Tag: SpaceX
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With new contracts, SpaceX will become the US military’s top launch provider
The US Space Force announced Friday it selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin for $13.7 billion in contracts to deliver the Pentagon’s most critical military satellites to orbit into the early 2030s. These missions will launch the government’s heaviest national security satellites, like the National Reconnaissance Office’s large, bus-sized spy platforms, and deploy…
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U.S. Space Force awards $13.7 billion in new national security launch contracts to Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance A long-awaited launch contract for national security missions was announced by the U.S. Space Force after close of business Friday evening. The mission spreads nearly $14 billion worth of missions between Blue…
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SpaceX just took a big step toward reusing Starship’s Super Heavy booster
SpaceX is having trouble with Starship’s upper stage after back-to-back failures, but engineers are making remarkable progress with the rocket’s enormous booster. The most visible sign of SpaceX making headway with Starship’s first stage—called Super Heavy—came at 9:40 am local time (10:40 am EDT; 14:40 UTC) Thursday at the company’s Starbase launch site in South…
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SpaceX just took a big step toward reusing Starship’s Super Heavy booster
SpaceX is having trouble with Starship’s upper stage after back-to-back failures, but engineers are making remarkable progress with the rocket’s enormous booster. The most visible sign of SpaceX making headway with Starship’s first stage—called Super Heavy—came at 9:40 am local time (10:40 am EDT; 14:40 UTC) Thursday at the company’s Starbase launch site in South…
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Space Force allocates $2.4B in national security launch contracts to Blue Origin
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifts off from its Florida launch pad in January. (Blue Origin via YouTube) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has been awarded $2.4 billion in the U.S. Space Force’s latest round of procurement for future national security launches. “It’s an honor and huge responsibility to team with the U.S. government…
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Booster 14 Completes Milestone Static Fire Ahead of Flight 9
SpaceX has now completed the first-ever static fire of a flown Super Heavy Booster, Booster 14, which is set to fly on Flight 9. Ship 35, which is also set to fly on Flight 9, is expected to be the next milestone ahead of flight, as it waits to complete engine testing at Masseys potentially…
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Four private astronauts launch on first human mission to fly over the poles
Four adventurers suited up and embarked on a first-of-a-kind trip to space Monday night, becoming the first humans to fly in polar orbit aboard a SpaceX crew capsule chartered by a Chinese-born cryptocurrency billionaire. The private astronauts rocketed into orbit atop a Falcon 9 booster from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:46 pm…
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Four private astronauts launch on first human mission to fly over the poles
Four adventurers suited up and embarked on a first-of-a-kind trip to space Monday night, becoming the first humans to fly in polar orbit aboard a SpaceX crew capsule chartered by a Chinese-born cryptocurrency billionaire. The private astronauts rocketed into orbit atop a Falcon 9 booster from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:46 pm…
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Four private astronauts launch on first human mission to fly over the poles
Four adventurers suited up and embarked on a first-of-a-kind trip to space Monday night, becoming the first humans to fly in polar orbit aboard a SpaceX crew capsule chartered by a Chinese-born cryptocurrency billionaire. The private astronauts rocketed into orbit atop a Falcon 9 booster from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:46 pm…
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SpaceX launches Thursday night for Falcon 9 launch with 27 Starlink satellites
A stack of 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites drifts away from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage to conclude the Starlink 11-13 mission. Image: SpaceX Update April 3, 9:52 p.m. EDT: The Falcon 9 booster landed on the droneship. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket launch Thursday night after standing down on Tuesday due…