Tag: SpaceX
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Starship SN8 hoping for speedy return to testing as additional vehicles line up
Following Starship SN8’s eventful Static Fire test, it was feared the test flight would likely suffer from a lengthy delay. However, thanks in part to a burst disk that avoided a damaging “pop” scenario, SN8 may yet still fly to 50,000 feet this month, albeit with a realigned trio of Raptor engines. While repair work…
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Examining Crew-1 launch weather criteria and abort modes
With each new crew launch from the U.S. comes the inevitable questions: Why all the weather rules? What are the vehicle’s abort modes and how will it perform a launch abort and aim itself to a predetermined location in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from the Kennedy Space Center across to the western Irish coast? The…
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SpaceX conducts static fire test on Falcon 9 for Crew-1 mission
SpaceX has conducted a Static Fire test on the Falcon 9 rocket tasked with the first operational Crew Dragon mission, Crew-1. The flight will be SpaceX’s second crewed flight and their first rotation mission with four astronauts onboard. The test firing occurred at around 3:49pm Eastern at KSC 39A in Florida. Lead image: Stephen Marr…
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SpaceX, NASA, JAXA clear Crew-1 for launch; static fire delayed to Wednesday
For the first time since 1982, NASA has certified a spaceship to operationally carry humans into low Earth orbit. At the Kennedy Space Center today, NASA and SpaceX — with JAXA’s participation — formally certified the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to transport people to and from the Space Station and cleared the…
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Crew-1 astronauts arrive for launch as Tropical Storm Eta looms
Astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their upcoming launch to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX’s Crew-1 will be the first operational, long-duration mission to the ISS onboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff from Launch Complex…
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After month-long stand down, SpaceX launches fourth GPS III launch
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 mission with the fourth GPSII satellite at 18:24 EST (23:24 UTC) on Thursday, 5 November. The launch followed a scrub on 2 October, when Falcon 9 aborted two seconds before liftoff. The resulting investigation identified an issue within the gas generators on some first stage engines and prompted several…
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As Starships line up, Musk calibrates expectations for SN8 test
Starship SN8 is expected to complete the second run of Static Fire tests over the coming week ahead of test flight later this month. While SN8 will be aiming for a touchdown on the launch pad, Elon Musk provided clarity on the primary goals of SN8’s flight – with a stable, controlled descent via its…
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SpaceX executive pitches Starship for space debris cleanup
File photo of Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer. Credit: NASA/Jay Westcott SpaceX could use its Starship vehicles to clear out space debris in Earth orbit, alongside the program’s more publicized purpose of ferrying people and cargo to the moon and Mars, a company executive said. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating…
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Crew-1 mission in final preparations as launch date aligns
With Crew-1 just weeks away, SpaceX and NASA have entered final preparations for the first operational Crew Dragon flight that will mark the first long-duration crew rotation mission to the International Space Station to launch from a country other than Kazakhstan since 2009. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon with Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover,…
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Crew-1 mission in final preparations as launch date aligns
With Crew-1 just weeks away, SpaceX and NASA have entered final preparations for the first operational Crew Dragon flight that will mark the first long-duration crew rotation mission to the International Space Station to launch from a country other than Kazakhstan since 2009. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon with Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover,…