A first and a last just today – at 0338 UT on 22 August, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket was tested sending up a Soyuz capsule along with a new launch escape system. For safety reasons, Soyuz MS-14 sent no crew except FEDOR the robot, a human-piloted haptic android equally capable of gingerly holding a pop can or squeezing off a round at the gun range.
![](https://fargorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/20190822-Baikonur-Soyuz-MS-14-Credit-Roscosmos-1024x576.jpg)
Delta IV Medium saw its last mission – a GPS satellite – going up at 1306 UT. This rounds out the D4M program, though D4H has several more launches even as the United Launch Alliance moves toward its newer Vulcan rocket.
![](https://fargorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/20190822-CCAFS-D4M-GPS-Credit-ULA-1024x576.jpg)
Earlier in the week, there were three more launches:
Jiuquan SD-1 (weibo) Xichang LM3B (weibo) Māhia Electron (Rocket Lab)
17 Aug 2019 0411 – Jiuquan Smart Dragon 1 (first launch!)
18 Aug 2019 1203 – Xichang LM3B (satellite deployment failure)
18 Aug 2019 1212 – Māhia Electron
Further News
16 Aug – The Canadian Space Agency requested research proposals for extra time on NEOSat.
20 Aug – The United States National Space Council held a session.
21 Aug – EVA218 and NEEMO NXT spacewalks at the ISS and under the sea