September 2021 Space News

Global Missile Defense From Space Got More Affordable, DOD Official Says DoD News 27 Sep 2021 -- The Defense Department hopes, within the decade, to have a meshed network of low Earth orbit satellites — linked together and to warfighters — providing real-time global awareness of missile threats and the ability to respond.
Bold new strategy to fuel UK's world-class space sector UK MOD 27 Sep 2021 -- Government unveils new plans to strengthen the UK as a world class space nation.
China to debut new manned rocket, heavy-lift launch vehicle for moon landings at Airshow China Global Times 23 Sep 2021 -- Coming amid the country's busy yet smooth execution of missions to build its most ambitious manned space project - the China Space Station - the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the nation's largest organization for research, development and production of missiles and carrier rockets, will debut a next-generation manned carrier rocket and a heavy-lift launch vehicle, at this year's Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province from September 28 to October 3.
Small step for satellite, giant leap for capability Australia DOD 22 Sep 2021 -- A controlled separation of Australia's M2 cube satellite in space was a recent success for Australia's space capability – with the satellite capturing a photo of the momentous event.
Army, Navy Satellite Communication Mission Areas Shift to Space Force DoD News 22 Sep 2021 -- The chief of Space Operations announced the transfer of Army and Navy satellite communications billets, funding and mission responsibility to the U.S. Space Force.
China's cargo craft docks with space station core module PLA Daily 21 Sep 2021 -- China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3, carrying supplies for the upcoming Shenzhou-13 crewed mission, successfully docked with the space station core module Tianhe on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Raymond describes Space Force achievements, plans, challenges ahead US Air Force 21 Sep 2021 -- Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond used a list of "firsts" and achievements across the Space Force's brief history Sept. 21 to illustrate how the nation's newest military service is "purpose built" for success at a time when the nation "can no longer take space for granted."
Tianzhou-3 completes rendezvous, docking with China's space station Global Times 20 Sep 2021 -- Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft, the second "delivery man" to bring cargo to China's space station and a prelude to the next group of Chinese taikonauts who are about to embark their six-months journey to space on the Shenzhou-13 mission, has conducted an ultra-fast yet smooth rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe core cabin on Monday evening, merely 6.5 hours after launch.
China successfully launches Tianzhou-3 for second space station supply mission; to support upcoming six-month Shenzhou-13 manned mission People's Daily 20 Sep 2021 -- Carrying the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft, the Long March-7 Y4 rocket lifted off from Wenchang Space Launch Center located in South China's Hainan Province on Monday afternoon, one day ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival - one of the happiest family reunion holidays for the Chinese people.
China launches cargo craft for space station supplies People's Daily 20 Sep 2021 -- China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 on Monday to deliver supplies for its under-construction space station.
Mission accomplished: China's Shenzhou-12 crew safely back on earth Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- Having extended the record of Chinese astronauts' longest stay in space in a single flight mission to 90 days, the Shenzhou-12 mission crew returned to Earth days before China's Mid-Autumn Festival - the day of family reunion and friend gatherings - at the designated Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Friday, marking a successful conclusion of the first crewed mission at the country's space station building stage.
China brings astronauts back, advances closer to "space station era" PLA Daily 17 Sep 2021 -- Having worked in the space station core module Tianhe for three months -- the longest-ever human space mission in the Chinese history, three "taikonauts" of the Shenzhou-12 crew returned to Earth on Friday, hitting a new milestone in China's space exploration.
Space station crew lands in Inner Mongolia PLA Daily 17 Sep 2021 -- configuring the space station, transmitting some experimental data back to ground control and arranging materials inside the station – and then left the station and returned to the Shenzhou XII spacecraft, which later departed the station.
Xi urges China's strategic space assets to be well managed, well used, well protected Global Times 16 Sep 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected a military base in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Wednesday, during which he stressed the development of space monitoring and control capabilities.
Shenzhou-12 separates from space station core module People's Daily 16 Sep 2021 -- The spacecraft Shenzhou-12, which is carrying Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, separated from the space station core module Tianhe at 8:56 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time).
Pentagon Contract Seeks Alternate GPS Using Low Earth Orbit Satellites Sputnik 16 Sep 2021 -- A US Defence Department research unit awarded a contract to develop an alternate global positioning system (GPS) using satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that would operate independent of the present GPS, Northrop Grumman aerospace and defence company said on Thursday.
Russian Gov't Allocates $60Mln to Produce Soyuz Spacecraft for Tourist Flights Sputnik 16 Sep 2021 -- The Russian government has allocated more than 4.4 billion rubles ($60.6 million) to space company Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of the Roscosmos state corporation, for the production of a rocket and spaceship for tourist flights by 2024.
S. Korea Plans to Launch Solid-Propellant Space Launch Vehicle in 2024, Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 16 Sep 2021 -- South Korea's Institute for Defense Analyses managed to carry out successful firing tests of a solid-propellant engine for a new space launch vehicle already on 29 July, paving way for commercial launches of this type of rockets to start as early as in 2024, the defense ministry said on 16 September.
SpaceX Launches Crew Dragon Spaceship With First-Ever Fully Civilian Crew on Board Sputnik 16 Sep 2021 -- The SpaceX company has launched the Falcon 9 carrier rocket that will place into orbit the Crew Dragon spaceship with the first-ever fully civilian crew on board.
SpaceX Crew of Amateurs Orbits Earth VOA 16 Sep 2021 -- The first all-civilian crew of astronauts is now orbiting the Earth after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched them into space in spectacular fashion late Wednesday.
DOD Taking Measures to Protect Nuclear Weapons, Space Assets DoD News 15 Sep 2021 -- The Defense Department relies on nuclear-armed bombers, submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as space-based sensors, to provide a strategic deterrence umbrella for the homeland and to protect deployed forces, allies and partners.
Russia Calls for Int'l Mechanism to Prevent Deployment of Weapons in Space Sputnik 13 Sep 2021 -- Russia calls on the international community to start negotiation on the development of a global mechanism banning the deployment of arms in space, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday.
New Ground-Based Interceptor Successfully Test-Launched in US - Boeing Sputnik 13 Sep 2021 -- The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has successfully test-launched a ground-based interceptor (GBI) designed for protection against long-range intercontinental ballistic missile threats, Boeing has announced.
Boeing, Missile Defense Agency Demonstrate Advanced Missile Defense Capability in Successful Flight Test Boeing 12 Sep 2021 -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully demonstrated an advanced interceptor capability for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which defends the U.S. from rogue-state long-range intercontinental ballistic missile threats. The test included launching a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) into space with a three-stage booster in two-stage mode, allowing the GBI to release the kill vehicle earlier in flight, providing an earlier opportunity to intercept and defeat a missile threat.
Smoke Alarms Sound On International Space Station RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Smoke alarms have sounded on a Russian module at the International Space Station, and some of the crew reported smelling something that resembled burnt plastic, officials say.
US rocket 'terminated' in fiery explosion minutes after launch Press TV 05 Sep 2021 -- A privately designed, unmanned US rocket built to carry satellites has been demolished in an explosive fireball following what was described as an "anomaly" off the California coast during its first attempt at reaching Earth's orbit.
Firefly's First Test Flight Lasts More Than Two Minutes, With Successful Liftoff and Progression to Supersonic Speed Firefly Aerospace 02 Sep 2021 -- Today we conducted the first-ever test flight of our Alpha rocket. Prior to the anomaly, we had a nominal countdown and lift off at 6:59 PM local time. While we did not meet all of our mission objectives, we did achieve a number of them: successful first stage ignition, liftoff of the pad, progression to supersonic speed, and we obtained a substantial amount of flight data.

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