Tag: Falcon
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Launch Preview: SpaceX and Chinese rockets to launch internet satellites to LEO
SpaceX and Chinese launches dominate this week’s launch manifest, which features six missions from five launch sites worldwide. Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch three Starlink missions from SpaceX’s California and Florida launch facilities. In China, a Chang Zheng 12B flew on its debut mission on Monday, with a Chang Zheng 8 and Chang Zheng…
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SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy on Wednesday after 18 month hiatus
After a hiatus of more than a year and a half, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket finally flew again from historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The mission, named ViaSat-3 F3, saw a third internet satellite deployed as part of the ViaSat-3 internet satellite constellation into geostationary orbit (GEO).…
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Falcon 9 launches CRS NG-24 cargo ship to ISS
Weeks after Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus S.S. William McCool ended its CRS NG-23 mission with a destructive reentry, another Cygnus is now flying. A Falcon 9 successfully launched the Cygnus XL S.S. Steven R. Nagel to the International Space Station, the fourth time SpaceX has launched a Cygnus spacecraft. The launch took place on Saturday, April…
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Launch Preview: Firefly to launch Alpha, SpaceX to launch three Starlink missions
After a brief grounding earlier this month following the Starlink Group 17-32 second stage deorbit anomaly, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 returns to a regular cadence of flights with three Starlink missions this week. However, SpaceX is not the only U.S. launch provider flying this week, as Firefly Space is returning its Alpha to flight following the…
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Halfway through 2025, SpaceX breaks Falcon records and struggles with Starship
In the second quarter of 2025, SpaceX continued its record launch cadence with the Falcon family of rockets, completing the 500th launch of that family by any measure. The company continued to grow its Starlink constellation and customer base, and completed the deployment of its first-generation Direct-to-Cell constellation. While all other programs at SpaceX have…
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Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 flies 500th orbital mission during quiet week
In a quiet week for rocket launches worldwide, SpaceX has launched the 500th orbital flight of a Falcon 9 during its first of two launches this week. Outside of the U.S., Gilmour Space is expected to attempt to launch the first flight of its Eris launch vehicle from Australia, while China is preparing to launch…
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SpaceX launches Transporter 14 rideshare mission
SpaceX’s next mission as part of its Transporter small payload rideshare program, Transporter 14, launched from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday, June 23, at 2:25 PM PDT (21:25 UTC), following a 24 hour weather delay. The launch window extended until 3:15 PM PDT (22:15 UTC). After…
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Launch Roundup: Rocket Lab launches 65th Electron, SpaceX launches four missions
SpaceX continued to dominate the launch manifest with four missions this week, including SXM-10, and three Starlink launches from various locations around the globe. Additionally, Rocket Lab conducted its 65th Electron flight, transporting the BlackSky Gen-3 satellite to orbit on the “Full Stream Ahead” mission. Meanwhile, China launched a Chang Zheng 6A to a polar…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX launches 250th mission from SLC-40
SpaceX has launched its 250th mission from SLC-40 in Florida this week. The company had up to four Starlink missions planned during the week and continues to reach new milestones. These include the first booster to reach 28 flights at the end of the week, following a scrub the night before. SpaceX has now exceeded…
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Launch Roundup: Alpha postponed, Falcon 9 launches cargo to ISS
This week has seen the worldwide launch cadence slow, with only four launches taking place. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has launched just twice, with a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Moreover, a Minotaur rocket has launched another classified reconnaissance payload from Vandenberg, and…