Falcon 9 – Page 61 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches and lands rocket National Reconnaissance Office mission

April 17, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a classified payload at dawn Sunday for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency, and landed the booster stage back at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket vertical on Vandenberg launch pad

April 16, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical Saturday at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California after a two-day delay caused by technical and weather problems. The rocket will carry a classified payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from California

April 15, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force in California at 6:13 a.m. PDT (9:13 a.m. EDT; 1313 GMT) Sunday with a top secret payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. The Falcon 9 booster returned to a vertical landing back at Vandenberg about eight minutes later. SpaceX delayed the launch from Friday due to a technical issue, then decided to skip a launch opportunity Saturday because of unfavorable upper level winds.

U.S. intelligence-gathering payloads awaiting launch on SpaceX rocket

April 14, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Central Coast just before sunrise Saturday, boosting a classified cargo into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office on what is widely believed to be a naval reconnaissance mission. The mission was delayed from Friday, allowing more time for pre-launch checkouts and data reviews, SpaceX said.

Live coverage: Four private astronauts launch to International Space Station

April 8, 2022 Stephen Clark

Four private citizens rode into orbit Friday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, taking aim on the International Space Station on the first all-commercial mission to visit the research complex. Liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurred at 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT).

SpaceX ready for launch of first all-commercial crew to space station

April 7, 2022 William Harwood

SpaceX and a Houston company are gearing up to launch four private citizens Friday on the first NASA-sanctioned, fully commercial flight to the International Space Station, a key step in a government push to encourage private-sector development on the high frontier.

NASA’s SLS moon rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 share the scene at Kennedy Space Center

April 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 shared the scene Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center — the first time since 2009 that rockets have stood on both pads at Launch Complex 39.

Falcon 9 rocket test-fired for Axiom commercial crew mission

April 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX rolled a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to their launch pad Tuesday and test-fired the booster’s engines Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center, setting up for launch Friday of four private space fliers on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station.

NASA bumps Artemis countdown rehearsal until after Axiom crew launch

April 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA officials said Tuesday they are standing down from a cryogenic loading test on the agency’s Space Launch System moon rocket until after the launch of a commercial crew mission from a neighboring pad at the Kennedy Space Center. A countdown test Monday was delayed by what NASA managers characterized as minor issues, including a liquid oxygen temperature concern and a manual valve that was left in the wrong configuration before teams evacuated the SLS launch pad.

Launch of Axiom’s commercial space station mission delayed until Friday

April 4, 2022 Stephen Clark

The launch of the first all-private crew to the International Space Station has been delayed to Friday, officials announced late Monday. The four commercial space fliers will ride to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.