7 Rocket Launches in 7 Days

Photo Credit: Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance

Slide 1 of 13

One Week, 7 Rockets

When two small NASA rockets launched into suborbital space to probe the Earth's ionosphere this month, they kicked off a surprisingly busy week for rockets around the world. No less than seven rockets blasted off from the United States, Russia, China and India in as many days.

Here's a look at those seven rocket launches in seven days:

Rocket Rally Kicks Off

Photo Credit: NASA

Rocket Rally Kicks Off

The seven-day rocket rally in July began on Sunday, July 10, when NASA launched two suborbital rockets to probe electric currents in the ionosphere. The rockets were launched just 15 seconds apart from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia. [Read More]

China Orbits Satellite for Space Docking

Photo Credit: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

China Orbits Satellite for Space Docking

China kept the rocket launches going on Monday, July 11, to put a satellite in orbit in advance of an even more ambitious space mission.

China launched its second Tianlian 1 data relay satellite at 11:41 p.m. local time at the Xichang space center in Sichuan province in southwest China. The satellite launched atop a Long March 3C rocket and is expected to help monitor China's first spacecraft docking mission later this year. [Read More]

Russia's Soyuz Lofts Half-Dozen Satellites

Photo Credit: Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos)

Russia's Soyuz Lofts Half-Dozen Satellites

The rocket launches kept going on Wednesday, July 13, when a Russian Soyuz 2 booster blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying six new communications satellites for the Globalstar network. Each of the satellites weighed about 1,543 pounds at liftoff and joined Globalstar's constellation in orbit a few hundred miles above Earth. [Read More]

India's PSLV Soars With Satellite

Photo Credit: India Space Research Organization