes to the ground. The data will also be used for hurricane intensity prediction, wildfire detection and response, precipitation estimation, and to mitigate aviation hazards.

Forecasters need lightning information from geostationary orbit because the data are available where other sources are more limited, especially over oceans and in mountainous and rural areas. The data are also available more frequently than local radar and fill in radar coverage gaps.

The GeoXO Program is the follow-on to the GOES-R Series Program. The GeoXO satellite system will advance Earth observations from geostationary orbit. The mission will supply vital information to address major environmental challenges of the future in support of weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States. The advanced capabilities from GeoXO will help address our changing planet and the evolving needs of the nation's data users. Both NASA and NOAA are working to ensure these critical observations are in place by the early 2030s when the GOES-R Series nears the end of its operational lifetime.

Together, NOAA and NASA oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all the satellites in the GeoXO Program. NOAA funds and manages the program, operations, and data products. On behalf of NOAA, NASA and commercial partners develop and build the instruments and spacecraft and launch the satellites.

NASA

Clouds created partly by the heat from an intense wildfire known as the "Line Fire" rise above the southern California mountains. Known as pyrocumulus, these tall, billowing features typically have a column of smoke at their base and powerful updrafts that channel large amounts of smoke high into the atmosphere. As the convective plume rises, water vapor condenses around small particles to form cloud droplets and eventually visible clouds at the top of the smoke plume. The Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 spacecraft recorded this view of the clouds during a daylight pass over the Line Fire on September 9. Image and caption courtesy of NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, Lauren Dauphin, and Adam Voiland.

(SEP 10) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced the scheduled 2026 launch of a satellite - dubbed Q4S - which is designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities on orbit. More

(SEP 6) NASA and Boeing safely returned the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft following its landing at 10:01 p.m. MDT Sept. 6 at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, concluding a three-month flight test to the International Space Station.

The flight on June 5 was the first time astronauts launched aboard the Starliner. It was the third orbital flight of the spacecraft, and its second return from the orbiting laboratory. Starliner now will ship to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection and processing.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program requires a spacecraft to fly a crewed test flight to prove the system is ready for regular flights to and from the orbiting laboratory. Following Starliner's return, the agency will review all mission-related data.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on June 5 aboard Starliner for the agency's Boeing Crewed Flight Test from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. On June 6, as Starliner approached the space station, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters. Following weeks of in-space and ground testing, technical interchange meetings, and agency reviews, NASA made the decision to prioritize safety and return Starliner without its crew. Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew, returning in February 2025 with the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

The crew flight test is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This already is providing additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's microgravity testbed, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Commercial Crew program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

NASA

(SEP 6) A Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. Thursday evening (September 5) at 20:20 PDT. The launch was conducted to place the NROL-113 mission into orbit.

Liftoff occurred too long after sunset to produce a Twilight Effect.

Brian Webb

Official portrait of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim in an EMU suit. Credit: NASA

(AUG 28) During his first mission to the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will serve as a flight engineer and member of the upcoming Expedition 72/73 crew.

Kim will launch on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft in March 2025, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The trio will spend approximately eight months at the space station.

While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Kim will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare the crew for future space missions and provide benefits to people on Earth.

NASA selected Kim as an astronaut in 2017. After completing the initial astronaut candidate training, Kim supported mission and crew operations in various roles including the Expedition 65 lead operations officer, T-38 operations liaison, and space station capcom chief engineer.

A native of Los Angeles, Kim is a United States Navy lieutenant commander and dual designated naval aviator and flight surgeon. Kim also served as an enlisted Navy SEAL. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of San Diego and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and completed his internship with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

NASA

(AUG 22) Scientists and engineers are ready to fly an infrared mission called EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) to the edge of space. More

(AUG 17) A Falcon 9 rocket carrying numerous small satellites was launched from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg SFB, Calif. on Friday at 11:56 a.m. PDT.

After reaching orbit, a fuel dump from the rocket's second stage was seen and imaged by space enthusiasts in Finland.

Brian Webb

Dry weather, high temperatures, and strong winds are key components that set the stage for numerous and fierce wildland fires in the Western United States in the summer of 2024. On August 6, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of fire and smoke across the Western United State. Each red hot spot marks an area where the thermal bands on the instrument detected high temperatures. This image sweeps across the boundary with Canada in the north and across parts of California, Nevada, and Utah in the south. The largest fire in the U.S. is the Park Fire, and it is visible in the seen in the southwest (lower left) of the image. Image and caption courtesy of NASA GSFC

(AUG 9) NASA's Scientific Balloon Program has kicked off its annual fall balloon campaign at the agency's balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. More

(AUG 2) The sun is partying like it's 2001. That's the last time sunspot counts were as high as they are now. The monthly average sunspot number for July 2024 was 196.5, according to the Royal Observatory of Belgium's Solar Influences Data Analysis Center. This eclipses every month since Dec. 2001:

Solar Cycle 25 wasn't expected to be this strong. When it began in Dec. 2019, experts predicted it would be a weak cycle like its immediate predecessor Solar Cycle 24. If that forecast had panned out, Solar Cycle 25 would be one of the weakest solar cycles in a century.

Instead, Solar Cycle 25 has shot past Solar Cycle 24 and may be on pace to rival some of the stronger cycles of the 20th century. Already in May 2024 we have experienced a century-class geomagnetic storm with auroras sighted in the South Pacific, central America and south Africa.

The last time sunspot numbers were this high, the sun was on the verge of launching the Great Halloween Storms of 2003, which included the strongest X-ray solar flare ever recorded (X45) and a CME so powerful it was ultimately detected by the Voyager spacecraft at the edge of the solar system.

Is this Solar Max? The jury is still out. Sunspot numbers may continue to rise in the months ahead and, based on the behavior of previous cycles, we can confidently expect high solar activity for at least 2 to 3 more years. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text SMS Text

SpaceWeather.com

(JUL 28) On Sunday, July 28 at 2:22 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

This was the 17th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, and now 10 Starlink missions.

SpaceX

(JUL 22) NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) to provide launch services for NOAA's JPSS-4 mission. The spacecraft is part of the multi-satellite cooperative Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program, a partnership between NASA and NOAA. This mission is the next satellite in the program, which began with the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership.

This is a firm fixed price contract with a value of approximately $112.7 million, which includes launch services and other mission related costs. The JPSS-4 mission currently is targeted to launch in 2027, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The JPSS constellation of satellites collects global multi-spectral radiometry and other specialized meteorologic, oceanographic, and solar-geophysical data via remote sensing of land, sea, and atmospheric properties. These data support NOAA's mission for continuous observation of Earth's environment to understand and predict changes in weather, climate, oceans, and coasts to support the nation's economy and protect lives and property. NASA uses the instruments aboard the JPSS satellites to continue decades of Earth science research for the betterment of humanity. When launched, JPSS-4, will carry the NASA Earth Venture mission Libera, an instrument that will improve our understanding of trends in Earth's energy imbalance and our changing climate.

NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for managing the launch services. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the JPSS Flight Projects Office, which oversees the acquisition of the JPSS series instruments and spacecraft. A collaborative NOAA and NASA team manages the JPSS Program.

For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

NASA

Ten weeks after launch from Vandenberg SFB, Calif., the first images from Maxar's WorldView Earth imaging spacecraft were released. This view (click to enlarge) of San Francisco city hall was taken on July 16 and demonstrates the spacecraft's 30-cm resolution imaging capability. Image Credit: Maxar

(JUL 18) Investigators at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will use observations from a recently-launched sounding rocket mission to provide a clearer image of how and why the Sun's corona grows so much hotter than the visible surface of Earth's parent star. The MaGIXS-2 mission - short for the second flight of the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer - launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Tuesday, July 16. More

(JUL 12) A Falcon 9 rocket carrying several Starlink satellites was launched at 7:35 p.m. PDT Thursday (July 11) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. The second stage engine experienced a problem and the satellites were deployed into a lower than planned orbit.

Brian Webb

The Goldstone Solar System Radar in the California desert, part of NASA's Deep Space Network, imaged the recently discovered 500-foot-wide (150-meter-wide) asteroid 2024 MK, which made its closest approach - within about 184,000 miles (295,000 kilometers) of Earth - on June 29. This mosaic (click to enlarge) shows the spinning asteroid in one-minute increments about 16 hours after its closest approach. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

(JUL 4) VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif., - Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it successfully launched its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) rocket and completed the payload deployment sequence as part of the company's Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with NASA.

The mission, called Noise of Summer, lifted off from Firefly's SLC-2 launch site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:04 p.m. PDT on July 3, 2024. Following payload deployment, Firefly successfully performed a second stage relight and plane change maneuver to further test and validate Alpha's on-orbit capabilities.

"The Firefly team knocked it out of the park," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "As a NASA vendor for both launch and lunar services, we look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the agency's larger space exploration goals from Earth to the Moon and beyond."

As a NASA VCLS Demo 2 task order, the successful mission further validates Alpha's capabilities to provide small satellite launches for NASA on a recurring basis. The mission's CubeSats were selected through NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) that provides U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with low-cost access to space.

"The launch of Firefly Aerospace's demonstration mission marks one more way NASA is innovating for the benefit of humanity," said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager for NASA's Launch Services Program. "NASA is using CubeSat missions to demonstrate the capability of small rockets and build relationships with this new part of the U.S. launch vehicle industry."

At the time of this release, ongoing activities are underway by NASA and the CubeSat teams as they work to acquire signals for all satellites. Additional updates will be posted to the mission webpage.

Looking ahead, Firefly is in the final testing phase for its next Alpha launch, FLTA006, in support of a dedicated commercial mission for Lockheed Martin. The Firefly team is concurrently ramping up for a responsive on-orbit Elytra mission that will launch on Alpha FLTA007 later this year while also working to complete the final readiness milestones for its first Blue Ghost mission to the Moon launching in Q4 2024.

Firefly Aerospace

Second launch highlights persistent pace of system deployment

(JUN 28) CHANTILLY, Va. - The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-186 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 28, 2024 at 11:14 p.m. EDT.

This mission is the second launch of the NRO's proliferated architecture and signifies the persistent pace of deployment that is expected with this program. Today's successful mission follows NROL-146, launched last month.

"Our new, proliferated systems enhance our ability to collect and deliver critical information at the speed our users demand," said Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO. "The diversity of our overhead architecture allows us to remain agile and resilient amid increasing competition and emerging threats, ensuring we are well positioned now and in the future to deliver on our mission of keeping our nation safe."

For more than 60 years, the NRO has successfully met the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military, civil, and allied partners. It remains the world's leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The NRO's next-generation systems will help ensure that the right data is delivered to the right user at the right time, faster than ever before.

Approximately half a dozen launches supporting NRO's proliferated architecture are planned for 2024, with additional launches expected through 2028.

Additional information on upcoming launches will be available at NRO.gov/launch.

National Reconnaissance Office

Much to the delight of sky watchers, a dusk Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. on June 18 created a display visible to the unaided eye over a wide area. The spectacle was created as the rocket's exhaust was ilumminated at high altitude by the Sun with a dusk or night sky as a background. Lonnie Balderston recorded this view of the event from Thousand Oaks, Calif. using an Apple iPhone 13 Pro. Copyright 2024, Lonnie Balderston. Used with permission.

(JUN 18) VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An operational test launch of an unarmed Mk21A reentry vehicle was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a Minotaur I rocket, Monday, June 17, at 11:01 p.m. PT.

The Mk21A RV is currently under contract with Lockheed Martin for its engineering and manufacturing development phase. After attaining full operational capability, the Mk21A RV will be integrated on the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system. The Mk21A program is currently in early development and overseen by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.

The Minotaur family of launch vehicles is based on government-furnished Peacekeeper and Minuteman rocket motors that Northrop Grumman has integrated with modern flight proven avionics and other subsystems to produce cost-effective, responsive launch vehicles to support missile defense testing and other suborbital applications.

"Test launches like these are crucial for protecting our nation's defense," stated Col. Mark Shoemaker, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30. "As global threats evolve, it's essential to support these launches and maintain access to space to safeguard our nation."

Vandenberg Space Force Base is the United States Space Force's West Coast Spaceport and Test Range, and one of only two high-capacity spaceports for the United States. Vandenberg plays a pivotal role in maintaining our national security posture by leveraging advanced space launch and test range capabilities to deter and defend against emerging threats in the global theatre.

Vandenberg SFB

The spacecraft has resumed gathering information about interstellar space.

(JUN 13) PASADENA, Calif. - NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting normal science operations for the first time following a technical issue that arose in November 2023.

The team partially resolved the issue in April when they prompted the spacecraft to begin returning engineering data, which includes information about the health and status of the spacecraft. On May 19, the mission team executed the second step of that repair process and beamed a command to the spacecraft to begin returning science data. Two of the four science instruments returned to their normal operating modes immediately. Two other instruments required some additional work, but now, all four are returning usable science data.

The four instruments study plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are the only spacecraft to directly sample interstellar space, which is the region outside the heliosphere - the protective bubble of magnetic fields and solar wind created by the Sun.

While Voyager 1 is back to conducting science, additional minor work is needed to clean up the effects of the issue. Among other tasks, engineers will resynchronize timekeeping software in the spacecraft's three onboard computers so they can execute commands at the right time. The team will also perform maintenance on the digital tape recorder, which records some data for the plasma wave instrument that is sent to Earth twice per year. (Most of the Voyagers' science data is sent directly to Earth and not recorded.)

Voyager 1 is more than 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and Voyager 2 is more than 12 billion miles (20 billion kilometers) from the planet. The probes will mark 47 years of operations later this year. They are NASA's longest-running and most-distant spacecraft. Both spacecraft flew past Jupiter and Saturn, while Voyager 2 also flew past Uranus and Neptune.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen supported by Space Force Guardians launch an unarmed Minuteman III missile with one re-entry vehicle early on the morning of June 4 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The test launch was part of routine and periodic activities to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies. Such tests have occurred over 300 times before, and this test is not the result of current world events. U.S. Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Olga Houtsma

(JUN 6) BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- For the second time in a week, a joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen supported by Space Force Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with one re-entry vehicle June 6 at 1:46 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. More

(JUN 4) A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen supported by Space Force Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with one re-entry vehicle June 4 at 12:56 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies. Such tests have occurred over 300 times before, and this test is not the result of current world events.

Vandenberg SFB

(MAY 30) VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Vandenberg Guardians and Airmen will support two separate operational test launches of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile off the Vandenberg Test Range scheduled for the first week of June.

The first test is scheduled for June 4 from 12:01 a.m. to June 4, 2024, 6:01 a.m., Pacific Time from north Vandenberg.

The second test is scheduled for June 6 from 12:01 a.m. to June 6, 6:01 a.m., Pacific Time from north Vandenberg.

The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrent, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.

"Vandenberg Guardians and Airmen are committed to supporting our mission partners and these vitally important test launches from the Western Range," said Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 commander. "Test launches like these are critical in safeguarding the defense our nation."

Consistent with previous test launches, this routine, unarmed ICBM test launch will validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system.

"A previous test launch slated for February 2024 had to be postponed due to some needed repairs at Reagan Test Site," said Col. Chris Cruise, 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander. "This summer's test launch was already scheduled so it made sense to do them both while all the necessary personnel were in place. The launches were scheduled well in advance and have nothing to do with world events."

In accordance with standard procedures, the United States has transmitted a pre-launch notification pursuant to the Hague Code of Conduct, and notified the Russian government in advance, per our existing bi-lateral obligations.

Vandenberg SFB

Intense solar activity in early May triggered the biggest geomagnetic storm and brightest auroras in decades. Below ground, the geomagnetic storm caused strong electrical currents to surge through rocks and soil with voltages 10,000 times greater than normal along the U.S. eastern seaboard and in the Midwest. This map shows the geoelectric fields in the continental U.S. on May 11 during the height of the storm. Image courtesy of NOAA / USGS

NRO marks new era of increased volume and diversity of on-orbit and ground systems

(MAY 22) CHANTILLY, Va. - The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), successfully launched the NROL-146 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 4:00 a.m. EDT.

This mission is the first launch of the NRO's proliferated systems featuring responsive collection and rapid data delivery. NROL-146 represents the first launch of an operational system following demonstrations in recent years to verify cost and performance.

"Our nation's evolving threats and challenges require constant vigilance, innovation, and agility," said Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO. "The NROL-146 mission that launched today reflects the NRO's commitment to developing innovative, faster, and more resilient technologies and providing greater capabilities to our IC, DoD, and allied partners. These systems provide key information that can only be obtained from the vantage point of space."

For the past 60 years, the NRO has successfully met the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military, civil, and allied partners. It remains the world's leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The NRO's next-generation systems will help ensure that the right data is delivered to the right user at the right time, faster than ever before.

"Over the next decade, we will continue to increase the number of satellites operating across multiple orbits - complementing the NRO's cutting-edge, highly-capable satellites that are the traditional hallmark of the NRO - by adding responsive, proliferated systems," said Dr. Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the NRO. "Our proliferated systems will increase timeliness of access, diversify communications pathways, and enhance our resilience."

Approximately half a dozen launches supporting NRO's proliferated architecture are planned for 2024, with additional launches expected through 2028.

Additional information on upcoming launches will be available at NRO.gov/launch.

National Reconnaissance Office

(MAY 18) Tomorrow morning's planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. has been delayed to no earlier than May 21. The launch will place the NROL-146 mission into orbit.

Brian Webb

(MAY 17) A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for launch early Sunday morning (May 19) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. The vehicle is slated to lift off from south base at 00:22 PDT and carry the NROL-146 mission into orbit.

Weather permitting, a night launch could be visible over a wide area, but a nearly full Moon in the sky early Sunday morning will probably impair launch viewing.

For countdown status and video feeds of the launch, go to:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission

https://spaceflightnow.com

X @SpaceX

This information is preliminary and subject to change.

Brian Webb

(MAY 10) A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites was launched from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. Thursday evening (May 9) at 9:30 p.m. PDT.

Ryan B. in northern California provided the following observation: "I watched the launch from Sacramento and the visibility was good. We had the ISS pass overhead at the same time extremely bright, which was a nice addition."

Brian Webb

(MAY 2) WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- Maxar Intelligence, provider of secure, precise geospatial intelligence, today confirmed the first two WorldView Legion satellites are performing well after being launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket earlier today from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

Shortly after launch, the satellites deployed their solar arrays and began receiving and sending signals. These satellites will undergo commissioning, and Maxar Intelligence expects first images from the spacecraft later this spring.

These two satellites are part of a first block of six WorldView Legion satellites. When these six satellites join Maxar Intelligence's constellation, the business will be able to collect imagery of the most rapidly changing areas on Earth as frequently as every 20 to 30 minutes.

"The successful launch of the first two WorldView Legion satellites represents a transformational moment for our business," said Maxar Intelligence CEO Dan Smoot. "These first-of-a-kind satellites will extend the quality and capability of our industry-leading constellation, tripling our ability to collect 30 cm-class imagery with high revisit rates and at more varied times throughout the day - meaning faster, more actionable insights for our customers. Thank you to all team members across Maxar who have worked tirelessly on this program to get us to this moment."

Built by Maxar Space Systems, the two Earth observation satellites are the first Maxar 500TM series high-stability platforms to reach space. WorldView Legion spacecraft are a new approach to Earth imaging satellites. Its optical instrument, provided by Raytheon, delivers the same 30 cm-class imagery that Maxar is known for and benefits from the high stability and pointing accuracy of the Maxar 500 series bus.

"We are proud to partner with Maxar Intelligence on the WorldView Legion program," said Maxar Space Systems CEO Chris Johnson. "We are happy to report the first two satellites launched and are performing nominally, and we remain focused on preparing to launch the additional four satellites later this year."

Learn more about WorldView Legion's features: https://www.maxar.com/worldview-legion

Maxar

(MAY 2) A Falcon 9 rocket was launched Thursday morning (May 2) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. at 11:36 a.m. PDT. The vehicle carried the WorldView 1 and 2 Earth imaging satellites into orbit.

Brian Webb

(APR 11) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Space Systems Command (SSC) and its mission partners successfully launched the United States Space Force (USSF)-62 Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:25 a.m. PDT, today, from Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in northern Santa Barbara County, California. More

(APR 7) A Falcon 9 rocket was launched Saturday evening (April 6) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. at 7:25 p.m. PDT. The vehicle subsequently placed 21 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Liftoff occurred around local sunset at Vandenberg SFB, making the event likely visible over a wide area (possibly as far away as far northern California; western New Mexico; and Mazatlan, Mexico).

Brian Webb

(APR 2) A Falcon 9 rocket was launched Monday evening (April 1) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. at 7:30 p.m. PDT. The vehicle subsequently placed 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

Liftoff occurred shortly after sunset at the launch site. As expected, the rocket's exhaust plume was illuminated by the Sun at high altitude, creating an interesting display. The event was probably more impressive for observers farther east where the sky was darker.

At press time, I have not received any launch observations from outlying areas.

Brian Webb

(MAR 25) An orbiting space telescope approved by NASA last month and scheduled for launch in 2030 will conduct the first all-sky survey of ultraviolet (UV) sources in the cosmos, providing valuable information on how galaxies and stars evolve, both today and in the distant past. More

(MAR 19) THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Frontier Aerospace, a leader in next-generation liquid rocket engines used for commercial space, exploration, and missile defense, announced it had received a contract to advance its 500-lbf engine through Critical Design Review (CDR) in mid-2024.

The 500-lbf engine design has been iterated through internal research and development campaigns to optimize performance with hypergolic propellants. Contract funding will support design and analysis, leading to CDR and achieving engine qualification by 2025.

"We are excited to advance our design and assess the performance as we work to showcase the engine technology and demonstrate its range of capabilities," said Jim McKinnon, president of Frontier Aerospace. "This contract validates our approach to engine development and results."

Frontier Aerospace

(MAR 17) A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. tomorrow evening (March 18). The vehicle is slated to leave south base between approximately 7:20 and 11:42 p.m. PDT and carry 23 Starlink satellites into orbit.

If the vehicle lifts off early in the launch window, a large portion of the southwestern U.S. and northwest Mexico could be treated to an interesting display as the rocket's exhaust is illuminated by the Sun at high altitude while suspended in a dusk or night sky.

If the Falcon 9 is launched later, the event could still be visible to the unaided eye for hundreds of miles, but the exhaust plume will be much less pronounced.

Observers within several miles of the coast between La Conchita and Zuma Beach may hear a sonic boom from the launch several minutes after liftoff.

For countdown status and video feeds of the launch, go to:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission

https://spaceflightnow.com

This information is preliminary and subject to change.

Brian Webb

(MAR 15) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The U.S. Space Force's Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, part of Space Systems Command's (SSC) Assured Access to Space (AATS) program executive office, issued a solicitation today to on ramp additional launch providers to the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4 Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. Periodic on ramp opportunities ensure all eligible launch providers within one year of their initial orbital launch are included in OSP-4 mission competitions.

OSP-4 is executed as part of the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP). It allows for the rapid acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements for payloads 400 pounds or greater, enabling launch within 12-24 months from task order award. Task orders under the contract can be tailored to meet more demanding timelines for Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) missions or other needs. The contract has a $986 million ceiling with ordering through October 2028. The Space Force will compete each mission ordered under the contract among the IDIQ awardees.

This is the second OSP-4 on ramp opportunity. SSC initially awarded the OSP-4 contract in 2019 followed by the first on ramp in 2021. While there is not an upper limit on the size or performance of launch systems available on the contract, OSP-4 missions are typically structured with an emphasis on small launch capabilities.

There are currently 10 launch providers on the contract: ABL Space Systems, Aevum, Astra, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and X-Bow.

Space Systems Command

Building upon NASA heritage, MuSat2 pioneers software-defined sensing to deliver advanced Space Based Environmental Monitoring products to DoD customers.

(MAR 5) MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA - Muon Space, an end-to-end Space Systems Provider revolutionizing the way Earth is monitored from space, proudly announces the successful deployment and operational status of its second ESPA-class satellite, MuSat2. Launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-10 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 4, MuSat2 is equipped with advanced software-defined radio frequency instrumentation to gather new insights for DoD weather programs.

MuSat2 includes Muon Space's advanced space-qualified software-defined radio system, which performs high speed bi-directional communications and produces science-quality radio frequency (RF) signal observations with very high bandwidth.

In addition to its advanced communication functions, MuSat2 uses signals of opportunity from GPS and other satellites to produce high-gain, dual-polarization, bi-static radar measurements for DoD customers, filling critical observational gaps in soil moisture, ocean winds, and space weather conditions.

Innovative missions like MuSat2 are enabled by Muon Space's high performance, modular satellite architecture. Its flexibility empowers customers to customize and deploy mission-specific payloads with speed, reliability, and efficiency.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced a partnership with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)'s Weather Systems Branch to develop ground, air, and space-based prototypes for global weather sensing. Muon Space was one of five companies selected in October, 2022 to demonstrate new approaches to addressing key Space-based Environmental Monitoring gaps. AFLCMC's Weather Systems Branch then awarded Muon Space an option to their contract in July 2023.

Muon Space

(FEB 26) PROMONTORY, Utah - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) completed the first Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) motor segment for the next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket booster. BOLE adds nearly five metric tons of payload capacity for SLS Block 2 Moon and Mars missions above the enhancements already in work for the SLS Block 1B configuration slated to fly on Artemis IV. The new solid rocket boosters will be used on Block 2 beginning with Artemis IX when all the recovered and refurbished shuttle-era steel cases have been expended.

Building on the foundation of the largest and most powerful solid rocket boosters ever flown, Northrop Grumman's BOLE booster incorporates cutting-edge carbon fiber technology and a weight-saving composite case. Combined with other upgrades, it generates 11% more total impulse than the current five-segment solid rocket boosters. The first BOLE demonstration test is scheduled for this year, featuring a full-scale static test with all five segments integrated and horizontally fired in a test bay.

Northrop Grumman

(FEB 23) A Falcon 9 rocket was launched last night (February 22) from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. The vehicle lifted off from south base at 8:11 p.m. PST and carried 22 Starlink satellites into orbit.

The launch was visible to the naked eye along the Southern California coast and neighboring areas well into the second stage burn. The rocket's tenuous exhaust plume was not seen due to the bright sky from the nearly full Moon.

A sonic boom from the launch was heard at T+10 minutes in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, Calif.

Brian Webb

A strong winter storm approaches the U.S. West Cost in this composite image (click to enlarge) released February 6. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired the true-color view image two days earlier. Terra was launched from Vandenberg SFB in 1999. Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

(FEB 6) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Space Systems Command (SSC) has successfully delivered the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-62 Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) Space Vehicle (SV) from Ball Aerospace, Boulder, Co. to Vandenberg Space Force Base, Ca., where it will be processed at the Space Vehicle processing facility.

The satellite will undergo a series of post-shipment functional testing, followed by the loading of onboard propellant. After accomplishing these vital testing procedures, the WSF-M satellite will enter the encapsulation phase, after which the payload will be horizontally integrated with the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle before its voyage to space projected for late March.

"This delivery represents a major milestone for the WSF-M program and is a critical step towards putting the first WSF-M satellite on-orbit for the warfighter," said Col. Daniel Visosky, senior materiel leader, SSC's Space Sensing Environmental and Tactical Surveillance program office. "It represents a long-term collaboration and unity-of-effort between the Space Force and our combined teams at Ball Aerospace, support contractors and government personnel."

Under the leadership of SSC Space Sensing's Environmental and Tactical Surveillance program office, the WSF-M satellite is the first of two satellites that Ball Aerospace will deliver. This innovative spacecraft represents a new era in the U.S. Space Force's next generation of modernized, space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) systems that will augment capabilities provided by the legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). WSF-M will enable the production of enhanced weather prediction and analysis capabilities for joint warfighters conducting mission planning and operations globally.

"The WSF-M satellite is a strategic solution tailored to address three high-priority Department of Defense SBEM gaps - specifically, ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity, and energetic charged particles in low Earth orbit," said David Betz, WSF-M program manager, SSC Space Sensing. "Beyond these primary capabilities, our instruments also provide vital data on sea ice characterization, soil moisture, and snow depth."

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force's field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities and groundbreaking technologies to protect our nation's strategic advantage in and from space. SSC manages an $15 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

U.S. Space System Command

(JAN 30) With less than nine months remaining in the countdown to launch, NASA's Europa Clipper mission has passed a major milestone: Its science instruments have been added to the massive spacecraft, which is being assembled at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. More

(DEC 25) NASA's history-making Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has ended its mission at the Red Planet after surpassing expectations and making dozens more flights than planned. While the helicopter remains upright and in communication with ground controllers, imagery of its Jan. 18 flight sent to Earth this week indicates one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during landing and it is no longer capable of flight.

Originally designed as a technology demonstration to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, the first aircraft on another world operated from the Martian surface for almost three years, performed 72 flights, and flew more than 14 times farther than planned while logging more than two hours of total flight time.

"The historic journey of Ingenuity, the first aircraft on another planet, has come to end," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best - make the impossible, possible. Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future flight in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond."

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

(JAN 11) Scientists and engineers at the CU Boulder will soon take part in an effort to collect a bit of stardust - the tiny bits of matter that flow through the Milky Way Galaxy and were once the initial building blocks of our solar system. More

Sediment carried out to sea by winter storms muddies the waters off the southern California coast in this photo released January 7 (click to enlarge). NASA's Aqua spacecraft collected the image during a recent daylight pass over the region. Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

(JAN 5) VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. - Seven California Army National Guard members of Detachment 1, 100th Missile Defense Brigade, epitomize the National Guard's motto, "Always ready, always there." More

2023 News Archive

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