Tag: SpaceX
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NewOrbit Raises $18.5 Million to Commercialize Very Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations
European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialization of very low Earth orbit (VLEO), a region of space that has historically been considered too challenging for long-term commercial operations. The funding round was led by Voyager Ventures and included participation from several new and existing…
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NASA Names Four-Astronaut Crew for Artemis III Docking Mission with SpaceX and Blue Origin Landers
NASA has selected three American astronauts and one European astronaut to fly on Artemis III, a landmark mission scheduled for late 2027 that will conduct the first in-space docking demonstrations between NASA’s Orion spacecraft and lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the crew during a ceremony in Houston…
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Booster 20 into Cryogenic Testing ahead of Starship Flight 13
Starship Flight 12 may have only recently concluded, but SpaceX’s Starbase teams are already deep into preparations for the next integrated flight test. The latest milestone involves the rollout of Booster 20 (B20), the Super Heavy booster assigned to Flight 13, as it moved from Megabay 1 to Massey’s test site and has begun cryogenic…
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A Falcon 9 booster turns 5 years old—and just set a remarkable reuse record
A little more than five years ago, a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket made its debut flight, boosting a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Over the next year, it would launch a pair of astronaut missions and a handful of commercial spacecraft. But since then, this first stage booster, designated B 1067,…
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Reflex Aerospace Selects Arkadia Space Propulsion System for 2027 Satellite Mission
German satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace has selected Spanish startup Arkadia Space to provide the propulsion system for a commercial satellite mission scheduled to launch in 2027, marking the first time Reflex will deploy a chemical-propulsion system on one of its spacecraft. Under the agreement, Reflex’s 200-kilogram satellite will use Arkadia Space’s Triton 5N monopropellant engine…
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Preview: NASA to unveil Artemis 3 crew, provide updates on mission
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft stand at Launch Complex 39B on Tuesday, March 31, ahead of the planned launch of Artemis 2. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now NASA is set to introduce the world to the four astronauts who will fly the Artemis 3 mission Tuesday morning. The announcement will take place at…
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Launch Preview: Chinese, Rocket Lab, and Starlink flights scheduled
The upcoming week features flights from China, California, Virginia, and Florida. Three Starlink launches, two from Vandenberg and one from Cape Canaveral, are set for this week along with a HASTE suborbital flight from Wallops. Internationally, flights are scheduled from Jiuquan and Wenchang in China. ZhuQue-2E is set to make its first operational flight with a…
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SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket booster on record-breaking 35th flight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 10-35 mission on June 8, 2026. This was the 35th flight of the Falcon 9 booster, B1067, the SpaceX flight leader. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update June 8, 7:36 a.m. EDT (1136 UTC): SpaceX…
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AstroForge Completes DeepSpace-2 Spacecraft Ahead of Asteroid Rendezvous Mission
Asteroid mining startup AstroForge has completed assembly of the major flight hardware for its DeepSpace-2 spacecraft, positioning the mission for launch later this year as the company pursues its goal of demonstrating asteroid rendezvous capabilities in deep space. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket alongside Intuitive Machines’ IM-3 lunar…
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SpaceX launches 2 Starshield satellites during Saturday night Starlink mission
A partial view of a SpaceX Starshield satellite in low Earth orbit. Image: SpaceX Update June 7, 12:50 a.m. EDT (0450 UTC): SpaceX landed the booster on the drone ship. SpaceX launched a combination of 21 Starlink and two Starshield satellites on Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Starshield is an alternate version of…