Tag: SpaceX
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Commercial space station demo, data center precursor launch on SpaceX Bandwagon-4 mission
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to begin the Bandwagon-4 ride share mission to a mid-inclination orbit. Image: Adam Bernstein / Spaceflight Now An Nvidia-backed data center demo, a testbed for Vast’s future commercial space station and artificial intelligence-powered weather satellites were…
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Starship Block 3 and HLS: The path to get back to the Moon
Amid numerous questions about whether SpaceX can have the Human Landing System (HLS) variant of Starship ready in time for Artemis 3, the company released a significant amount of information on its progress with HLS and Starship in relation to the Artemis Program. Starship Human Landing System (HLS) SpaceX recently released an update regarding Starship…
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Elon Musk on data centers in orbit: “SpaceX will be doing this”
As artificial intelligence drives the need for vastly more computing storage and processing power, interest in space-based data centers has spiked. Although several startup companies, such as Starcloud, have begun to address this problem, the idea has also attracted the interest of tech barons. In May, it emerged that former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt…
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SpaceX launches 100th Starlink flight of 2025
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars away from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at the beginning of the Starlink 11-23 mission on Oct. 31, 2025. Image: SpaceX Update Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 UTC): SpaceX deployed the 28 Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Halloween…
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SpaceX ramps up Starship preparations at Florida’s Roberts Road
SpaceX is making significant strides in developing its Starship infrastructure at the Roberts Road facilities. NSF aerial photography has revealed rapid progress on key components, including the LC-39A launch mount, chopstick arms for a new launch tower, and the expansive Gigabay manufacturing facility. Starship is set to debut from the Space Coast in 2026, initially…
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Former NASA Administrators urge space agency to rethink plans for Artemis Moon lander
Mike French (left) hosted a fireside chat with former NASA administrators Jim Bridenstine (center) and Charles Bolden (right) at the 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. Image: American Astronautical Society via livestream Two former NASA Administrators called on the space agency to rethink its plans to land astronauts on the Moon using…
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Starbase Pad 1 demolition begins for Next-Gen upgrades
SpaceX has kicked off a significant demolition and upgrade phase at its Starbase facility, targeting Pad 1 to align it with the advanced capabilities of Pad 2. The work, which began shortly after the successful Flight 11 mission, involves dismantling key components of the launch infrastructure to accommodate Version 3 Starships and Super Heavy boosters.…
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Launch Roundup: China to launch crew to Tiangong, India to launch new naval satellite
Six missions comprise the worldwide launch manifest this week, including a crewed launch from China and a new naval satellite for the Indian Navy. SpaceX is set to kick off the week with three back-to-back Starlink missions from its pads in California and Florida. Later in the week, China will launch the crewed Shenzhou 21…
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SpaceX breaks its California pad turnaround record with sunset Starlink launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Starlink 11-21 mission on Oct. 27, 2025. Image: SpaceX Update Oct. 27, 9:50 p.m. EDT (0150 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 28 Starlink satellites. Correction Oct. 29: Fixed error regarding the timing of…
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SpaceX marks 5th anniversary of first Starlink customer with Sunday satellite launch
SpaceX launches its Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 10-21 mission on Oct. 26, 2025. Image: John Pisani / Spaceflight Now Update Oct. 26, 1 p.m. EDT (1700 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of its 28 Starlink satellites. SpaceX completed a Sunday morning Falcon…