Author: starpathwp-production
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Most powerful Atlas 5 rocket launches national security mission
The Atlas 5 rocket carrying the National Reconaissance Office Silentbarker mission, passes in front of the Sun as it roars away from Cape Canaveral on Sunday, Sept 10, 2023. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now. Update: The Atlas 5 lifted off from Cape Canaveral’s pad 41 at 8:47 a.m. EDT (1247 UTC). Original story: United Launch Alliance…
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Using new data analysis tool on Swift, scientists discover black hole snacking on a star
Scientists, using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, have discovered a black hole that is continuously snacking on a star that is similar to our Sun. Located in a galaxy around 500 million light-years away from Earth, the black hole’s constant nibbling on the star, a phenomenon known as a tidal disruption event, creates a bright…
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ULA conducts NROL-107 launch, last Atlas NRO mission
United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched its Atlas V with the classified NROL-107 Silent Barker mission set on Sunday, following several days, including a rollback due to a hurricane threat. For this demanding mission, sending the payload to a near-geosynchronous orbit, Atlas V flew in its most powerful active configuration: Atlas V 551. NROL-107 Silent Barker…
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FAA says SpaceX has more to do before Starship can fly again
Sunday update: Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, posted Sunday on his social media platform X that the company has completed 57 corrective actions required before the second integrated test flight of the Starship rocket. Six more corrective actions will be implemented before future missions. This story has been updated to add Musk’s statement. The Federal…
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China, South Africa ink agreements on international lunar research program
BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — Space agencies of China and South Africa have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The MOU, marking South Africa’s official participation in the ILRS program, was signed early this month by the…
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FAA’s Mishap Investigation Into Starship Launch Ends With 63 Action Items
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed its mishap investigation into SpaceX’s Starship flight test in April, giving the company 63 corrective actions in order to move forward, including redesigning the launch pad. The FAA released a brief statement on Friday about the investigation, saying the investigation’s closure does not mean SpaceX can immediately resume…
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LEO Operators Pitch the Orbit’s Value for IFC at Connected Aviation Event
DENVER, COLORADO — Satellite operators building constellations in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) are targeting in-flight connectivity as a critical market for their businesses. Executives made bold projections for how airlines will adopt LEO at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit, in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 7. Jason Sperry, head of Business Aviation for OneWeb, projects that the…
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Rocket Report: Japan launches Moon mission; Ariane 6 fires up in Kourou
Welcome to Edition 6.10 of the Rocket Report! A Japanese spacecraft has joined the international flock of missions traveling to the Moon this year, but you’ll need to practice patience on this one. It will take about four months for Japan’s small lander to get into lunar orbit, then more weeks to align with the…
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SpaceX broke its record for number of launches in a year
It probably seems like SpaceX is launching almost every day, and that’s not far from the case. It also might seem like SpaceX is regularly breaking one of its records, whether it’s in the number of launches, turnaround time, or reusing Falcon 9 boosters. This is also true. SpaceX blew past one of those records…
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SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral
Update 12:18 a.m. EDT: SpaceX confirms deployment of the 22 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. Update 11:39 p.m. EDT: The Falcon 9 rocket launched the Starlink 6-14 mission at 11:12 p.m. EDT (0312 UTC) with the first stage booster, B1076, landing on the drone ship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, about eight and…