First spacewalk mission to launch in October: related news

First spacewalk mission to launch in October

The file photo shows Chinese "taikonauts" in training. China's Shenzhou VII manned space mission, which will include the first spacewalk by a Chinese "taikonaut", is to launch in October, said a spokesman of the China manned space engineering office in Beijing, June 12, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

Chinese astronauts to attempt first spacewalk in October

Beijing (PIT): China plans to launch its third manned space mission in October during which the country's astronauts are to undertake their first ever space walk, the state media reported today. Three astronauts aboard the spacecraft Shenzhou VIII are expected to attempt Chinas first space walk during the upcoming mission.

Launch Pad Repairs to Begin; Hubble Repair Mission Should Go As Scheduled

Work will begin on Friday to repair damaged sections of Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39A that was damaged during the last space shuttle launch on May 31. On Thursday, (June 26) NASA managers approved a plan that would complete the repairs by the third week of August. Therefore the mission schedule shouldn’t be impacted. The next space shuttle flight, the high-profile final mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on October 8, and if all goes well with the repairs, space shuttle Atlantis would crawl its way out to the pad on August 29. "We really like the plan," said shuttle Program Manager John Shannon. "We expect to start moving out on it right away."

Korea Delays Space Launch

Ashlynne9423 writes to tell us that South Korea has announced a delay to their first space launch. Holding off until the second quarter of 2009, the delays are being blamed in part on late delivery of the Russian-designed launch pad and ground equipment. "The Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) is intended to be the first space craft to reach orbit from a launch site in Korea. The two stage KSLV-1 is being developed by Korea with Russian assistance. The lower first stage of the craft is built in Russia, based on the Angara rocket design."

Cassini's Primary Mission Ends, Two-Year Extension Begins

wooferhound points out recent news that the Cassini probe has completed its original four-year mission and is beginning a two-year extended mission, which was authorized earlier this year. Cassini's first mission brought us a treasure trove of information about Saturn and its various moons. The new mission will target two of those moons in particular for further study: Titan and Enceladus. Quoting: "The spacecraft is extremely healthy and carries 12 instruments powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Data from Cassini's nominal and extended missions could lay the groundwork for possible future missions to Saturn, Titan or Enceladus. [The two moons] are primary targets in the two-year extended mission, dubbed the Cassini Equinox Mission.

SpaceX Launch Fails To Reach Space

azuredrake and many other readers have written to tell us: "The New York Times reports that the third SpaceX launch has failed following the second-stage ignition of the Falcon 1 rocket. The SpaceX launch had three satellites on board, all of which were presumably destroyed in the incident. This marks the third failed launch for SpaceX — twice they failed to reach orbit, and once the Falcon 1 rocket was lost five minutes after launch. While the company vows to carry on, this certainly raises some questions about the likelihood of successful privatization of the Space industry." Reader Nano2Sol points out a video of the launch from a camera on Falcon 1, and notes a small oscillation just prior to the footage being cut off. Spaceflight Now ran a mission update blog leading up to the failure, and they also have more coverage on the loss of

Kodiak Star Spacecraft - , USA

Kodiak Star, the first planned orbital launch from the new Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska is a NASA collaborative mission with the Department of Defense (DoD). The launch took place in September 2001. The payload consists of four small satellites to be launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle. NASA's spacecraft in the Kodiak Star mission is Starshine 3. Starshine 3 is a satellite programme developed by the Rocky Mountain NASA Space Grant Consortium. The satellites are built by the Naval Research Laboratory.

China's latest space mission will include the country's first free walk

PRACTICE RUN: Chinese astronauts train underwater. China’s Shenzhou 7 manned space mission, which will include the first space walk by a Chinese astronauts, is to launch in October

China's Shenzhou VII spacecraft flown to launch center for October takeoff

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China's third manned spaceship, Shenzhou VII, set to launch in October, reached the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gansu Province on Thursday, a source with the launch center said.

US To Launch Military Orbital Spaceplane

An anonymous reader writes "Not only is the US readying its first 100% military spaceplane for a November launch, but it's going to push NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission til 2009: 'The USAF and Boeing will launch the X-38B — the first military orbital space plane if you discount the secret military shuttle — on top of an Atlas V rocket in November. They want to test its flying features in space and during atmospheric reentry. And probably its anti-matter rays and nuclear bays and hyperspace engines too (but of course, they are never going to tell you that). However, there seems to be a conflict with the civilian space program which may push one of the Moon exploration missions to 2009.' Screw the moon. We have to defend ourselves against all those alien extremists from Mars!"

NASA Sets Launch Dates For Remaining Space Shuttle Missions

HOUSTON, July 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a detailed, integrated assessment, NASA selected target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions on the current manifest in 2009 and 2010. The manifest includes one flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the International Space Station, and two station contingency flights, planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010. The agency previously selected Oct. 8 and Nov. 10 as launch dates for Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service Hubble and Endeavour's STS-126 / ULF-2 mission to supply the space station and service both Solar Alpha Rotary Joints on the port and starboard end of its truss backbone that supports equipment and solar arrays. The approved target dates are subject to change based on processing and other launch vehicle schedul

BlackBerry Bold on AT&T pushed to October?

AT&T's long-delayed BlackBerry Bold launch may not take place until October, according to a tip allegedly given to BGR by higher-placed sources at AT&T. RIM's first GSM-based smartphone with 3G is now said not to be due for the carrier's retail locations until October 2nd, or almost five months after the device was first promised as the American carrier's exclusive in May.

Orange France sells 116,000 3G iPhones since launch

Orange France said it had sold 116,000 Apple iPhone 3G smartphones since it launched the product in the middle of July, compared to taking nearly five months to sell 100,000 units of the first version of the iPhone, writes Les Echos. The success of the new version is partly attributed to Orange's decision to offer it through retailers such as Fnac, Darty and Auchan. It only sold the first iPhone at Orange stores. According to Orange, half of its iPhone 3G users first had the original version. Orange is selling the 3G phone for EUR 149 compared to the first version's retail price of EUR 399. Rival mobile operator SFR said that 40,000 of its subscribers had a first generation iPhone and between 1,500 and 2,000 owned the iPhone 3G. The operator made concessions to some of its clients by partially reimbursing the price of iPhones bought as st

Orange France sells 116,000 3G iPhones since launch

Orange France said it had sold 116,000 Apple iPhone 3G smartphones since it launched the product in the middle of July, compared to taking nearly five months to sell 100,000 units of the first version of the iPhone, writes Les Echos. The success of the new version is partly attributed to Orange's decision to offer it through retailers such as Fnac, Darty and Auchan. It only sold the first iPhone at Orange stores. According to Orange, half of its iPhone 3G users first had the original version. Orange is selling the 3G phone for EUR 149 compared to the first version's retail price of EUR 399. Rival mobile operator SFR said that 40,000 of its subscribers had a first generation iPhone and between 1,500 and 2,000 owned the iPhone 3G. The operator made concessions to some of its clients by partially reimbursing the price of iPhones bought as st

T-Mobile to launch Google phone in October

T-Mobile will launch the first phone powered by Google’s Android software, in hopes that the new device will compete with Apple's iPhone. The high-end phone is expected to go on sale in as early as October.

First Hubble Hardware Arrives At KSC For STS-125 Flight

The first major flight hardware for the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is starting to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center, FL to begin preparations for its targeted October launch.

First Hubble Flight Hardware Arrives At Kennedy For STS-125

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The first major flight hardware for the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is starting to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to begin preparations for its targeted October launch.

First stone laid for Louvre's Islamic art gallery

Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Bin Abdul aziz Al Saud, front left, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy, front right, places a map of the Louvre museum's future Islamic art department inside its first stone on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 in Paris, during a ceremony marking the launch of the works. In the background, from left to right, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's wife, Princess Ameera, Spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims the Aga Khan and French Culture minister Christine Albanel. Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Bin Abdul aziz Al Saud, front left, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy, front right, places a map of the Louvre museum's future Islamic art department inside its first stone on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 in Paris, during a ceremony marking the launch of the works.

Fixing Launch Pad 39A Will Cost $2.7M, NASA Says

Jun. 27--NASA officials on Thursday said it should cost about $2.7 million to fix a flame trench at Launch Pad 39A that was damaged May 31, when space-shuttle Discovery blasted into orbit. The launch ripped about 3,500 bricks from the east wall of the pad's north flame trench. Afterward, investigators discovered that corrosion to the structure, combined with the stress of launch, was the culprit. Repairs to the wall are expected to begin today and should finish by the third week in August, well before the next shuttle launch planned for Oct. 8.

NASA starts repairs of space shuttle launch pad

NASA has started repairing a damaged Florida launch pad in preparation for the October launch of space shuttle Atlantis in a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA starts repairs of space shuttle launch pad

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA has started repairing a damaged Florida launch padin preparation for the October launch of space shuttle Atlantis in a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA starts repairs of space shuttle launch pad

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA has started repairing a damaged Florida launch pad in preparation for the October launch of space shuttle Atlantis in a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA starts repairs of space shuttle launch pad

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA has started repairing a damaged Florida launch pad in preparation for the October launch of space shuttle Atlantis in a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sources: Iran tried? but failed to launch satellite

A video view from the Iranian TV station Al-Alam shows Saturday's launch of the Safir rocket. Initially, Iranian media said that the rocket put the nation's first home-produced communications satellite into orbit, but later reports maintained that the mission was merely a test of the launch vehicle.

2nd Ld-Writethru: China's Shenzhou VII spacecraft flown to launch center for Oct

BEIJING, Jul 10, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- China's third manned spaceship, Shenzhou VII, set to launch in October, reached the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gansu Province on Thursday, a source with the launch center said.

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