New Atlas

Aircraft Audio available

World's largest plane edges towards takeoff speeds on the runway

Nick Lavars January 13, 2019

The Stratolaunch aircraft has been slowly but surely edging towards takeoff with a series of increasingly rapid taxi tests. Its latest outing has seen the team clock the gargantuan dual-fuselage plane at speeds fast approaching those typically needed for regular aircraft to lift-off on the runway.

The latest taxi test brings Stratolaunch closer to take-off

Aircraft Audio available

Massive Stratolaunch aircraft hits 90 mph on road to maiden flight

Rich Haridy October 21, 2018

After successfully completing low-speed taxi testing earlier this year, the giant Stratolaunch aircraft successfully hit a new milestone recently, reaching 90 mph during its latest stage of runway testing. The announcement comes days after co-founder of the company Paul Allen passed away.

The Stratolaunch aircraft has passed another key milestone on the road to getting into the air

Space

Crewed spacecraft bound for ISS forced to make emergency ballistic descent

Anthony Wood October 11, 2018

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin were forced to make an unplanned descent through Earth's atmosphere today following a malfunction of their Soyuz launch vehicle. The crew has now touched down in Kazakhstan, where they are being attended by rescue personnel.

The Expedition 57 Soyuz rocket seen launching today from Baikonur Cosmodrome

Space

NASA launches ice laser satellite atop retiring US booster

David Szondy September 16, 2018

A revolutionary satellite entered space and a veteran rocket retired today as ICESat-2 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. At 6:02 am PDT atop the last Delta II booster as it headed into a polar orbit 2 to monitor the ice caps using a new laser system.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket lifting off with the NASA Ice, Cloud and ...

Space

Rockets at the ready: Virgin Orbit awarded license for airborne satellite launch

Nick Lavars July 6, 2018

Firing rockets from beneath the wings of an airborne 747 isn't the most conventional way to get satellites into space, but Virgin spinoff company Virgin Orbit has been awarded a license for its maiden attempt to do just that, with hopes of beginning commercial services before the year is out.

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket will hitch a ride to high altitude aboard the Cosmic Girl mothership

Space

NASA photographer's camera meets fiery demise during rocket launch

Nick Lavars May 23, 2018

Photographing rocket launches involves some pretty fine margins – too far away and you’ll miss out on some spectacular snaps, too close and you might just get burned. NASA photographer Bill Ingalls has experienced this firsthand during the launch of a SpaceX rocket on Tuesday.

Space

Successful launch and touchdown for next-generation Falcon 9 rocket

David Szondy May 11, 2018

The latest version of SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster lifted off today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At 4:14 pm EDT (20:14 GMT), the first Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) carrying the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The first Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket lifting off

Space

InSight is heading for Mars

David Szondy May 5, 2018

At 4:05 am PDT (11:05 GMT), NASA's historic InSight mission to Mars lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the first leg of its 301 million mi (485 million km) journey.

NASA’s Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission is the first ...

Space

InSight Mars mission go for Saturday launch

David Szondy May 4, 2018

NASA has confirmed that InSight to place an unmanned lander on the surface of Mars is go for launch at 4:05 am PDT (7:05 am EDT) on Saturday from the US Air Force's Vandenberg base in California.

Space

NASA gears up for first interplanetary launch from US Pacific coast

David Szondy April 9, 2018

On May 5, the first interplanetary mission to launch from the US Pacific coast is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The InSight mission will lift off atop an Atlas V rocket on its first leg to Mars to conduct studies of the planet's structure.

NASA’s InSight to Mars undergoes final preparations at Vandenberg AFB ahead of its May 5 launch ...