Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX conducts another Static Fire on next Falcon 9 v1.1
SpaceX has conducted what is hopefully the final major milestone ahead of their ORBCOMM OG2 mission from Cape Canaveral. The Static Fire test, conducted at 3pm local time on Friday, should – pending a review – realign the the Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket with a launch of the satellites in window that opens at 09:21…
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Recovering SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Ocean Landing Video – How it was done
When SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket last April, most eyes were on the vehicle’s passenger, the CRS-3 Dragon spacecraft, en route to another mission to the ISS. However, for many SpaceX followers, a hugely interesting aspect of the mission was its secondary objective – to bring the first stage back from space to…
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SpaceX completes Falcon 9 v1.1 Static Fire, delays launch
SpaceX has completed a key pre-launch objective with the Static Fire of their Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket at Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40. However, the vehicle’s mission has been delayed from its Sunday launch to a TBD (To Be Decided) target, after the customer noted they wished to conduct additional testing on their six ORBCOMM satellites. Falcon…
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Commercial duo refine upcoming launch dates
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 v1.1 launch of six ORBCOMM OG-2 satellites has seen its launch date tweaked to No Earlier Than (NET) launch date to June 15, pending its Static Fire test on Friday. The slight delay is understood to be related to a re-test requirement on the satellites. Meanwhile, Orbital’s launch of the Antares rocket…
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SpaceX’s roadmap for innovating the global launch market
SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell recently outlined how SpaceX’s justifications for suing the United States Air Force (USAF) represent and advance SpaceX’s broader ambitions. Ms. Shotwell’s remarks, which were at a presentation at the Atlantic Council international affairs think tank in Washington, D.C., also outlined SpaceX’s current progress in securing and innovating in the…
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SpaceX’s Reisman ready for the next giant leap with Dragon V2
Dragon V2 Program Lead Dr. Garrett Reisman believes SpaceX’s new crew vehicle is a “giant leap forward” in safety and technology. The new vehicle – unveiled last Thursday – is the leading contender to win the right to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), a viable advance on the current mode of…
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SpaceX lifts the lid on the Dragon V2 crew spacecraft
SpaceX head Elon Musk has unveiled the latest version of his Dragon spacecraft via a highly anticipated event at the SpaceX factory in California. Known as Dragon V2, the spacecraft is the crewed version of the ship that recently returned from its fourth trip to the International Space Station (ISS). This latest Dragon is the…
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SpaceX targets June 11 for Falcon 9 ORBCOMM OG2 mission
SpaceX has realigned its next Falcon 9 v1.1 launch to NET (No Earlier Than) June 11. The rocket, tasked with lofting six ORBCOMM satellites into orbit, was scheduled to launch this month from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40. However, a helium leak during the latter stages of preparations for her Static Fire test required the rocket to…
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Dream Chaser passes Wind Tunnel tests for CCiCap Milestone
As the US battles to regain its domestic crew launch capability, companies across the nation are making great progress on the vehicles that are in competition to achieve that goal. Monday saw the confirmation Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has passed Milestone 8 in the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) process, a success that relates to Wind Tunnel…
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SpaceX Dragon homecoming successfully concludes CRS-3 mission
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has concluded her mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with a successful return to Earth on Sunday. The EOM (End Of Mission) events began with the successful unberthing and release of the CRS-3/SpX-3 spacecraft from the orbital outpost, ahead of a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at around 3:05pm Eastern.…