Falcon 9 – Spaceflight Now

May 27, 2023

Breaking News

[ May 27, 2023 ] SpaceX rocket sends Arabsat communications satellite into orbit Mission Reports
[ May 26, 2023 ] NASA’s final two TROPICS CubeSats launched by Rocket Lab Falcon 9
[ May 25, 2023 ] Virgin Galactic resumes suborbital spaceflights Mission Reports
[ May 25, 2023 ] Whitson says commercial station visit critical to private-sector space ops Mission Reports
[ May 25, 2023 ] Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches NASA’s final two TROPICS satellites Mission Reports

NASA’s final two TROPICS CubeSats launched by Rocket Lab

May 26, 2023 Stephen Clark

The last two spacecraft in a four-satellite constellation of tropical cyclone research platforms took off late Thursday from New Zealand on a Rocket Lab Electron launcher, helping ensure NASA’s TROPICS mission is ready for observations in time for the peak of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.

SpaceX delays launch of Arabsat telecom satellite until Friday night

May 24, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX scrubbed a launch attempt early Wednesday at Cape Canaveral due to thick cloud cover, then delayed the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket with an Airbus-built communications satellite for Arabsat until Friday night to wait for improved weather and to make room for the test-firing of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket at a neighboring launch pad.

Two Americans, two Saudis launch on commercial astronaut mission

May 21, 2023 Stephen Clark

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, with more time in space than any other American, rocketed back into orbit for the fourth time Sunday, riding a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher from Florida with a fare-paying investor and private pilot, and the first two Saudi Arabian astronauts to fly to the International Space Station.

Axiom’s second crew mission has narrow window for launch

May 20, 2023 Stephen Clark

The second fully commercial astronaut flight to the International Space Station will have just two opportunities to launch Sunday and Monday, or else wait until after an upcoming SpaceX resupply mission next month to deliver a new set of high-priority solar arrays to the complex.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches satellites for OneWeb and Iridium

May 19, 2023 Stephen Clark

After scrubbing a launch attempt Friday, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday on a mission to send communications satellites from OneWeb and Iridium into polar orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Liftoff occurred at 6:16 a.m. PDT (9:16 a.m. EDT; 1316 UTC).

Overnight launch adds 56 more satellites to SpaceX’s Starlink fleet

May 14, 2023 Stephen Clark

Fifty-six more Starlink internet satellites lifted off early Sunday atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on SpaceX’s 32nd launch of the year.

SpaceX’s Falcon rocket family reaches 200 straight successful missions

May 10, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s launch of 51 more Starlink internet satellites Wednesday from California marked the 200th consecutive successful mission for the company’s Falcon rocket family, a record unmatched by any other space launch vehicle.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites from California

May 10, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 1:09 p.m. PDT (4:09 p.m. EDT) Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on a mission hauling 51 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit.

SpaceX rockets past 4,000 Starlink satellites in orbit with another launch

May 4, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX surpassed more than 4,000 Starlink internet satellites in orbit with the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket and another batch of 56 spacecraft Thursday from Cape Canaveral, the company’s fourth mission in less than a week.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with two O3b internet satellites

April 28, 2023 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off with a pair of O3b internet satellites for SES Friday evening from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but a last-minute abort for a Falcon Heavy mission later in the night prevented the company from pulling off a launch doubleheader.