Tag: Booster
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Northrop Grumman tests SLS Block 2 BOLE booster in Utah; nozzle issue seen
Northrop Grumman conducted the first test firing of its Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) five-segment solid rocket motor at its Promontory production and test site in Utah. The Development Motor 1 (DM-1) fired Thursday, June 26, at 12:25 PM MDT (18:25 UTC) and lasted for close to two minutes and 20 seconds, burning over…
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Ship 36 experiences anomaly during engine testing, next steps unclear
On the evening of June 18, SpaceX was performing a routine six-engine static fire test of Ship 36 at its Massey’s Test Site near Starbase, Texas. Just after 11 PM CDT, while propellant was being loaded onto the vehicle, a sudden energetic anomaly resulted in the loss of Ship 36 and significant damage to the…
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SpaceX achieves record-breaking 2024, looks ahead to 2025
SpaceX is gearing up for another record-breaking year in 2025 after surpassing all previous record-breaking years in 2024. The company launched 138 times in 2024, 134 of which were with its Falcon family of rockets. While SpaceX suffered three mishaps during the third quarter of the year, the company was able to fix these issues…
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Starship program conducts major test, firing 31 of 33 Super Heavy engines
SpaceX’s Starship program has reached a major milestone ahead of its historic launch with a static fire test of Booster 7, successfully firing 31 of the booster’s 33 engines for the full planned duration. The test aimed to validate numerous systems, not least the Ground Support Equipment (GSE), which has never previously had to cater…
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Raptor 2 testing at full throttle on the SpaceX McGregor test stands
Numerous Raptor 2 engines are now being put through their paces at SpaceX’s test center in McGregor, involving static fire testing at the five test bays, ahead of the evolved engine being shipped to Starbase to be involved in future launches. While Booster 4 and Ship 20 remain at the launch site, Boosters 7 and…
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Chopsticks tested ahead of first Mechazilla stacking operation
Having conducted the first series of Mechazilla catch and stack systems tests, SpaceX’s Starship program has come one step closer to seeing another fully stacked Starship on the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM). Several tests were conducted with the chopsticks, paving the way for the first lift of a booster and a ship’s potential stacking following…
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Starbase setting the stage for ambitious 2022 launch campaign
SpaceX is lining up a fleet of vehicles for an ambitious 2022 test campaign, opening with the first orbital velocity test in January or February, followed by the potential of around 12 flights during the year. Backing up that ambition is the production cadence at Starbase, with sections for Ship 24 recently spotted while numerous…
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Booster 3 opens Super Heavy test campaign as orbital vehicles prepare to stack
Following a test campaign focused on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, the Super Heavy booster is now taking up the mantle of testing at the Starbase launch site. Booster 3 rolled out of the High Bay on Thursday, taking the trip down Highway 4 before being placed on suborbital Pad A’s modified mount for a series of…