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.

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.

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