[ Update 3: And now ULA scrubs the Delta-IV Heavy launch due to a hydrogen leak problem:
Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today’s launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy. We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12/20 at 5:31pm PST.
— ULA (@ulalaunch) December 20, 2018
Update 2: Blue decides to postpone the New Shepard flight till after the New Year:
Through fixing the ground infrastructure issue, we have determined additional systems need to be addressed. We have changed our target to early 2019 for next launch attempt. Stay tuned for updates #NS10
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 20, 2018
Update: Here is a video of the today’s Arianespace Soyuz launch:
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SpaceX continues to investigate an anomalous fuel temperature reading that occurred during Tuesday’s preparations for the launch of a Falcon 9 with a USAF next-gen GPS satellite on board. The company said Wednesday morning that a new target launch date has not yet been set. See updates at Live coverage: SpaceX launch on hold at Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now.
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Blue Origin has posted that a problem in the ground support system that caused Tuesday’s scrub of a suborbital flight of a reusable New Shepard vehicle should be fixed in time for a launch on Friday. The New Shepard will carry nine NASA R&D experimental payloads that will take advantage of “about 4 minutes of high-quality microgravity” after the capsule separates from the booster and coasts up to and down from 100+ kilometers in altitude.
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Today the Indian space agency ISRO successfully launched their most powerful rocket, the GSLV Mk.2, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center and put the GSAT 7A military communications satellite into a supersynchronous transfer orbit:
More at
- GSLV-F11 successfully launches GSAT-7A – ISRO
- Indian space program closes out year with launch of upgraded GSLV – Spaceflight Now
- GSLV lofts GSAT-7A for India – NASASpaceFlight.com
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The Arianespace/Soyuz Flight VS20 is set to launch this morning at 11:37 am EST (16:37:14 UTC) from French Guiana. The payload is the French government’s CSO-1 Earth observation satellite. There will be a live webcast at Arianespace.com.
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United Launch Alliance (ULA) plans to launch this evening a Delta 4 Heavy rocket with the NROL-71 US spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. Liftoff from Vandenberg AFB in California is set for 5:44 p.m. PST , 8:44 p.m. EST; (0144 UTC on 20th). The launch will be webcast:
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