Falcon 9 – Page 87 – Spaceflight Now

Component fatigue caused early shutdown of Merlin engine on last SpaceX launch

March 1, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has concluded fatigue on an engine cover caused one of the nine Merlin 1D first stage engines on the company’s most recent launch to shut down early during ascent, leading to the loss of the booster during an offshore landing attempt in the Atlantic Ocean, an official said Monday.

Live coverage: SpaceX delays Falcon 9 launch to Thursday morning

February 28, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX will not be making a Falcon 9 launch attempt Tuesday night. The next opportunities to launch the Falcon 9 with 60 Starlink satellites from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center will come at 3:24 a.m. EST (0824 GMT) or 5:42 a.m. EST (0942 GMT) Thursday. This change in launch time suggests SpaceX will target a different orbital plane within the Starlink constellation.

SpaceX says “heat damage” caused landing failure on recent Falcon 9 mission

February 25, 2021 Stephen Clark

A senior SpaceX official said this week that “heat damage” led to the failure of a Falcon 9 booster during a landing attempt Feb. 15, but the company will press on with more launches and will likely surpass the 10-flight threshold on one of its reusable rockets soon. The next Falcon 9 launch, using a booster flying on its eighth mission, is scheduled for liftoff from Florida with 60 more Starlink internet satellites Sunday night.

Cancer survivor named to SpaceX flight promoting St. Jude hospital

February 23, 2021 William Harwood

A 29-year-old cancer survivor, now a physician’s assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will blast off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule later this year for a flight dedicated to raising money for the Memphis medical center. It will be the first orbital spaceflight with no professional astronauts on board.

Next SpaceX launch postponed

February 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has postponed its next launch of Starlink internet satellites from Wednesday after a Falcon 9 booster missed a landing attempt on an offshore drone ship during an otherwise successful mission Monday night.

SpaceX successfully deploys 60 Starlink satellites, but loses booster on descent

February 16, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites Monday night from Cape Canaveral, but lost the Falcon 9 rocket’s reusable first stage booster during a landing attempt on a drone ship parked in the Atlantic Ocean.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

February 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites at 10:59 p.m. EST Monday (0359 GMT Tuesday) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission successfully placed the Starlink payloads into orbit, but the Falcon 9 booster failed during a landing attempt offshore.

Photos: Falcon 9 test-fired before Starlink launch

February 14, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX test-fired nine Merlin engines Saturday before the company’s next launch from Cape Canaveral, clearing a key readiness test before liftoff as soon as Sunday night with 60 more Starlink internet satellites.

SpaceX gearing up for two more Starlink missions within days

February 12, 2021 Stephen Clark

Days after SpaceX opened preorders for Starlink internet service, two more Falcon 9 rockets are set to launch from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as Sunday night and Wednesday morning — weather permitting — to help push the network closer to commercial operations.

Photos: Sixty more Starlinks rocket through moonlit sky over Cape Canaveral

February 8, 2021 Stephen Clark

With another SpaceX rocket poised for launch just a few miles away, a Falcon 9 launcher soared through a moonlit sky over Cape Canaveral on Feb. 4 carrying 60 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit.