by David Todd | Mar 1, 2016 | Launches, Military space, Seradata News, Technology
The US Air Force continues its efforts to look for a replacement rocket for the Russian-built RD-180 Atlas rocket design. On 29 February, the Space and Missile Systems Center awarded two public-private rocket development contracts. One award is to Aerojet Rocketdyne...
by David Todd | Feb 22, 2016 | History, On a Sadder Note, Technology
During February the death of Eric “Winkle” Brown, age 97, was announced. Having briefly served in the Royal Air Force, Brown had transferred to the Senior Service to become the leading test pilot in the Royal Navy. “Winkle” Brown, whose nickname referred to his short...
by David Todd | Jan 26, 2016 | ESA, Satellites, Science, Seradata News, Technology
Having been launched by a Vega rocket on 3 December 2015 to an initial 1540km apogee orbit, the science spacecraft LISA Pathfinder was raised via a series of six burns using a propulsion module/transfer stage to boost the orbit in steps in order to finally approach...
by David Todd | Jan 22, 2016 | Russia, Satellites, Technology
While Russia’s President has been accused of “probably” being involved in the 2006 fatal poisoning of the London-based dissident, Alexander Litvinenko, (with the Polonium 210 nuclear isotope normally used to heat the Lunokhod lunar rovers), Vladimir Putin had more...
by David Todd | Jan 22, 2016 | Launches, Seradata News, SpaceX, Technology, test
The failure of SpaceX’s most recent Falcon 9R barge landing attempt has not deterred the firm. The SpaceX engineering team does at least have the completely successful Cape Canaveral land landing (excuse the alliteration) of its reusable rocket stage to be proud of....
by David Todd | Jan 18, 2016 | Launches, SpaceX, Technology
SpaceX notched up another mission success after the launch of Falcon 9R (V1.1R) operated by SpaceX. Its main mission was to place the Franco-US Oceanography satellite, Jason-3, into a relatively highly inclined low Earth orbit. That mission was successfully...
