November 2023 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches more than a hundred payloads on Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg

November 11, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a rideshare mission to low Earth orbit with a multitude of small payloads. The Transporter-9 mission lifted off into a clear blue sky at 10:49 a.m. PST (18:49 UTC).

SpaceX launches Dragon cargo ship to space station

November 10, 2023 William Harwood

Lighting up the night sky, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaked into orbit in spectacular fashion Thursday, kicking off a 32-hour rendezvous with the International Space Station to deliver 6,500 pounds of research gear, crew supplies and needed equipment.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on 29th resupply mission to the Space Station

November 9, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Rodents, water filters and a laser relay are among the 6,500 pounds of science and equipment that will launch to the International Space Station on Thursday evening. A Falcon 9 rocket launched carrying a SpaceX Cargo Dragon at 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 UTC on Nov. 10) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

U.S. military’s X-37B mini-shuttle to launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy for the first time

November 9, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The U.S. military’s experimental spaceplane will soon soar to orbit using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, a Pentagon news release announced. The X-37B spacecraft will launch from the Kennedy Space Center no earlier than December 7.

Capitol Hill budget battle may limit initial funding of some National Security Space Launch missions

November 8, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Among the 21 missions set to be ordered in the fifth year of Phase 2 task orders, only eight are anticipated to be ordered under a continuing resolution.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on 80th orbital launch of the year

November 7, 2023 Steven Young

SpaceX completed the Starlink delivery mission from Cape Canaveral Tuesday night, the first of two planned Falcon 9 launches in less than 48 hours. Liftoff from pad 40 occurred at 12:05 a.m. EST (0505 UTC).

Private astronaut mission likely first to use SpaceX’s new crew access tower

November 6, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

A crew access arm was lifted into place at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on Monday, as SpaceX races to ready the pad for its first Crew Dragon launch with astronauts as soon as January.

SpaceX poised for ‘mid-November’ launch of second Starship test flight

November 4, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

More than half a year after its first flight, SpaceX believes it’s on the cusp of getting to launch its Starship rocket for a second time.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 booster from Cape Canaveral on recording-breaking 18th flight

November 3, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX broke another re-flight record on Friday evening with the launch of 23 more Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 booster making its 18th flight. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 8:37 p.m. EDT (0037 UTC on Nov. 4).

Mixed results for spacewalkers after time lost dealing with difficult-to-loosen bolts

November 1, 2023 William Harwood

Astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara worked outside the International Space Station Wednesday to replace a bearing assembly in one of the lab’s solar array rotation mechanisms. But the task took longer than expected and they were unable to retrieve a failed electronics box as planned.