Tag: SpaceX
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Second Tower complete at Starbase as Flight 5 preps continue
SpaceX completed stacking Launch Tower 2 at Orbital Launch Pad B at Starbase, Texas, in record time, allowing for the next phase of preparations, including adding its own chopstick system. Preparations are also continuing on Orbital Launch Pad A’s Tower 1 to prepare it for the launch of Flight 5 and a possible catch of…
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Polaris aiming to break barriers, build experience with Polaris Dawn
One of the most highly anticipated missions in 2024 is now mere days away from taking flight. The Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon with a four-person complement no earlier than Monday, Aug. 26, will see the introduction of new technologies and many records eclipsed — setting a…
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Polaris Dawn astronauts, set to perform first commercial spacewalk, arrive in Florida ahead of launch
The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission pose in front of the Alpha jets they flew in on to the Kennedy Space Center. Left to right: Mission Specialist Anna Menon, Pilot Scott “Kidd” Potent, Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now The four-member crew of what is set to be an…
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Launch Roundup: Polaris Dawn aims high, Starlink launches continue
A total of five flights were on the worldwide launch manifest for this week. Most notable was to be the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 with the Polaris Dawn mission. A modified Crew Dragon capsule will carry four astronauts into the highest orbit a crewed mission has flown in since the Gemini missions. In…
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SpaceX launches new Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission following ‘water intrusion’ issue
A Falcon 9 rocket soars above Florida on the Starlink 10-5 mission. NASA and SpaceX decided to use the first launch of booster B1085 on this Starlink flight instead of first flying it on the Crew-9 mission due to a “water intrusion” issue that happened during transport from Texas to Florida. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now…
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SpaceX completes static fire of Falcon 9 rocket ahead of Starlink and Crew 9 missions
On Monday, SpaceX fired the nine Merlin engines on its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the planned launch of the Starlink 10-5 mission on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. The booster, B1085, will also launch the Crew-9 mission for NASA no earlier than Sept. 24. Image: Spaceflight Now SpaceX completed a test fire of a brand-new…
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SpaceX launches Transporter-11 rideshare with 116 payloads
On Friday, Aug. 15, 2024, SpaceX launched the Transporter-11 rideshare mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). Liftoff occurred at 11:56 AM PT (18:56 UTC), 36 minutes into a 53-minute launch window. At the end of the mission SpaceX declared that all payloads were successfully deployed. Payloads were deployed…
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SpaceX launches 116 payloads on Falcon 9 rideshare mission, Transporter-11
A collection of smallsats integrated ahead of SpaceX’s rideshare mission, Transporter-11, ahead of encapsulation within the payload fairings. Image: SpaceX Update 5:46 p.m. EDT: SpaceX confirms successful deployment of all payloads. SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, sending dozens of spacecraft into orbit with its latest rideshare mission launching from…
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SpaceX launches 2nd pair of Maxar’s WorldView Legion satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
A Falcon 9 rocket ascends from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying a pair of Maxar’s WorldView Legion satellites to a mid-inclination orbit. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update 10:57 am EDT: SpaceX confirms deployment of the second of two WorldView Legion satellites on this mission. SpaceX launched a pair of Maxar Space…
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Launch Roundup: Progress MS-28, Indian SSLV, Chinese CZ-4B, and Falcon 9 flights scheduled
The second full week of August is another busy one, with five flights scheduled including the final certification flight of a new launch vehicle from India. The Falcon 9 and Soyuz rockets were also scheduled to fly this week with one mission to the International Space Station and a pair of non-Starlink flights from both…