Tag: Assured Access to Space
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U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch
The GPS III Space Vehicle 09, the ninth GPS III spacecraft, is pictured traveling by road from Lockheed Martin facilities in Denver, CO, to Florida’s Space Coast. Image: Lockheed Martin The next Global Positioning System satellite is switching from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket to a SpaceX Falcon 9, a spokesperson for the U.S.…
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Blue Origin halfway through 4-flight certification to allow launch of national security missions
New Glenn thunders away from its launch pad in near perfect weather conditions. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. One of Blue Origin’s oft repeated phrases is that the company is paving a road to space with its New Glenn rocket. The company, established by Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, is about halfway through creating one important lane…
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U.S. Space Force picks Blue Origin bid for expanding satellite processing at Cape Canaveral
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance Getting newer and increasingly more capable assets in space for U.S. service members and allies is a primary goal for the U.S. Space Force. Among the challenges to bolstering America’s various on…
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SpaceX to launch 4 Falcon Heavy rockets as part of newest U.S. national security missions award
A Falcon Heavy roars passed the Moon as it launches the X-37B for the U.S. military. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now. The latest missions carrying payloads for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) were announced on Friday with a combined value of $1.142 billion. SpaceX was tasked with five missions and…
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ULA launches Vulcan rocket on first Space Force mission
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket roared off the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 to begin the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force. This was the first national security launch using a Vulcan rocket and the 101st national security mission for ULA. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance fired off it’s first fully…
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Launch preview: ULA to launch first national security mission on a Vulcan rocket
A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of the launch of the USSF-106 mission. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now More than four months after it was certified to fly national security payloads for the United States government, United Launch Alliance is on the cusp…
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ULA begins stacking its 1st Vulcan rocket supporting a national security mission
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists its Vulcan first stage booster into the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on Oct. 22, 2024. The rocket will launch the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, Vulcan’s first national security flight. Image: United Launch…
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U.S. Space Force, Lockheed Martin launch newest GPS satellite on SpaceX Falcon rocket
SpaceX launches its Falcon 9 rocket on May 30, 2025 at 1:37 p.m. EDT (1737 UTC) with the GPS III-7 Space Vehicle 08 satellite from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update May 30, 3:14 p.m. EDT: SpaceX confirmed deployment of the GPS III-7 SV-08 spacecraft.…
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Department of the Air Force issues draft documents for new SpaceX launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Starlink 15-3 mission. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is moving ahead with expansion plans at Vandenberg Space Force Base that will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California. Last…
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U.S. Space Force awards $13.7 billion in new national security launch contracts to Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance A long-awaited launch contract for national security missions was announced by the U.S. Space Force after close of business Friday evening. The mission spreads nearly $14 billion worth of missions between Blue…