Tag: KSC
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Starship enters business end of pre-launch testing
The Starship test program has hit the ground running in 2023, with the full-stack partnership of Booster 7 and Ship 24 entering a pre-launch test flow at Starbase. With Elon Musk confirming the possibility of launching the world’s largest and most powerful rocket in a matter of weeks, several key milestones are being worked on…
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches USSF-67 from 39A
The latest Falcon Heavy mission launched Sunday, Jan. 15, at 5:56 PM EST (22:56 UTC) and was later declared a success by the US Space Force. The flight, designated USSF–67 (United States Space Force 67), carried two payloads for the Space Force directly into geostationary orbit (GEO) from LC-39A. The Mission See Also USSF-67 Updates…
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SpaceX launches second mission from Florida within two days
SpaceX has launched the a pair of Falcon 9 missions approximately 23 hours apart from the company’s two Florida launch pads. The first mission carried the first two satellites for a new constellation known as O3b mPOWER to orbit on Friday, Dec. 16, with liftoff coming at the very end of an 87-minute launch window…
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NASA talks Mobile Launcher refurbishment, modifications needed for Artemis II crew debut of SLS
Mobile Launcher 1 (ML1, or ML) is on its way back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center after successfully launching the SLS rocket and Orion/European Service Module duo on the Artemis I mission from Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) on Nov. 16, 2022. The ML now needs to be repaired from…
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SpaceX launches first of three missions for OneWeb
SpaceX conducted its 55th flight of the year to take the OneWeb Flight #15 mission using a flight-proven Falcon 9 to a polar low Earth orbit (LEO) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Liftoff occurred on Dec. 8 at 5:27:48 PM EST (22:27:48 UTC). Space Launch Delta 45…
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NASA, SpaceX launch and dock CRS-26 mission to ISS
SpaceX’s newest Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft, C211, has launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 2:20:43 PM EST (19:20:43 UTC) on Saturday, Nov. 26 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Following an on-time liftoff, Cargo Dragon rendezvoused and docked with the forward port on the Harmony module of the International Space…
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Booster 7 resumes static fire testing as SpaceX ramps up Starship production
Booster 7 resumed its static fire test campaign Monday with a full-duration firing of 14 Raptor engines in a significant event before the long-awaited 33-engine static fire test. This milestone puts the Super Heavy booster one step closer to being ready for Starship’s first orbital flight. While this flight is currently targeting no earlier than…
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy lofts USSF-44 on first flight in three years
The world’s most powerful operational rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, took to the Florida skies for the first time in over three years on Nov. 1 for the USSF-44 mission, a US Space Force contracted flight with a classified payload and at least one rideshare satellite. Liftoff occurred right on time at 9:41 AM EDT (13:41…
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Starship set for full stack fueling test ahead of static fire campaign
A fully stacked Starship is still set to conduct the next round of tests for its fully reusable launch system ahead of its debut orbital launch attempt as soon as later this year. This is despite a surprise destack of Ship 24 on Sunday, although this does not preclude restacking ahead of the next phase…
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SpaceX Crew-5 mission docks with ISS
SpaceX and NASA have launched a group of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Crew-5 mission. The crew flew atop a Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 12:00:57 PM EDT (16:00:57 UTC). With…