Ariane 6, the European Space Agency‘s (ESA) next-generation launch vehicle recently passed a major milestone as the rocket moves closer to its debut. A Nov. 23 wet dress rehearsal put the spacecraft and its ground crews to the test, running through a full countdown and rocket fueling, and culminating in a 7-minute firing of the core stage’s main engine. A new video released by ESA and posted to the agency’s YouTube channel highlights the Nov. 23 test in a timelapse compilation, condensing the rocket rollout and hot fire to about…
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SpaceX set to launch 23 Starlink satellites from Florida tonight
SpaceX plans to launch 23 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida tonight (Nov. 21), continuing a busy stretch for the company. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a nearly four-hour window that opens at 11:01 p.m. EDT (0401 GMT on Nov. 22). You can watch the action live via SpaceX’s account on X (formerly known as Twitter), beginning about five minutes before the launch window opens. Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in…
Read MoreSpaceX poised to launch 22 Starlink satellites early Nov. 19
SpaceX plans to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California early on Sunday morning (Nov. 19). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Sunday during a four-hour window that opens at 1:55 a.m. EDT (0655 GMT; 10:55 p.m. on Nov. 18 local California time). You can watch the action live via SpaceX’s account on X (formerly known as Twitter). Coverage will begin about five minutes before launch. Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the…
Read MoreSpaceX’s 2nd Starship launch test looks amazing in these stunning photos and videos
SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket, the most powerful rocket on Earth, on its second test flight this weekend, and while the vehicle may have met an explosive end, its flight absolutely amazing to behold. Stunning photos and video by SpaceX, Space.com, news wires and the public show the sheer spectacle of the Starship second test launch, which SpaceX launched early Saturday (Nov. 18) from its Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. In a big milestone for SpaceX, the rocket’s two stages separated successfully. The Super Heavy booster…
Read MoreSpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites tonight on 1st of back-to-back missions
SpaceX is set to launch 22 Starlink internet satellites from Florida tonight (Nov. 17), on the first of two planned missions in a three-hour span. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station tonight during a four-hour window that opens at 11:00 p.m. EDT (0400 GMT on Nov. 18). You can watch the action live via SpaceX’s account on X (formerly known as Twitter). Coverage is expected to begin about five minutes before launch. Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see…
Read MoreNASA and Japan to launch world’s 1st wooden satellite as soon as 2024. Why?
NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are planning to launch the world’s first wooden satellite into space in a bid to make spaceflight more sustainable. LignoSat, a coffee mug-size satellite made from magnolia wood, is set to launch into Earth’s orbit by summer 2024, according to the space agencies. Wood doesn’t burn or rot in the lifeless vacuum of space, but it will incinerate into a fine ash upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, making it a surprisingly useful, biodegradable material for future satellites. After successfully testing their wood samples…
Read MoreSpaceX delays second Starship test launch to Nov. 18 to replace rocket part
We’ll have to wait at least one more day to see Starship’s second-ever flight. SpaceX had been targeting Friday morning (Nov. 17) for the second test launch of its huge Starship rocket. But that’s no longer the plan. “We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday,” company founder and CEO Elon Musk announced today (Nov. 16) via X (formerly known as Twitter). (Grid fins are the waffle-iron-like structures on Starship’s Super Heavy first stage, which help the booster steer its way back to Earth.)…
Read MoreWatch SpaceX’s Starship launch for 2nd time ever on Nov. 17
SpaceX plans to launch its Starship vehicle for the second time ever on Friday (Nov. 17), and you can watch the historic liftoff live. SpaceX aims to launch Starship, a next-generation system designed to take people and payloads to deep space, on Friday during a two-hour window that opens at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT). Liftoff will occur from Starbase, the company’s site in coastal South Texas. You can watch the action here at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin at 7:30 a.m. EST…
Read MoreSpaceX gets license for 2nd launch of giant Starship rocket
Starship has been cleared for its second-ever liftoff. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today (Nov. 15) that it has granted a license for the second launch of Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation space transportation system. “The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle,” agency officials wrote in an emailed statement this afternoon. “The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.” The liftoff is set to occur Friday (Nov. 17) from Starbase, a SpaceX facility in South…
Read MoreSpaceX says its 2nd Starship test flight could launch on Nov. 17 (video)
SpaceX’s next Starship test launch could lift off as early as Nov. 17, pending regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies. The potential launch from SpaceX‘s Starbase test site at Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas will mark the company’s second test flight of an orbital class Starship and Super Heavy booster — the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX launched its first Starship test flight in April, but it exploded shortly after liftoff. “Starship preparing to launch as early as November 17, pending final…
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