Tag: SpaceX
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NASA Selects Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX Human Landers for Artemis
NASA has selected three companies to develop Human Landing Systems (HLS) to support future crewed moon landings. Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX will develop their designs over a ten month period, before a down-selection to one or two vehicles that will fly uncrewed demonstration missions. The Artemis III mission will then utilize one of these…
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SpaceX seeks regulatory changes as it gears up for Starlink broadband service
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 80 Starlink satellites into orbit on April 22. (SpaceX Photo) In a new regulatory filing, SpaceX says it plans to start offering commercial broadband internet service using its Starlink satellite constellation in the northern U.S. and southern Canada by the end of this year. Since last May, SpaceX has…
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From Shuttle Sadness to Dragon Delight – USA prepares to regain domestic crew launch capability
The gap in US domestic crew launch capability is coming to an end as soon as next month, concluding a convoluted and painful path that ultimately began when Columbia was lost during STS-107. The last time American astronauts launched from US soil was in 2011 with Shuttle Atlantis during STS-135. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is set…
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SN4 becomes first full-scale Starship prototype to pass cryogenic proof test
Starship SN4 became SpaceX’s first full-scale Starship prototype to pass a cryogenic proof test on Sunday evening at SpaceX’s launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. The cryogenic proof is one of the first tests necessary to prove the vehicle’s flight-worthiness. With the successful test, SpaceX teams will now work towards a static fire, and then…
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Swarm Technologies chooses Momentus and SpaceX to launch constellation of tiny satellites
An artist’s conceptions shows Momentus’ Vigoride in-space shuttle moving a payload in orbit. (Momentus Illustration) Swarm Technologies has struck an agreement with California-based Momentus for the launch of a dozen telecommunication satellites, each the size of a slice of bread, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December. The December rideshare mission is the first…
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SpaceX launches seventh batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites, and sets a rocket record
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster executed its fourth successful launch and landing as part of a mission that put 60 more Starlink broadband internet satellites into orbit, marking the seventh such mission. The rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT)…
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Falcon 9 becomes U.S. rocket leader; Starlink “where are they now” edition
As SpaceX continued its steady march of Starlink internet satellite launches, the company reached a new milestone with the seventh flight of Starlink on Wednesday: Falcon 9 took the mantle of “most flown currently operational U.S. rocket” from Atlas V. Meanwhile, SpaceX is actively making moves on the ground, securing FCC permits for Starlink ground…
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A date with history: NASA and SpaceX schedule first crewed Dragon mission for May 27 launch
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley run through a simulation of launch and docking in preparation for their flight to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship. (SpaceX Photo) NASA and SpaceX have set a date for the first crewed space mission to be launched into orbit from U.S. soil since…
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SpaceX plans another Starlink launch next week
A view of 60 Starlink satellites stacked before a previous launch. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX is preparing to launch another batch of satellites for the Starlink Internet network from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as April 16, a sign that launch operations at Cape Canaveral could continue at a reduced pace amid the global coronavirus pandemic.…
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SpaceX Dragon cargo craft leaves space station and splashes down in Pacific amid virus outbreak
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule is prepared for departure from the International Space Station. (NASA Photo) The International Space Station bid farewell to a robotic SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule, with measures being taken at mission control to protect against COVID-19 infection. The Dragon was set loose after spending a month hooked up to the space station,…