The U.S. Air Force wants to maintain its options: It awarded a total of $640 million in satellite launch contracts to both SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance (Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s joint space launch venture), with the goal of making sure it has access to at least two options for launching its payloads to […]
View More SpaceX and United Launch Alliance land $640 million in Air Force launchesCategory: space tourism
Rocket Lab’s next launch vaults it into full commercial operation
Rocket launch startup Rocket Lab is moving from its initial testing phase into proper commercial operations with its next mission. The company’s past two launches, “It’s a Test” and “Still Testing” were (you guessed it) primarily tests of its Electron launch craft vehicle and launch process, but its next mission, dubbed “It’s Business Time” (kudos […]
mu Space targets 2020 launch of first satellite aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn
Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn rocket, the reusable launch vehicle created by Blue Origin to put people and large cargo into orbit, has a new confirmed payload for one of its first missions: mu Space. The Thai satellite startup announced it would be working with Blue Origin late last year, but now it has confirmed that the agreement is in place, with a launch window that opens in late 2020.… Read More
Watch this Falcon Heavy reel by Westworld co-creator, including core landing miss
If you couldn’t be at the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch that happened earlier this year, the next best thing might be watching this highlight reel of the launch, the voyage of Elon’s Tesla-driving Starman and the landing/landing attempt of the three Falcon Heavy booster cores. Set to David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars?’, the nearly two-minute clip has plenty of footage of… Read More
Watch SpaceX launch a record-sized satellite on its 50th Falcon 9 live
SpaceX is setting up to launch its 50th Falcon 9 rocket, with a payload that also represents a new milestone. The two-hour launch window is set to begin at 12:33 AM EST (9:33 PM PST) so it’s a late one, but if you’re a fan of watching SpaceX make history, this is one to watch. The Falcon 9 launching tonight is carrying Hispasat 30W-6, a satellite destined for Geostationary… Read More
SpaceX misses catching Falcon 9 rocket fairing with a giant net on a big ship
SpaceX nearly succeeded in catching the fairing used in its PAZ Falcon 9 mission on Thursday, using a barge called ‘Mr. Steven’ that uses four giant arms with a net strung between them to secure the used nosecone once it floats back from space. The fairing missed the boat by just a few hundred meters, but did land intact in the water, at least. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk noted that… Read More
SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 carrying Starlink demo satellites
SpaceX has successfully launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base today, its first launch since its successful Falcon Heavy test earlier this month. The launch took off early Wednesday morning, after being rescheduled a couple o…
View More SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 carrying Starlink demo satellitesWatch SpaceX launch its first broadband internet satellites to space live here
SpaceX is making a second attempt to launch its PAZ mission today, which includes the PAZ satellite from client Hisdesat, and is set for launch during an instantaneous window at 6:17 AM PST, or 9:17 AM EST. The mission was scrubbed on Wednesday d…
View More Watch SpaceX launch its first broadband internet satellites to space live hereWatch SpaceX launch a Falcon 9 carrying its first internet demo satellites live here
UPDATE: Today’s attempt has been scrubbed due to high upper atmosphere winds. The next attempt window is Thursday February 22 at the same time. SpaceX is launching a Falcon 9 with client Hisdesat’s PAZ satellite on board today, provided weather remains favorable and everything else goes according to plan. The satellite, an imaging and radar instrument with a planned lifespan of… Read More
SpaceX to use a net boat called ‘Mr. Steven’ to recover next rocket fairing
SpaceX is all about reducing the cost of launching things into space, and right now one of those costs it think it can eliminate is having to use a new fairing every time it launches a rocket. The fairing is basically the shell at the top of the rocket that protects whatever cargo’s being launched (for instance, it housed the Tesla Roadster and SpaceX’s Starman mannequin during… Read More
Here’s what it was like to be there when SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy
SpaceX made history earlier this week with its Falcon Heavy launch: The Falcon Heavy is now the largest active rocket in terms of cargo capacity, and is able to propel over 140,000 lbs of cargo to lower Earth orbit, or smaller loads all the way t…
View More Here’s what it was like to be there when SpaceX launched the Falcon HeavySpaceX’s spacesuited Starman mannequin serves a real purpose
SpaceX put a “Starman” into space today, on a path to a potential wide looping orbit of Mars and Earth — it was actually a mannequin wearing an official SpaceX crew flight suit, but it was more than just a fun payload for a rocket that stood every chance of exploding mid-flight, it turns out. Read More