Category: Space

The Parker Solar Probe Launch Scrub

I didn’t get much sleep last night. I, of course, stayed awake to watch the launch of the Parker Solar Probe. Sadly, that launch didn’t happen this morning as planned. The original launch time of 3:33AM Eastern was pushed back by 20 minutes to accommodate some issues experienced in the countdown. Those issues were resolved, […]

The Final Flight Of The Ariane 5 ES – Galileo Satellites 23-26 On VA244

This morning marked the final launch of the “Evolution Storable” or ES variant of the amazing Ariane 5 rocket. Without going into great detail on the history of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and its variants, the “ES” variant combines an improved core stage of the still-flying ECA variant with the older storable propellant second […]

An Echidna In Space!

Okay, so it’s not really an Echidna and it’s not really in space, but this was something that was worth covering. What’s actually going on is Horus 49 – the launch of a high altitude balloon by the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group Inc. (AREG) for some radio experimentation. Pretty straightforward stuff, but this flight carried […]

New Shepard Test Flight 9

On July 18th 2018 aerospace company Blue Origin conducted the 9th test flight of their New Shepard launch vehicle. New Shepard is a booster intended for commercial suborbital missions for both scientific research and space tourism, and holds the much-ignored distinction of being the first booster to reach space and safely land vertically, predating a […]

The Launch And Docking Of Progress MS-09

The Russian cargo vehicle Progress MS-09 launched on July 9th 2018 carrying approximately 2400 kilograms of supplies for the International Space Station. A pretty typical resupply mission save for two interesting facts: 1: This mission was launched at such a time that it could dock faster than any previous mission to the ISS, spending a […]