Author: starpathwp-production
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L3Harris Delivers Next Generation RL10 Engine with 3D-Printed Copper Chamber to ULA
L3Harris Technologies has delivered the first RL10 engine that features a 3D-printed copper thrust chamber to United Launch Alliance (ULA). The latest iteration, called the RL10E-1, uses 3D printing to enable a 98% reduction in the number of parts that make up the thrust chamber. The engine is set to fly on a ULA Vulcan…
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SpaceX breaks turnaround record, launching Falcon 9 booster, B1080, twice in less than 2 weeks
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars past the crescent Moon during the Starlink 12-1 mission on Nov. 25, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update 6:09 a.m. EST (1109 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 23 Starlink satellites into their intended orbit. Under the glow waning crescent moon, SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket, carrying…
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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites on the 400th Falcon 9 rocket
The 400th Falcon 9 rocket soars to space on November 23, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Image: SpaceX Update 12:56 a.m. EST (0556 UTC): SpaceX landed its Falcon 9 first stage booster following liftoff. Against the backdrop of a characteristically foggy night at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, SpaceX launched its 400th Falcon…
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New study provides explanation behind origins of Martian moons Phobos and Deimos
Using supercomputer simulations, a team of NASA scientists recently modeled the destruction of an asteroid around Mars to investigate the possible origins of Mars’ two, mysterious moons — Phobos and Deimos. Since their discovery in 1877 and subsequent investigations by telescopes and Martian spacecraft, scientists have pondered how the two moons came to be, and…
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Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine portends new era of warfare
Two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a change in the country’s policy for employing nuclear weapons in conflict. Then, on Thursday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of ballistic missile capable of one day delivering multiple nuclear warheads to distant targets with little warning. Putin says his ballistic…
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A former Orion manager has surprisingly credible plans to fly European astronauts
It would be easy to be cynical about a German-French startup named The Exploration Company, which aims to build an increasingly sophisticated lineup of spaceships that could one day launch astronauts into orbit. After all, European space startups don’t have the greatest track record, and even with billions of dollars, one of the world’s leading…
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Blue Origin raises its first flight worthy New Glenn into launch position ahead of final testing
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket stands at the pad at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) ahead of the planned hot fire test schedule before its first launch. Image: Spaceflight Now Blue Origin took another step towards the inaugural launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. For the first time, the…
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SpaceX’s Starshield Has Received Most Task Orders for Space Force pLEO Services So Far
Military forces’ demand for Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (PLEO) services outstripped what the U.S. Space Force expected, and the service has already divvied out $660 million in communications task orders — the majority to SpaceX‘s Starshield, the military version of Starlink — under the originally envisioned, up to $900 million 10-year contract, a service official said…
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Relativity, Amazon, and NASA continue work on Cape infrastructure
In addition to SpaceX’s work, Cape Canaveral has been busy with Relativity Space focusing on its reusable Terran R rocket, which is being developed at Space Launch Complex-16. Upgrades to this site, including new infrastructure, were documented during a recent NSF flyover. NSF also documented advancements at Amazon’s Kuiper facility, now nearing completion to support…