Amazon selects ULA Atlas V launches for upcoming LEO constellation Project Kuiper
On 19 April 2021 Amazon announced the first official contract award in regards to its future LEO satellite internet constellation - known as Project Kuiper. The award was made to American launch provider ULA (United Launch Alliance). ULA has been contracted to provide...
Ingenuity helicopter makes historic flight on Mars
At approximately 0730 GMT on the 19 April, Ingenuity - part of the MARS 2020 mission - made the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The 2 kg solar-powered helicopter aircraft managed to ascend to around three metres above the Martian surface, then...
SOYUZ MS-17 crew returns
The SOYUZ MS-17 capsule undocked from the International Space Station Poisk module on 17 April to begin its return to Earth. Following a de-orbit burn at 0401 GMT on 19 April 2021, the capsule safely landed at 0455 GMT on 19 April near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Crew...
NASA chooses SpaceX Starship derivative for human lunar lander but was the choice forced by limited funding?
While Elon Musk previously hinted at it on his Twitter feed, NASA formally announced on 26 April that it had selected SpaceX to provide a Human Landing System (HLS) for its planned landings as part of its Artemis Programme. The US$2.89 billion contract covers the...
Blue Origin makes another successful uncrewed launch of its suborbital New Shepard
At 1556 GMT on 14 April, Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle and Mk 3 version of the capsule made another successful uncrewed launch beyond the Karman Line official limit of space (100km). The actual altitude reached a peak at 106 km over the Van Horn...
SpaceX Falcon Heavy selected to launch Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander in 2023
Astrobotic has selected SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket to fly its first GRIFFIN lunar lander to the Moon. This is the first mission for its larger lander product - its smaller PEREGRINE lander is due to fly this year. The GRIFFIN mission is planned to launch in 2023 and...
MEV-2 satellite life extender spacecraft finally docks with Intelsat 10-02 in GEO
Northrop Grumman's SpaceLogistics LLC subsidiary announced that its Mission Extension Vehicle- 2 ( MEV-2) had successfully docked with the communications Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02) in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) in order to extend its life. After some practice...
On a sadder note: HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, passes away at 99
With just two months to go before he would have celebrated his 100th birthday, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died in peace at Windsor Castle after suffering a recent deterioration in his health. Prince Philip is most famous for being Her...
Soyuz MS-18 mission carries three crew members to the ISS
Lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 0742 GMT on 9 April the Soyuz MS-18 mission carried three crew members to the ISS. The mission utilised a Soyuz 2-1A rocket to loft the Soyuz capsule into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), inclined at 51.6 degrees....
On short notice China launches experimental satellite to LEO, will reportedly study the space environment
After a period of speculation concerning a planned Chinese launch, it lifted off at 2301 GMT, 8 April 2021 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The Long March 4B (CZ-4B) rocket carried the Shiyan 6-03 (Shiyan Weixing 6-03) to a high, 1,000 km, Low Earth Orbit...
