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118 articles
VideoNext Starship explodes on test stand
SpaceX's next Starship vehicle, Ship 36, was destroyed in a catastrophic explosion shortly after 11 p.m. CT (0400 UTC) Wednesday as it was being readied for a static fire test at the company's Massey facility, near Starbase, Texas.
VideoLaunch preview: SpaceX to launch its Starship-Super Heavy rocket on its 9th test flight
The launch will be preceded by a company talk from Elon Musk, discussing SpaceX’s plans for developing the rocket for Mars exploration. Launch teams are targeting a liftoff from Pad A at Starbase, Texas, on Tuesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. CDT (7:30 p.m. EDT, 2330 UTC).
VideoProposed 24 percent cut to NASA budget eliminates key Artemis architecture, climate research
The budget proposal coming from the White House would also reduce spending on the International Space Station program by more than $500 million.
VideoLaunch preview: SpaceX to launch Starship Flight 8 following Monday scrub
The eighth launch of SpaceX’s fully integrated Starship rocket will largely repeat the mission objectives of the previous flight, which saw the breakup of the Ship upper stage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. SpaceX is currently targeting Thursday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. CST (6:30 p.m. EST, 2330 UTC).
VideoNASA leaders, Artemis contractors argue importance of architecture continuity for returning to the Moon
Representatives from NASA, Boeing and Lockheed Martin argued that the United States shouldn’t skip past the Moon in favor of Mars when it comes to crewed deep space exploration. The discussion came up during a panel at the SpaceCom conference concerning the forthcoming Artemis 2 mission.
VideoSpaceX successfully catches Super Heavy booster, loses Starship upper stage during Flight 7
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said that their initial assessment is that there was "an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity." The company is pursuing a launch in February, assuming the Federal Aviation Administration accepts their mishap investigation report.
VideoLaunch preview: SpaceX to launch its Starship rocket on a 7th suborbital test flight from Starbase
The mission will launch the first big block upgrade to the rocket since its first flight in 2023. Liftoff from SpaceX’s Starbase facilities in southern Texas is set for 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST, 2200 UTC).
VideoHistory made: Blue Origin becomes first new space company to reach orbit on its first launch
Blue Origin was unsuccessful in recovering its first stage booster, but was able to achieve its primary goal of reaching orbit. Liftoff from pad 36 occurred at 2:03 a.m. EST (0703 UTC).
VideoBlue Origin scrubs first New Glenn launch attempt due to “vehicle subsystem issue”
Blue Origin stood down from launch after multiple adjustments to the launch time. It ultimately determined that a technical issue was insurmountable in the time remaining on Monday.
VideoSpaceX to attempt first payload deployment, engine reuse during Starship Flight 7
Maritime and aviation warning suggest a launch no earlier than Jan. 10, but SpaceX hasn’t formally announced its target launch date. Flight 7 will also feature the first launch of a Block 2 Starship upper stage.