Category: Rocket Launch

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NASA’s InSight lander launches on a mission to unlock the secrets of Mars

sudshr47 May 5, 2018

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NASA’s InSight lander and two tiny satellites are on their way to Mars.

An Atlas V rocket — which also launched NASA’s Curiosity rover to the red planet — lofted the payload into space on Saturday at 7:05 a.m. ET from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. 

After it deploys from the rocket at about 8:40 a.m. ET, the InSight lander, designed to unlock the secrets of Mars’ interior, will spend about six months traveling to Mars, trailed by the two cubesats. 

This was the first Mars mission launched from Vandenberg, situated next to the Pacific Ocean.  Read more…

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A SpaceX rocket launch blew a temporary hole in Earth’s upper atmosphere

sudshr47 March 27, 2018

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On August 24, 2017, the charged particles of Earth’s ionosphere were doing what they typically do: hanging out between 37 and 620 miles above the Earth’s surface, basking in incoming ultraviolet radiation from the sun. 

Suddenly, and rather rudely from the ionosphere’s perspective, many of these particles were blown apart as a massive shockwave swept through this layer of the atmosphere. 

The massive, circular shockwave — which was four times the size of the state of California — accompanied the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Taiwanese Earth observation satellite into orbit about 450 miles above the planet.  Read more…

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SpaceX boat tries to catch pricey rocket nosecone in the Pacific Ocean, but misses

sudshr47 February 22, 2018

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After SpaceX successfully blasted three satellites into space early Thursday morning, the company tried to catch the Falcon 9 rocket’s expensive nosecone, also known as a fairing, on a ship in the Pacific Ocean. The vessel, named “Mr. Steven,” was outfitted with a giant net.

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the boat missed catching the fairing by “a few hundred meters,” but he thinks there’s a simple fix: Bigger parachutes to better control the parachuting fairing.

Missed by a few hundred meters, but fairing landed intact in water. Should be able catch it with slightly bigger chutes to slow down descent.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2018 Read more…

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Elon Musk’s ‘Starman’ Tesla Roadster isn’t your typical piece of space junk

sudshr47 February 8, 2018

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Launching a Tesla Roadster into outer space may have been ridiculous, but the vehicle is far from being worthless space junk.

The stunt actually served an important engineering purpose.

Engineers commonly load their rockets with heavy simulation cargo — often made of metal — so they can accurately test how these expensive launchers will behave as they blast through the skies at some 18,000 miles per hour. 

Elon Musk — in a somewhat grotesque show of wealth — decided to send a Tesla in lieu of hunks of metal, called mass models, which are intended to simulate how a load of cargo will act during a rocket’s flight.  Read more…

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Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla will overshoot Mars and land somewhere in the asteroid belt

sudshr47 February 7, 2018

After spending six hours orbiting Earth, Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla rocketed deeper into space.
SpaceX originally planned for the vehicle to land in a solar system orbit that would at times bring the Roadster near Mars, but it appears the Tesla wi…

View More Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla will overshoot Mars and land somewhere in the asteroid belt
Asteroids Elon Musk Rocket Launch Science Solar System

Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla will overshoot Mars and land somewhere in the asteroid belt

sudshr47 February 7, 2018

After spending six hours orbiting Earth, Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla rocketed deeper into space.
SpaceX originally planned for the vehicle to land in a solar system orbit that would at times bring the Roadster near Mars, but it appears the Tesla wi…

View More Elon Musk’s outer space Tesla will overshoot Mars and land somewhere in the asteroid belt
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Elon Musk just revealed a secret message SpaceX sent to space aboard the cosmic Tesla

sudshr47 February 6, 2018

Elon Musk is always one for a nice surprise. 
Just after SpaceX launched the first flight of its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday, lofting a red Tesla Roadster to deep space, Musk revealed a little secret hidden within the cosmic car. 
SEE AL…

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Elon Musk’s ‘Starman’ is our new space hero

sudshr47 February 6, 2018

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He drives a cherry red Tesla Roadster. In space. While listening to David Bowie. He is … STARMAN and he’s cooler than all us Earthlings. 

The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched its unique test cargo into space Tuesday afternoon, successfully sending the Roadster and our dear Starman “driver” off for an unprecedented adventure. The much-anticipated launch demonstrated that SpaceX’s beefed-up rocket can lift heavier craft into space for future missions to the moon and Mars.

View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earthpic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018 Read more…

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SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy, its most powerful rocket, and landed 2 boosters

sudshr47 February 6, 2018

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After years of delays and technical difficulties, it finally happened. 

SpaceX just launched its most powerful rocket ever. 

The Falcon Heavy took flight into a clear sky in Cape Canaveral, Florida with hundreds of thousands of people watching online and in person. 

The roar of the rocket – which is effectively three of the company’s Falcon 9 boosters strapped together – was deafening, even from miles away. The ground shook. 

SpaceX then brought home two of the Falcon Heavy’s three nine engine rocket boosters, landing two by land next to each other. As of publish, we’re still waiting for news about the third booster, which was attempting to land on a drone ship in the ocean. Read more…

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View More SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy, its most powerful rocket, and landed 2 boosters
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SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy, its most powerful rocket, and landed 2 boosters

sudshr47 February 6, 2018

TwitterFacebook

After years of delays and technical difficulties, it finally happened. 

SpaceX just launched its most powerful rocket ever. 

The Falcon Heavy took flight into a clear sky in Cape Canaveral, Florida with hundreds of thousands of people watching online and in person. 

The roar of the rocket – which is effectively three of the company’s Falcon 9 boosters strapped together – was deafening, even from miles away. The ground shook. 

SpaceX then brought home two of the Falcon Heavy’s three nine engine rocket boosters, landing two by land next to each other. As of publish, we’re still waiting for news about the third booster, which was attempting to land on a drone ship in the ocean. Read more…

More about Space, Tesla, Rocket Launch, Elon Musk, and Rockets

View More SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy, its most powerful rocket, and landed 2 boosters