India's Mars Probe Departs Earth for Trek to Red Planet

India's Mars Probe Departs Earth for Trek to Red Planet

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully fired its engine for 23 minutes today, November 30 Eastern Standard Time (EST;  December 1 Indian Standard Time), to begin its 10 month trek to Mars. …

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Will SpaceX Try Again Tomorrow? – UPDATE 2

Will SpaceX Try Again Tomorrow? – UPDATE 2

UPDATE 2, November 30, 2013:  SpaceX’s Emily Shanklin replies that yes, “Monday is the earliest possible date.”   No other details.   Meanwhile, Bill Harwood of CBS News reports that if the launch …

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More than Turkey, Football and Parades for Thanksgiving – Comet ISON and SpaceX Add To the Festivities

More than Turkey, Football and Parades for Thanksgiving – Comet ISON and SpaceX Add To the Festivities

Yes, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we all will be focused on our tummys and television, but be sure to add these to your to-do list:  NASA’s coverage of Comet ISON’s …

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No Go For SpaceX Launch Today – UPDATE

No Go For SpaceX Launch Today – UPDATE

UPDATE: SpaceX issued the following statement–“We observed unexpected readings with the first stage liquid oxygen system so we decided to investigate.  The launch vehicle and satellite are in great shape …

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SES Effusive in Praising SpaceX Prior to Launch

SES Effusive in Praising SpaceX Prior to Launch

A day before SpaceX is to launch a communications satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit for the first time, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the satellite’s owner, SES, was …

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Space Policy Events for the Weeks of November 25-December 6, 2013

Space Policy Events for the Weeks of November 25-December 6, 2013

The following space policy-related events may be of interest in the next two weeks.  The House and Senate have recessed for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The House will return on December …

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SpaceX Ready for First Launch to GEO on Monday

SpaceX Ready for First Launch to GEO on Monday

SpaceX is on track for its first attempt to launch a satellite to geostationary orbit (GEO) on Monday, November 25, 2013.  The new Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket will launch SES-8, a …

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