SpaceX’s third Falcon 9 launch in a little over 31 hours was called off seconds before liftoff after the rocket’s onboard computer detected what Elon Musk says was a “tiny helium leak.” SpaceX takes “no risks with customer satellites,” per the CEO, so the company has stood down from its October 6th launch attempt to…
SpaceX has spent about $80 million on Starlink support in Ukraine since it started helping the country in its war with Russia. The SpaceX CEO has received backlash recently for his Ukraine-Russia peace plan. Elon Musk tweeted the monetary value SpaceX has provided to Ukraine to reaffirm his company’s— and by some extension, his— full…
NASA and SpaceX have signed a Space Act Agreement to study the feasibility of boosting the orbit of the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, potentially ensuring that the highly successful observatory will remain operable well into the middle of this century. Thanks to three servicing missions completed in the 1990s and 2000s, Hubble remains highly productive…
SpaceX and NASA officials have confirmed that they are moving forward with plans to modify the company’s second Florida launch pad to support Crew and Cargo Dragon missions. First reported by Reuters in June 2022, SpaceX began studying the possibility of modifying its Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) LC-40 pad for Dragon missions earlier this…
SpaceX and NASA have decided to delay Crew Dragon’s next astronaut launch from October 3rd to October 4th as Hurricane Ian rapidly approaches Florida’s west coast. While the hurricane will land on the side of Florida opposite NASA’s Kennedy Space Center launch facilities, where SpaceX leases Pad 39A, it’s still expected to impact parts of…
Ten months after launching into interplanetary space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) spacecraft has successfully impacted an asteroid moon. Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) carrying the 630-kilogram (~1400 lb) spacecraft on November 24th, 2021. The rocket performed flawlessly, continuing…
Starlink’s ramp is accelerating, and it is getting undeniable. Just around 19 months since opening pre-orders for the satellite internet system, SpaceX has produced 1 million Starlink terminals. Initial reports of the feat were reported recently, with space influencers such as @esherifftv noting that SpaceX has produced its 1 millionth Starlink terminal. The space enthusiast noted that she was…
Following several incomplete attempts in April, June, August, and September, NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket has almost aced a vital prelaunch test on the seventh try. NASA says that “all objectives were met” during the ten-hour test, which wrapped up around 4:30 pm EDT (20:30 UTC) on Wednesday, September 21st. Despite the…
CEO Elon Musk says that it’s “highly likely” SpaceX will be ready to attempt its first orbital Starship launch in November 2022, and possibly as early as late October. But many major hurdles remain. Adding to a welcome burst of insight into SpaceX’s fully-reusable Starship rocket program, Musk took to Twitter on September 21st to provide a…
SpaceX plans to bring Starlink internet to students on school buses in the U.S., according to a new filing with the Federal Communications Commission. The space exploration company is collaborating with several school districts for pilot projects in rural areas of the country to support students who have to travel on long bus routes. This gives students internet access…