December 2024 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites during final orbital launch of 2024

December 29, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission was the 134th and final orbital launch from SpaceX in 2024. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center happened at 12:39 a.m. EST (0539 UTC) on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

SpaceX launches 4 Astranis satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

December 29, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX had to swap out the first stage booster used during the previous attempt and replace it with another for this mission. Liftoff from pad 40 happened at 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC) on Sunday, Dec. 29.

SpaceX launches final 2024 mission from Vandenberg

December 28, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission will the final Falcon 9 flight from California before the end of the year. Liftoff from pad 4 East happened at 5:58:30 p.m. PST (8:58:30 p.m. EST, 0158:30 UTC).

FAA grants commercial launch license to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket

December 27, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The important test is one of final big hurdles for Blue Origin to clear before it’s ready to launch on its inaugural orbital flight. Blue Origin didn’t announce a launch date following the FAA’s announcement of its launch license approval.

Nelson: Decision on Mars Sample Return expected before new administration takes office

December 27, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said teams were meeting at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, Dec. 20, to make some of the final determinations about how they will return dozens of samples from the Red Planet.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 21 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center

December 22, 2024 Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the midnight hour on Monday to add another 21 satellites to its orbiting Starlink fleet. Liftoff of the Starlink 12-2 mission from pad 39A was at 12:35 a.m. EST (0535 UTC).

SpaceX launches Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission on Falcon 9 rocket from California

December 21, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

This is the second batch of customer satellites that SpaceX will launch to a mid-inclination orbit. Liftoff from pad 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 3:34 a.m. PST (6:34 a.m. EST, 1134 UTC).

Mid-ignition issue forces a scrub of Falcon 9 launch with Astranis’ MicroGEO satellites

December 20, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed ‘Astranis: From One to Many,’ includes the company’s new UtilitySat, which is designed to relocate within geostationary Earth orbit over its life to respond to different mission objectives.

Space Force says first national security Vulcan launch now anticipated in spring 2025

December 18, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The first mission for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket as part of the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract will be USSF-106. ULA began stacking the rocket that will support this mission in October 2024.

SpaceX launches first two SES O3b mPOWER satellites with upgrades to address power issues seen on earlier spacecraft

December 17, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

This is will be the fourth pair of O3b mPOWER satellites launched to a medium Earth orbit. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A is set for 5:26 p.m. EST (2226 UTC).