We Report Space

01/07/2025

Canaveral S.F.S. FL. - Under cloudy skies with gusting winds throughout the Space Coast most of the day, the clouds broke and winds diminished and SpaceX made their second launch of 2025 under a sky of blue. Liftoff came from SLC 40 and the Falcon 9 took a South East trajectory towards the Bahamas. Today’s launch mission, 6-71 was the first StarLink launch of 2025.
The Falcon 9 carried the newest load of 24 v2 mini internet satellites to complement the 4,700 + operational satellites already in orbit.
The first stage booster B-1077 made a normal offshore landing on the recovery ship “Just Read the Instructions” located near the Bahamas, while recovery ship Bob was working on retrieving the fairings.
Article: Graham Smith Images: WRS Stock Image

01/04/2025

https://wereportspace.com/2025/01/04/2024-a-look-back-and-a-glimpse-forward/

As we look back to 2024, a few items come to mind that We Report Space were grateful to have witnessed and covered.

01/03/2025

Early reports are coming in from reputable sources that Blue Origin's New Glenn maiden flight has been pushed back from Monday Jan 6 @ 1AM to Wednesday @ 1 AM.

12/30/2024

12/23-12/29
WEEKLY WRAP
The beginning of the end…or the end of an era….SpaceX announced earlier this year that recovery operations for Dragon spacecraft will now take place in the Pacific Ocean instead of the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic. On Monday, Shannon left Port Canaveral bound for berthing in Long Beach, California where she will join Go Beyond used for recovering fairings and Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), currently used for a mobile landing barge on 1st stage boosters.
A little over 6 years ago, ULA sent a Delta IV Heavy off from SLC-37B carrying the Parker Solar Probe. The mission has had the probe go into orbit around Venus, approach the sun & loop again about Venus to build up speed and approach the sun a bit closer. This scenario has been duplicated a total of 5 times. Christmas Eve day, PSB @ 7:53 EDT was traveling 804,670 kph (500,000 mph). It closed to within 6.2 million Km (3.9 million miles) of the surface of the sun. The shield protecting the probe from the temperatures of 2500 F is roughly 4 ½ inches & is made of a special carbon-composite. The shield also helps protect against lethal doses of radiation.
Officials were forced to wait until midnite hours December 27th before the Parker Solar Probe reemerged from its orbit about the sun & moved into a clear view of earth and transmitted “I’m safe” signal. Data transfer of what the Parker Solar Probe captured will start after the beginning of January, 2025.
Looping about Venus help increase speed needed for the flyby as well as looping around the sun. So far in its life time the spacecraft has completed 22 orbits about the sun and two more passes about the sun are planned in 2025, the first in March and a follow-up in June.
Probably one of the most anticipated events occurred early Friday evening, when Blue Origin started a 24 second static burn of the New Glenn NG-1 rocket known as 'So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance.' on Space Launch Complex 36 of all BE-4 engines as fog descended about Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Earlier on Friday the FAA, had granted Blue Origin a license to launch. Rollback to the HIF where “Blue Ring” PathFinder a test vehicle will be attached. Launch is now scheduled January 6, 2025. Talk about a stellar Christmas present!!
Launches
StarLink 12-2 lifted off of SLC-39A powered by the 1st stage booster (Tail # B10800 with its 9 Merlin engines, carrying 12 Direct To Cell satellites & 8 v2 mini satellites for the 131st launch this year by SpaceX.
Christmas Day in the isolated Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan atop a Soyus 2.1b rocket the Resurs-P # 5 satellite was launched. According to sources, this launch marked the 2,000 launch of a Soyuz R-7 rocket since it first flew in 1957. The satellite can provide imagery at a resolution sharper than one meter per pixel, primarily for civilian applications
24 hours later, in China at the Jiuquan Rocket Center, CAS Space owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences sent the signal to a Kinetica 1 4 stage rocket carrying 11 satellites bound for a synchronized orbit around the sun.
A CAS statement said that after the 3rd stage had fired, for unknown reasons at this time the mission abruptly ended. Mission ending anomalies can be hard to pinpoint.

Article: Graham Smith Images: Michael Seeley

12/29/2024

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station~
What late night beach combers, tourists, & Brevard County residents saw, was not early fireworks for the New Year, rather the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-40 going out over the Atlantic carrying 4 MicroGEO satellites built by Astranis.
The MicroGEO satellites made in San Diego, Ca. are as their name implies smaller than a typical GEO satellite. Weight wise the normal GEO weighs in at about 6500 kg (14,300 lbs), & can take about 4 years to manufacture. The MicroGEO steps onto the scales and weighs in at around 420 Kg (925 lbs) and a current manufacture time of about 1 year
One satellite named AGILA (will supply reliable broadband access to the Philippines through Orbits Corporation of up to 2 million users, government agencies, first providers. 2 of the remaining satellites NuView A & B will be dedicated to maritime & aviation connectivity. The remaining satellite (UtilitySat) will actually be an “On-orbit spare. Plans call for it to replace a failed satellite.
One of the reasons for this launch is to allow a steady internet service to a country where typhoons can flood fiber communication line, topple microwave towers. The reasonable choice was to keep connectivity via satellite. The NuView satellites will provide a faster, more secure connectivity in critical aviation & maritime situations.
This launch marks 133 launches for SpaceX in 2024. & the first stage booster ( - 17th Flight) landed roughly 8 minutes after ignition in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the ASDS A Shortfall of Gravitas
Article: Graham Smith Images: Graham Smith
White Room Images: Courtesy of Astransis & SpaceX, TechCrunch

12/23/2024

We Report Space
Weekly Wrap Dec 15-21

With the holidays rapidly descending about as fast as the rockets are ascending & the New Year & its festivities getting ready, the space industry is definitely finishing 0224 off with a BANG!!
This past week, The Peoples Republic of China were the first to set the week in motion with 2 back to back launches on the same day roughly 8 hours apart.
A Long March 5B/YZ-2 with 10 communication satellites from Wenchang Space Launch Site, followed by a Long March 2D PieSat-2 carrying 4 earth observation satellites at Taiyuan Launch Center.
Monday had one other launch, this one from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station where SpaceX used the Falcon 9 to place the RRT-1 mission GPS III-7 satellites into a MEO (Medium Earth Orbit).
Tuesday was just about as busy with SpaceX using a different Falcon 9, this time @ Vandenberg Space Force Base to launch a Dep of Defense National Reconnaissance Office group of StarShield satellites into orbit.
Meanwhile, some 9 hours later back @ Kennedy Space Centers SLC 39A, SpaceX again used a new Falcon 9 first stage booster for the orbit insertion of O3b mPOWER 7 & 8 communication satellites.
Back in China under the cover of darkness, the Chines startup firm Galactic Energy continued on their impressive count of launching & successfully completing their 4th sea launch from a mobile platform.
They used a Ceres-1 rocket to insert 4 Tianqi satellites which will be operated by Guodian Gaoke. This brings the total to 33 satellites they have placed into orbit , and adds to the credibility of the Ceres-1 as a delivery vehicle with 15 launches completed
The weekend failed to impact launches or other activities. From the home of Haka & the Maori culture, New Zealands Rocket lab set off the 3 stage Electron on itds 545th successful mission from Mahia Peninsula (SLC-1B). The StriX-2 satellite is used for data collection of the terrain.
For the 3rd time this week, The Peoples Republic of China set off a Long march (3B/E) series rocket Few details have been released.
The planned launch of SpaceX launching Astranis with their 4 MicroGEO satellites was scrubbed due to a Hot Abort on ignition from SLC-40 The rocket & payload are safe & the rocket is currently horizontal undergoing a comprehensive exam. A new date is listed NET December, 2024.
Rounding the week out, SpaceX had numerous viewers watching the skies about Vandenberg Space Force Base again as a Falcon 9 (Tail # B1071) made its 21st flight & 130th SpaceX flight for 2024.
Aboard was Bandwagon2 a dedicated rideshare mission. A Rideshare mission uses a rocket to deploy multiple SmallSats which can if designated be deployed at different altitudes. To date there are about 600 Smallsats in orbit.
Somewhere in this time frame SpaceX brought home the Dragon CRS-31 SpX-31 (Commercial Resupply Services) Serial # C208. On Saturday AM, Megan slid into the Port Canaveral and proceeded through the locks northward on the Banana River, docking at the slip aside Hanger “S”.

Article: Graham Smith Images: Graham Smith-WRS, Michael Seeley WRS

12/18/2024

Kennedy Space Center SLC-39A

Utilizing almost every day before the holidays (8th launch of December), SpaceX sent off it’s latest Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-39A with a pair of 2nd generation O3B mPower satellites for SES into a MEO (medium earth orbit).
The satellites will link up with 6 preexisting 03B mPower satellites. These satellites have an all-electric propulsion system & the payload can be re programmed from the earth so its resources can be reallocated as needed.
Built by the Boeing Corporation at their facilities in El Segundo, California will have power modules that have been redesigned to minimize issues seen on earlier O3B versions.
The focus of the O3B is to provide communications & internet access (Other 3 Billion) a reference to the other three billion people in the world who did not have modern connectivity. This would include mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, aviation, and government and defense.
The pristine white first stage booster on its inaugural flight made a landing on the ASDS owned/operated by SpaceX JRTI Just Read The Instructions & Utility ship Bob retrieved the fairings about 175 miles east of Melbourne, Fl
Article: Graham Smith Images: WRS Static, Clean Room : Courtesy: :SpaceX

12/17/2024

12/17/2024 Vandenberg Space Force Station
SpaceX yet again placed a Falcon 9 rocket on Space Launch Complex 4-E with a stated cargo of reconnaissance satellites built by SpaceX & Northrup Grumman for the Nation Reconnaissance Office (NRO) & launched the NROL-149 mission in a south east trajectory
The first stage booster (B1063) chalked up its 22nd flight & landed on the SpaceX barge OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You) while the SpaceX utility ship Go Beyond will retrieve the fairings.
With this year rapidly closing out in 2 weeks, SpaceX is continuing on with launches. This morning’s launch in moderate fog marks their 128th launch for 2024
After a Chinese national was arrested by federal authorities earlier this month for flying a specially modified drone (allowing it to fly higher than legally allowed) over Vandenberg Space Force Station taking images of SpaceX facilities and classified areas, one can rest assured there was an increased presence of authorities as well as electronic equipment for this morning’s launch.

Article: Graham Smith Images: Courtesy of SpaceX

12/17/2024

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
This launch for SpaceX was initiated on SLC-40 on the proven Falcon9 carrying the NAVSTAR III satellite on an easterly trajectory & was carried into a medium-Earth orbit, building the third generation of the global positioning system (GPS).
The Navstar-3 program leverages technological advances to modernize the original GPS system, which was first launched in 1978. GPS-3 improves positioning, navigating, and timing services for civil and military users worldwide, with increased resistance to jamming and spoofing through M-code security algorithms.
Built on Lockheed Martin’s A2100M satellite bus, each satellite carries eight deployable antennas manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The GPS has been operational for almost three decades, with six Block 3 satellites already in service and another three ready for launch on Vulcan Centaur rockets next year. This will be the sixth GPS Block 3 satellite to be launched on a Falcon 9 since the launch of the first nearly six years ago.
The booster (1085-4) nailed the landing on A Shortfall Of Gravitas stationed about 115 miles east of Kings Bay Nuclear Submarine Base in Georgia.
Article: Graham Smith ~WRS Image ~Michael Seeley
CleanRoom Image: Courtesy: Lockheed Martin
@ lockheedmartin

12/16/2024

12/8/2024 StarLink Group 12-5 Launched 10 new v2 mini satellites and 13 more “Direct to Cell” satellites. Successful landing of 1st stage core on A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Bahamas.
In the BIG surprise this week, an unannounced launch from SLC #46 Lockheed Martin & Leidos Inc fired off a joint US Army & US Navy hypersonic missile (The first of 2 this week) from a mobile launcher.
12/13/2024 On the other side of the world, CASC (China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation) successfully launched a Lon March 2D/YZ-3 missile carrying 5 prototype satellites into a LEO with a stated focus of communications satellite constellation testing.
Meanwhile back in the mainland U.S. at about 5 PM PST, SpaceX set StarLink 11-2 into orbit from SLC-4E @ Vandenberg SFB. Another successful first stage core landing on Marmac 304 (Of Course I Still Love You) west of Baja, Ca.
In California, a Chinese national ran afoul of the authorities at Vandenberg Space Force Station after he flew a specially modified drone over parts of Vandenberg prior to the last launch with an NRO payload The modifications allowed the drone to fly higher than normal & he was caught taking images of SpaceX launch pads & other areas deemed “sensitive”. He was tracked down & taken into custody by authorities.
That evening, 2500 miles to the east @ Wallops Island, Va Rockert Lab in a contract with the U.S. Dept of Defense sent Stonehenge (a HASTE satellite) HASTE is an acronym for Hypersonic Accelerator SubOrbital Test Electron)…Interesting on one hypersonic missile being fired on a NE trajectory from Florida while the 2nd hypersonic was in a SE trajectory from Va.
Blue Origin/New Glen with the DarkSky-1~Blue Ring Pathfinder mission is so close to the maiden launch. Jeff Bezos stated “It’s literally on the pad now, waiting for regulatory approval. It needs its final regulatory approvals to launch. So we’re very, very close”
The landing will take place on “Jacklyn”, the recovery ship Blue Origin has moored in Port Canaveral.
Finally, the CRS Harmony docked at the ISS is scheduled to depart Monday morning @ 11:05 to splash down either in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic. As of this morning 12/16/2024 recovery ship Bob is located slightly south of Coca Beach in the Atlantic, while Megan has slipped out of the Port of Tampa & last reported in the Gulf of Mexico slightly North West of Clearwater, Fl

Article: Graham Smith
Image: Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense

12/13/2024

Cape Canaveral S.F.S., FL- Updated December 13, 2024
After witnessing the unannounced launch from SLC #46 yesterday, WRS reached out to various officials @ Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for an official comment. While speculation was being posted, it is being said that this launch was a hypersonic missile test called “Dark Eagle” from Launch Complex 46. It was also being said that this missile is launched from a mobile transport. On a notice to mariners, there was listed a launch simply called: Mission OP 1224. We Report Space have received an official press release about this launch with all thanks to: Jeff Jurgensen
OSD Press Operations
“It is being confirmed that a launch was conducted jointly by the Army and Navy who successfully tested a conventional Hypersonic Missile. This launch took place from Launch Complex 46 at the Cape Canaveral S.F.S. the morning of December 12, 2024 at about 11:30 AM EST.”
This hypersonic missile is capable of speeds in excess of Mach 5 (Mach 5 – 3705 mph….or about 10 times the normal speed of a commercial airline jet
Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth stated "This test builds on several flight tests in which the Common Hypersonic Glide Body achieved hypersonic speed at target distances and demonstrates that we can put this capability in the hands of the war-fighter."
As this was a joint Army/Navy project, Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe said “This test is a demonstration of the successful Navy and Army partnership that has allowed us to develop a transformational hypersonic weapon system that will deliver unmatched capability to meet joint war-fighting needs,"
Image Credit: Courtesy Image from U.S. Department of Defense
Phone Image by Michael Howard

12/13/2024

Army and Navy Successfully Conduct Hypersonic Missile Test

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the successful completion of an end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile, conducted by the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office in partnership with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs. The test took place on December 12th at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

“This test builds on several flight tests in which the Common Hypersonic Glide Body achieved hypersonic speed at target distances and demonstrates that we can put this capability in the hands of the warfighter,” stated Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.

This is the second successful end-to-end flight test of the All Up Round (AUR) this year and was the first live-fire event for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system using a Battery Operations Center and a Transporter Erector Launcher.

12/12/2024

Cape Canaveral S.F.S., FL- As witnessed by myself, a launch was seen this morning at 11:30 AM EST. While speculation is being posted, it is being said that this launch was a hypersonic missile test called “Dark Eagle” from Launch Complex 46. If so, this missile is launched from a mobile transport system. On a notice to mariners, there was listed a launch simply called: Mission OP 1224. We Report Space is making an effort to get an official word if possible about this launch. Phone Image by Michael Howard - We Report Space

12/09/2024

The We Report Rewind-

As we head closer and closer to Christmas and the other end of the year holidays, rocket launches continue to fly. This past week we had some additional Starlink launches as well as the SiriusXM satellite mission.
Kicking off the second week of December, we had the Starlink 12-5 launch and upcoming launches for the second week of December include the Starlink 11-2 mission from Vandenberg in California as well as the O3b mPower 7 and 8 mission from LC-39 A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An additional launch is also scheduled from Florida and this Friday the 13th is the GPS-3 10 mission set for 6:30 PM EST.
At the International Space Station, the Cargo Dragon for the CRS-31 mission is scheduled to undock on Thursday December 12 at about 11:05 AM CST with a splash down hours later off of Florida.
Flights don’t seem to slow down at all as we approach Christmas and the end of the year holidays and festivities with launches scheduled from China, India, New Zealand and Japan.
Earlier this week in a not so surprise, it has been announced again another delay in the next flight of the SLS/Artemis 2 mission. After the first flight, it became aware of an issue with the Orion heat shield and tests are still ongoing to help correct this issue before the next flight that will take four astronauts on a 10 day trip around the Moon and back to Earth. This flight had been planned for late 2025 and this announcement slips this flight to no earlier than April of 2026. This will also slip Artemis 3 to no earlier than mid 2027. While these delays are stacking up, the massive SLS rocket is also being prepared to be stacked and integrated in the VAB located at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of next year’s launch attempt. This integration process began in November according to NASA.
There is still speculation of New Glen flight and while no official launch date has been announced, Blue Origin would like to launch before the end of 2024 and United Launch Alliance is preparing for the third launch of the Vulcan rocket and the USSF-106 mission slated for the first part of 2025 with no estimated launch date.
Story by: Michael Howard and Images By: Michael Howard and Graham Smith and Michael Seeleyfor We Report Space

12/08/2024

Cape Canaveral S.F.S., FL. –
With over 7,500 StarLink satellites launched to date and a number that will continue to climb for the foreseeable future, SpaceX continues utilizing its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket at a staggering pace. Early this morning, SpaceX launched the latest group of Starlink satellites from the heavily used Launch Complex-40 on a South-Easterly trajectory completing its 125th mission for the calendar year 2024. Liftoff came at 00:12 AM EST.
The estimated 7500 plus StarLink satellites continue to be the mainstay of launches for SpaceX. The Starlink satellites are separate and apart from the StarShield satellite system that is being launched for the U.S. Department of Defense into LEO. It is not fully known as to the number of Starshield satellites that have been deployed.
The Starlink 12-5 mission carried 10 new v2 Mini satellites and also 13 “direct to cell” (DTC) satellites. A D.T.C. connection allows an end user on the ground ubiquitous coverage for texting, voice and data. Think of it as a huge cell phone tower in space. This technology will all but eliminate “dead spots” when used. In the U.S.A. commercial carrier T-Mobile has already partnered with SpaceX to use this technology.
Shortly after launch, the first stage booster landed on the recovery ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” stationed North-East of the Bahamas. SpaceX ship “Doug” recovered the fairings
Article: Graham Smith Images: Graham Smith