Tag: Launches & Spacecraft

Well, that was quick. SpaceX can resume flying its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced this evening (Aug. 30). The news comes just two days after a Falcon 9 first stage crashed while attempting to land after a successful launch of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites, spurring an investigation overseen by the FAA. That investigation is ongoing, but the agency has un-grounded the Falcon 9 nonetheless. “The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group…

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The four astronauts of SpaceX’s private Polaris Dawn mission that will perform the first commercial spacewalk are taking delays to their launch in stride. The mission was initially slated to launch Aug. 27, but was delayed to Aug. 28 due to technical issues. Polaris Dawn was then postponed two more days, to no earlier than Friday, Aug. 30, due to splashdown weather concerns for the end of the mission. Now, the launch depends upon the completion of a mishap investigation required by the Federal Aviation Administration,…

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SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded, at least for a little while. A Falcon 9 successfully launched 21 of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites this morning (Aug. 28), sending them to orbit on the record-breaking 23rd mission for the rocket’s first stage. That booster encountered a problem during its return to Earth, however, toppling over shortly after landing at sea on a SpaceX droneship. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that it’s requiring an investigation into the failed touchdown — and that the Falcon 9 won’t fly again until…

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2024-08-20T20:08:06.397Z Polaris Dawn crew 1 week from launch (Image credit: Polaris Program / John Kraus) The four private astronauts of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission are a week away from launch after two years of training for a mission that, they hope, will include the world’s first private spacewalk.  American billionaire Jared Isaacman, who previously backed his private Inspiration4 spaceflight with SpaceX, will command the Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three new spaceflights he’s purchased from SpaceX.  Isaacman, pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon,…

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For avid skywatchers around the world, this week begins with trying to get a glimpse of the Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft that’s set to swing past both the moon and Earth over the span of just one day — a combination scientists have deemed to be the world’s first. The European Space Agency (ESA) launched JUICE in April last year to explore Jupiter and three of its biggest moons — Ganymede, Callisto and Europa, all of which are thought to contain oceans of liquid water beneath their icy shells. The spacecraft’s…

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An uncrewed Russian cargo ship successfully docked at the International Space Station early Saturday (Aug. 17) to deliver tons of fresh gear, food and other vital supplies.  The automated Progress 89 spacecraft linked up with the International Space Station (ISS) at 1:53 a.m. EDT (0553 GMT) at the station’s Russian-built Zvezda service module as both spacecraft sailed 260 miles (418 km) over the South Pacific Ocean.  “Contact confirmed, docking confirmed,” NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during live commentary as the Progress spacecraft arrived. “Progress has reached the International Space Station.” …

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SpaceX launched an epic rideshare mission to space today (Aug. 16). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 116 different satellites launched on the company’s Transporter 11 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:56 p.m. EDT (1856 GMT; 11:56 a.m. local time.) The first stage of Falcon 9 landed nearby the launch site roughly eight minutes after liftoff, as seen in the broadcast on X, formerly Twitter. It was the 12th successful flight for the veteran booster. SpaceX is expected to confirm the payload deployments later today. SpaceX Transporter 11 lifts…

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SpaceX sent another group of Starlink satellites to space today (Aug. 10) as the company continues to assemble its giant internet constellation. A Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink spacecraft to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at 8:50 a.m. EDT (1250 GMT), after a one-day weather delay. As is typical for these missions, the first stage of Falcon 9 made a soft landing back on Earth roughly eight minutes after launch, touching down on the SpaceX droneship Just Read the…

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SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink satellites to orbit early Sunday (Aug. 4), continuing a busy stretch for the company. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday at 3:24 a.m. EDT (0724 GMT; 12:24 a.m. local California time). The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth about eight minutes after launch as planned, landing on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches…

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July 30 LIVE Broadcast: Atlas V USSF-51 – YouTube Watch On United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) venerable Atlas V rocket will fly its final national security mission on Tuesday morning (July 30), and you can watch the action live. The Atlas V is is scheduled to launch from Florida’s Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT), on a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force called USSF-51.  You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of ULA, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin…

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