Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink internet satellites — and hits reusability milestones
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket rises from its launch pad, sending 60 satellites into orbit. (SpaceX via YouTube) SpaceX sent its second set of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit today, atop a Falcon 9 rocket that featured the fourth go-round for the first-stage booster and the first reuse of a nose cone. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral…
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SpaceX and Cape Canaveral Return to Action with First Operational Starlink Mission
After a little under three months without a mission from Florida’s launch pads, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Monday morning. Liftoff from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station occurred at 09:56 AM EST (14:56 UTC). The mission carried the first group of operational Starlink satellites to orbit. The launch was the first…
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Watch the static fire of the Falcon 9 being readied for Starlink mission
A Falcon 9 rocket fires its nine Merlin first stage engines at Cape Canaveral’s launch pad 40 Nov. 5, 2019, as part of a routine pre-launch test. The successful static fire clears the way for the launch of 60 Starlink satellites, currently scheduled for Nov. 11. Live coverage like this is made possible by the…
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SpaceX to reuse payload fairing for first time on Nov. 11 launch
SpaceX retrieved two halves of the payload fairing from a Falcon Heavy launch April 11 . Credit: Elon Musk/SpaceX A SpaceX launch set for Nov. 11 will mark the first Falcon 9 mission to use a payload fairing from a previous flight, the company announced Tuesday, shortly after SpaceX engineers at Cape Canaveral test-fired the…
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SpaceX finally fires up Falcon 9 ahead of Starlink mission
After a three-month halt in orbital launches for SpaceX, the company has begun making a return to launch action, this time for a second dedicated Starlink Internet satellite mission. The Falcon 9 booster that will be used for this mission – estimated to be flight-proven core B1048.4 – was quickly static fired on the launch…
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Live coverage: SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket for Starlink launch
Live coverage of SpaceX’s preparations for the next Falcon 9 rocket launch from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission will launch SpaceX’s second batch of Starlink broadband satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Credit: Spaceflight Now Check here for live updates on SpaceX launch preparations.
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Starship Mk1 arrives at launch site ahead of flight test
SpaceX’s Mk1 Starship enjoyed a short road trip to its Boca Chica launch site on Wednesday, a key milestone ahead of its upcoming test flight. Soon to be joined by its fairing, Starship will undergo several weeks of preparations for the test flight to 20 KM that will include an ambitious landing attempt. The Boca…
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45th Space Wing/Air Force discuss polar launch corridor from Florida
When it was quietly announced in December 2017 that U.S. Space Command and the 45th Space Wing of the Air Force at Cape Canaveral had certified a polar launch corridor from Florida’s east coast, the news was met with quiet regard. While the newly reestablished polar launch corridor would open up options for launch providers…
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon set for important test campaign
SpaceX continues to make progress towards launching crews into orbit, but several critical tests remain before those plans can come to fruition. The company is developing the Crew Dragon spacecraft to transport crews to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The United States has not launched humans into…
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SpaceX seeks to reserve spots for 30,000 more Starlink broadband internet satellites
A stack of 60 Starlink satellites is in position for orbital deployment during a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission in May. (SpaceX Photo) SpaceX has filed paperwork with the International Telecommunication Union to add up to 30,000 Starlink broadband data satellites to the 12,000 it’s already been cleared to put in orbit. The filings reflect SpaceX’s…