Tag: SpaceX
-
Engineers investigate another malfunction on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX is investigating a problem with the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage that caused it to reenter the atmosphere and fall into the sea outside of its intended disposal area after a Saturday launch with a two-man crew heading to the International Space Station. The upper stage malfunction apparently occurred after the Falcon 9 successfully deployed SpaceX’s Crew…
-
Launch Roundup: Vulcan takes second flight; Hera mission set to study asteroid
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) has launched its Vulcan Centaur rocket for the second time. The successful, if dramatic, mission saw Vulcan carry an inert payload to orbit alongside some experiments and demonstrations and should complete its certification process with the U.S. Space Force (USSF). SpaceX has delayed missions this week following an off-nominal deorbit…
-
SpaceX launches mission to bring Starliner astronauts back to Earth
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov lifted off Saturday from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, heading for a five-month expedition on the International Space Station. The two-man crew launched on top of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 1:17 pm EDT (17:17 UTC), taking advantage of a break in the…
-
SpaceX, NASA launches Crew-9 with two people
SpaceX and NASA have launched Crew-9 for its six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, originally set to launch with four people, launched with only two. The empty seats will be used by Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams is to return home in February…
-
SpaceX launches two to space station, giving Starliner astronauts a ride home in February
A SpaceX Crew Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) for the first time on the Crew-9 mission. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched a reduced two-man crew on a flight to the International Space Station Saturday, along with supplies and a pair of empty seats for two…
-
The war of words between SpaceX and the FAA keeps escalating
The clash between SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration escalated this week, with Elon Musk calling for the head of the federal regulator to resign after he defended the FAA’s oversight and fines levied against the commercial launch company. The FAA has said it doesn’t expect to determine whether to approve a launch license for…
-
ISS finishes out eventful third quarter of 2024 with Expedition 71 giving way to Expedition 72
The International Space Station (ISS) has spent the last three months with a larger crew complement than usual following the Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) docking with the ISS on June 6. However, the Station’s crew complement is about to return to its normal number of astronauts with the imminent departure of Crew-8 and Crew…
-
In the room where it happened: When NASA nearly gave Boeing all the crew funding
This is an excerpt from Chapter 11 of the book REENTRY: SpaceX, Elon Musk and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age by our own Eric Berger. The book will be published on September 24, 2024. This excerpt describes a fateful meeting 10 years ago at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, where the…
-
NASA, SpaceX conduct prelaunch activities as Tropical Storm delays Crew-9 mission
SpaceX static fires its Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in preparation for the Crew-9 mission on Saturday, Sept. 28. The test came following a dry dress rehearsal of launch activities earlier in the day. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now NASA and SpaceX pushed ahead with planned prelaunch activities Cape Canaveral Space Force…
-
SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaks across the sky above California in this long exposure image of the Starlink 9-8 launch on Sept. 24, 2024. Image: SpaceX SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink mission as Tropical Storm Helene pushed back the launch of the next mission to the International Space Station.…