Tag: SpaceX
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Launch Roundup: China launches crew, Falcon 9 launches Bandwagon rideshare and 250th Starlink mission
This week, China has launched three taikonauts to the Tiangong space station. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 had four flights scheduled, with its third Bandwagon rideshare mission followed by three more Starlink missions, including its 250th dedicated Starlink flight. United Launch Alliance successfully launched its first batch of operational Kuiper satellites aboard an Atlas V 551 rocket.…
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SpaceX launches 32nd resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station
SpaceX launches their Falcon 9 rocket on April 21st, 2025 with a cargo resupply mission towards the ISS from SLC-39A in Cape Canaveral, FL. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched an uncrewed Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station early Monday on a resupply mission with increased importance after a transportation mishap derailed a flight…
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SpaceX launches third NRO mission in eight days
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the launch of the NROL-145 mission. Image: SpaceX Update April 20, 9 a.m. EDT: SpaceX landed the booster on the droneship. America’s spy satellite agency, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), launched its third mission in eight…
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Starship program laying groundwork for huge facilities in Texas and Florida
SpaceX is busy creating launch and production capacity for the future of its Starship program, focusing on huge Gigabays at both Starbase in Texas and Roberts Road in Florida. To cater for this future production cadence, SpaceX’s launch sites for Starship are also a focus of its attention, with the second pad at Starbase making…
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Cape launch sites bustling with activity, New Glenn and Starship preparations underway
While several Cape Canaveral launch sites remain busy with launches from SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin, other facilities at the United States’ premier space launch facility are undergoing important work for a new generation of rockets to debut in the not-too-distant future. Changes that will affect existing vehicles, such as the Falcon 9, are also…
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Here’s how a satellite ended up as a ghostly apparition on Google Earth
Dig deep on Google Earth and you’ll inevitably find a surprise or two. Maybe you’re looking at far-flung islands in the middle of an ocean or checking in on something closer to home. A few years ago, online sleuths found an image of a B-2 stealth bomber in flight over Missouri. The aircraft is smeared…
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Launch Roundup: Alpha postponed, Falcon 9 launches cargo to ISS
This week has seen the worldwide launch cadence slow, with only four launches taking place. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has launched just twice, with a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Moreover, a Minotaur rocket has launched another classified reconnaissance payload from Vandenberg, and…
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SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket booster on record-setting 27th time on midnight Starlink flight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on the Starlink 6-73 mission. The flight marked the first time an orbital class rocket launchd for a 27th time in its flight history. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update 12:34 a.m. EDT: SpaceX landed its first stage booster on the droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ SpaceX notched another…
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SpaceX starts 2025 with Falcon records and Starship problems
SpaceX kicked off 2025 by continuing its record-breaking pace of Falcon 9 launches while also setting new firsts with its Dragon program. The company continued the deployment of its Starlink satellite internet constellation, growing in number of users and availability of its direct-to-cell services. SpaceX’s Starship rocket also suffered two back-to-back failures of a new…
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SpaceX launches Starshield satellites for the NRO on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 12, 2025, carrying satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office. Image: SpaceX. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched its ninth mission supporting its so-called proliferated architecture satellite constellation using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed NROL-192, also marked a big milestone…