October 2023 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Commercial space companies say cut red tape or U.S. will lose its lead in spaceflight

October 19, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic representatives all called for improvements to the regulatory framework that governs spaceflight operations during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

SpaceX battles regulatory process that could hold up Starship test flight for months

October 18, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX leadership is heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby for greater efficiency when it comes regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company is hoping to streamline the process of issuing launch licenses for both Starship test flights and more routine Falcon 9 rocket missions.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on 47th Starlink launch of 2023

October 17, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX launched 22 of its Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 UTC on Oct. 18).

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites on its second Friday launch

October 13, 2023 Spaceflight Now

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites, delayed by upper level winds and held up for the Falcon Heavy launch of NASA’s Psyche, is scheduled to liftoff from Cape Canaveral’s pad 40 at 7:01 p.m. EDT (2301 UTC) on Friday night.

Falcon Heavy launches NASA’s Psyche asteroid probe

October 13, 2023 William Harwood

Getting off to a ground-shaking start, NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche asteroid probe roared into space atop a Falcon Heavy rocket Friday, setting off on a 2.2-billion-mile voyage to a rare, metal-rich asteroid that may hold clues about how the cores of rocky planets like Earth first formed.

Live coverage: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches NASA’s Psyche on mission to a metal asteroid

October 13, 2023 Spaceflight Now

NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid has lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Launch from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is occurred at 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 UTC) Friday.

Weather delays launch of NASA’s billion-dollar Psyche mission to Friday

October 11, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Due to a poor weather forecast for the Thursday launch attempt, NASA and SpaceX are rescheduling the Psyche asteroid mission launch to Friday morning at 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 UTC).

Russian space station laboratory module coolant leak under investigation

October 9, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

An apparent exterior coolant leak from a Russian laboratory module at the International Space Station has been reported by the crew. It follows similar leaks that struck a Russian Soyuz crew ferry craft and a Progress cargo ship within the past year.

Strong winds stymie back-to-back SpaceX launch plans; Vandenberg launch successful

October 8, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX planned a pair of back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from both coasts but upper level winds scrubbed the liftoff from Florida. A Falcon 9 was able to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:43 a.m. PDT (0743 UTC).

Atlas 5 launches Amazon Kuiper satellites for tests of space-based internet service

October 7, 2023 William Harwood

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket blasted off Friday and boosted a pair of prototype internet satellites into orbit for Amazon’s Kuiper program, the latest entry in the increasingly competitive space-based broadband market currently dominated by SpaceX.