HOUSTON — NASA’s twin Radiation Belt Storm Probe mission spacecraft thundered into Earth orbit atop an Atlas 5/Centaur upper stage combination early Aug. 30, initiating a $686 million, two-year mission for studies of high-energy particle fluctuations within the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts, including their response to solar activity and influences on space weather. The United Launch Alliance rocket carrying the two 1,400-lb. probes lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 4:05 a.m. EDT.

SOFIA FLIES: NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia) is to begin its 2012-2013 mission series in November from Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. Called Cycle 1, the science series will include 46 flights grouped in four multi-week observing campaigns. Sofia is a 747SP modified to carry a 100-in.-dia. infrared telescope.

U.S. and Japanese astronauts struggled unsuccessfully to replace a failing Main Bus Switching Unit

Says it is focusing technology development on 'utilization of on-orbit assets, and advanced ground processing that adds value to collected data'

GALILEO DELIVERY: Manufacturer Astrium has delivered the third and fourth Galileo navigation and timing satellites to the European Space Agency’s launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, following an acceptance review. The two spacecraft will be launched aboard a Soyuz rocket, joining two satellites already in space to complete the initial Galileo In Orbit Validation system. In February, Astrium received a contract from ESA to adapt the Ariane 5 launcher to be able to launch four Galileo satellites in a single mission.

LOS ANGELES — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is modifying its manufacturing flow at Hawthorne, Calif., as part of plans to boost production of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket cores to 40 per year. The re-modeling is required to ramp up the rate to meet the existing and expected launch demand, says SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. “Next year we need to build one core per month, and then ramp up 50% year-over-year to be where we want to be.”

GALILEO DELIVERY: Manufacturer Astrium has delivered the third and fourth Galileo navigation and timing satellites to the European Space Agency’s launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, following an acceptance review. The two spacecraft will be launched aboard a Soyuz rocket, joining two satellites already in space to complete the initial Galileo In Orbit Validation system. In February, Astrium received a contract from ESA to adapt the Ariane 5 launcher to be able to launch four Galileo satellites in a single mission.

LOS ANGELES — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is modifying its manufacturing flow at Hawthorne, Calif., as part of plans to boost production of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket cores to 40 per year. The re-modeling is required to ramp up the rate to meet the existing and expected launch demand, says SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. “Next year we need to build one core per month, and then ramp up 50% year-over-year to be where we want to be.”