Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX launches, lands first stage booster for record-setting 25th time during Starlink flight
SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 booster, B1067, on the Starlink 12-12 mission on Jan. 10, 2025. This was the first time an orbital class rocket launched for a 25th time and went on to land successfully as well. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update 2:37 p.m. (1937 UTC): SpaceX safely landed the first stage booster on…
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Italy’s plan to buy Starlink data deals a serious blow to European space network
The Italian government is considering the purchase of satellite Internet services from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, and the potential deal has triggered controversy along political, economic, and spaceflight lines in Europe. The story was initially broken by Bloomberg on Sunday, which reported that Italy is in “advanced talks” with SpaceX to purchase $1.6 billion worth of…
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SpaceX launches first dedicated Starlink mission of 2025
SpaceX launches the Starlink 6-71 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, its first dedicated Starlink flight of 2025. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update Jan. 6, 4:54 p.m. EST (2154 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 24 Starlink satellites. SpaceX completed its first Starlink mission of the year on the first Monday…
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Launch Roundup: New Glenn scrubs, SpaceX launches national reconnaissance mission
The first full week of 2025 – and the first part of next week – featured a full lineup of launches from the United States and China, though Blue Origin’s New Glenn scrubbed on its first launch attempt and Starlink Flight 7 moved into the middle of next week. The year’s first Starlink launch, which…
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SpaceX to attempt first payload deployment, engine reuse during Starship Flight 7
The Starship upper stage on a test firing mount ahead of a static fire demonstration in December 20204. It’s the first Block 2 Starship that will be launched by SpaceX. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is launching into 2025 with what is poised to be a blistering pace of launch for its super heavy lift rocket, Starship.…
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Elon Musk: “We’re going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction.”
Although SpaceX founder Elon Musk is known for outspokenness and controversial comments on his social media site X, he has been relatively restrained when it comes to US space policy in recent years. For example, he has rarely criticized NASA or its overall goal to return humans to the Moon through the Artemis Program. Rather,…
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SpaceX notches first orbital launch of 2025 with mission for UAE-based Space42
A pair of onlookers at Florida’s Apollo Beach watch as SpaceX launches its first Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 in support of Space42’s Thuraya 4-NGS mission. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update 9:21 p.m. EST (0221 UTC): SpaceX confirms successful deployment of the Thuraya 4-NGS. SpaceX kicked off the year of orbital launches around the globe…
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SpaceX achieves record-breaking 2024, looks ahead to 2025
SpaceX is gearing up for another record-breaking year in 2025 after surpassing all previous record-breaking years in 2024. The company launched 138 times in 2024, 134 of which were with its Falcon family of rockets. While SpaceX suffered three mishaps during the third quarter of the year, the company was able to fix these issues…
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Launch Roundup: New Glenn set for maiden flight, Falcon 9 missions end and start the year
Following an exceptionally busy December, this week started the new year with only four scheduled missions, with the possibility of two flights of heavy launch vehicles within the first ten days of January. On the same day as Starship’s seventh flight, Blue Origin’s New Glenn is expected to take its maiden voyage from Florida. This…
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SpaceX launches 4 Astranis satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) to begin the Astranis: From One to Many mission on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. Image: Pete Carstens/MaxQ Productions for Spaceflight Now Update 12:45 p.m. (0545 UTC): SpaceX deployed the four satellites. Following a rare pad abort on Dec. 21, SpaceX launched four satellites…