Tag: SpaceX
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U.S. Space Force launches expedited GPS mission using Falcon 9 rocket
The GPS 3 Space Vehicle 07 stands in a clean room at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Littleton, Colorado. Image: Lockheed Martin The latest third-generation Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite launched to orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Monday night. Unlike previous GPS missions though, the launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket marked a…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX plans for five customer missions; Rocket Lab launch mission for Synspective
The orbital launch manifest for the week of Dec. 16 through Dec. 22 has been one of the busiest yet, with 10 of the 12 planned launches worldwide succeeding. SpaceX planned to launch seven Falcon 9 missions this week, with five customer missions, one rideshare mission, and one Starlink mission. Outside of the U.S., three…
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SpaceX launches RRT-1 mission from Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket cruises by a nearly full Moon during the RRT-1 mission on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update 8:43 p.m. EST (0143 UTC): SpaceX landed the first stage booster on the droneship following liftoff. Against a cloudy Florida sky, SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket with a…
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Starship and other launch site preparations in Florida moving into a higher gear
The long-awaited Starship ramp-up in Florida has begun, with work increasing at Pad 39A on the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) grounds. NSF obtained pictures of these preparations during a Cape flight, and companies like Stoke Space and Relativity are also proceeding with construction for flights scheduled for 2025 or 2026. Starship SpaceX started preparations for…
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SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California
File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX Update 6:44 p.m. EST (2344 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday afternoon. It came as the U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) continues…
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Ship 33 prepares for engine testing, Booster 14 Completes Static Fire
Three weeks after Flight 6, SpaceX has static fired Booster 14 and rolled Ship 33 to Masseys to complete its own engine testing. Once both vehicles are tested, SpaceX will begin the final drive to Flight 7, potentially launching in January. Booster 14 On Dec. 5, just over two weeks after Flight 6, SpaceX rolled…
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Launch Roundup: Kairos stands down second launch attempt, Falcon 9 to launch 03, GPS and NRO missions
This week, Japanese commercial company Space One stood down two attempts to launch its Kairos vehicle for the second time, while SpaceX has four Falcon 9 launches at the end of the week from Friday onwards. These include customer missions carrying satellites for the 03b mPOWER and GPS-III constellations and another for the National Reconnaissance…
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Trump nominates Jared Isaacman to become the next NASA administrator
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday he has selected Jared Isaacman, a billionaire businessman and space enthusiast who twice flew to orbit with SpaceX, to become the next NASA administrator. “I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),” Trump…
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SpaceX launches latest broadcast satellite for SiriusXM on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
This rendering shows what the Maxar-built SXM-9 will look like once on orbit. Image: Maxar With a Thursday late morning liftoff, SpaceX sent the latest satellite in the radio broadcast fleet owned by SiriusXM on geostationary transfer orbit trajectory. The SXM-9 satellite lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center…
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Jared Isaacman nominated as next NASA administrator
Jared Isaacman has been nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump of the United States of America to become the next NASA Administrator after Senator Bill Nelson’s term ends. Isaacman is expected to be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025, the first day of Trump’s upcoming term. Isaacman has a long history in the aerospace industry. He…