In the space of a few hours, four companies launch their rocket. Rocket Lab has already got its own off the ground. It remains ULA, Blue Origin and SpaceX.
If the space adventure fascinates you, you will have something to marvel at. There are three takeoffs scheduled for August 4-5, which you can follow live. There was even another earlier in the day, at 7 a.m. (Paris time). It was a mission led by Rocket Lab, for the benefit of an American intelligence agency.
The other three launches scheduled for the next few hours are organized by ULA (United Launch Alliance), Blue Origin and SpaceX. These firings, reported by Space.com, are taking place throughout the day. All these firings are planned for August 4, if we stick to American time. But, with the time difference, one of them will actually take place on August 5, for France.
It should be noted that for each live broadcast, the antenna will be taken a few tens of minutes before.
The launches of ULA, Blue Origin and SpaceX
The first take-off must take place at 12:29 p.m. (Paris time). This is for ULA to launch an Atlas V rocket with on board the sixth and last example of a satellite for the SBIRS (Space-Based InfraRed System) system into a geostationary orbit. Implemented by the US Space Command, it aims to detect the departure of intercontinental missiles.
At 3:30 p.m., still Paris time, it will be Blue Origin’s NS-22 mission. It’s a manned space flight for wealthy tourists. Six passengers (four Americans, an Egyptian, a Portuguese) have a ticket for this brief tour beyond 100 kilometers of altitude. A New Shepard rocket will be used. This is the sixth manned flight overseen by Blue Origin.
Third and last launch, which will take place on the night of August 3 to 4 – it will still be the 3 in the United States, but the 4 in France. At 1:08 am (Paris time), SpaceX will send the Danura orbiter (also called KPLO, for Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) to the Moon. For South Korea, this is the first mission facing the solar system.