Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX aims for mid-May Starship Flight 12 launch with revised trajectory
The return of Starship launches may be just weeks away, with notices for the upcoming Flight 12 launch attempt publishing notification for windows opening as early as May 12. The move signals accelerating preparations for the first orbital test flight of the upgraded Version 3 Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, although engineers will have several…
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Investors Eye Orbital Data Center Downstream Markets Despite Tech Delays
What Downstream Markets Are Investors Targeting Before Orbital Data Centers Launch? Venture capitalists are already funding companies that could capitalize on orbital data centers, even though SpaceX and other major players won’t deploy the massive computing networks for several years. Investment firms are targeting edge computing applications, quantum-resistant encryption services, and real-time satellite data processing…
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Starcloud Seeks $2.2B Valuation as SpaceX Shows Interest
Why is SpaceX interested in Starcloud’s $2.2 billion funding round? Starcloud is pursuing a $2.2 billion valuation in ongoing funding discussions, with SpaceX emerging as a potential strategic investor interested in the startup’s edge computing platform for orbital data processing applications. The talks, first reported by The Information on April 30, position Starcloud among the…
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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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Launch Capacity Hits Critical Bottleneck Despite Record Investment
Is launch capacity the new limiting factor for space commerce? Despite $8.2 billion in launch industry investment over the past three years, orbital access has become the primary constraint throttling commercial space growth. Satellite operators are now facing 18-24 month wait times for dedicated launches and 12-18 months for rideshare slots, creating a fundamental mismatch…
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Launch preview: SpaceX seeks second attempt at Falcon Heavy launch following weather scrub on Monday
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket stands in the vertical launch position ahead of the flight of the ViaSat-3 Flight 3 mission for Viasat. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now SpaceX will try again Wednesday to launch its Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, following a last-minute scrub Monday due to poor weather. The heavy lift rocket…
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With new patch design, the Crew-13 astronauts clearly aren’t superstitious
NASA has assigned its first crew to launch on a mission “13” since Apollo 13 “had a problem” on the way to the Moon 56 years ago. Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney with NASA, Joshua Kutryk with the Canadian Space Agency, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will lift off for the International Space Station as…
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SpaceX scrubs Falcon Heavy launch of final ViaSat-3 satellite due to poor weather
SpaceX scrubbed the launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket on Monday, April 27, in the final minute due to poor weather in the area. Image: SpaceX via livestream Update April 27, 10:48 a.m. EDT (1448 UTC): SpaceX scrubbed the mission due to poor weather. SpaceX stood down from launching its first Falcon Heavy rocket in…
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Launch Preview: Falcon Heavy returns, Atlas V and Ariane 6 to launch Amazon Leo satellites
Six launches are expected from Florida, California, and French Guiana this week, with SpaceX scheduled to launch its Falcon Heavy vehicle for the first time since October 2024. Meanwhile, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Ariane 6 are all expected to launch internet satellites for the Starlink and Amazon Leo constellations, and Falcon 9 will close…
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Blue Origin Captures Major Defense Contracts from SpaceX
How is Blue Origin competing with SpaceX for defense contracts? Blue Origin has secured $2.8 billion in Pentagon launch contracts over the past six months, directly challenging SpaceX’s dominance in the national security launch market. The company’s New Glenn rocket, which achieved operational status in late 2025, now offers launch services at $89 million per…