SpaceX – Page 89 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX readies Falcon 9 for fifth Starlink mission

February 13, 2020 Spaceflight Now

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Cape Canaveral in preparation for liftoff as soon as Sunday with the company’s fifth batch of Starlink broadband satellites.

Former NASA spaceflight chief now consulting with SpaceX

February 11, 2020 William Harwood

Bill Gerstenmaier, former director of spaceflight at NASA Headquarters and a widely respected aerospace engineer and manager, has taken a consulting position at SpaceX, the California rocket company NASA helped save in 2008 with the award of a $1.6 billion contract to build and launch space station cargo ships.

SpaceX considers Starlink spinoff as teams ready for mid-February launch

February 7, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX says it is considering spinning off its Starlink broadband Internet project into a separate company, while teams at Cape Canaveral ready to launch around 60 more of the flat-panel data relay nodes into Earth orbit as soon as Feb. 15.

SpaceX wins contract to launch NASA’s PACE Earth science mission

February 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has won an $80 million contract to launch a NASA environmental research satellite aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in late 2022 to collect data on ocean ecosystems and clouds, a mission that the Trump administration wished to cancel.

Koch heads home after record-setting mission

February 5, 2020 William Harwood

Christina Koch, veteran of six spacewalks outside the International Space Station — including the first all-female excursion — will join a Russian commander and an Italian flight engineer for a fiery plunge back to Earth early Thursday, setting a new world record for the longest single flight by a female astronaut.

Photos: Falcon 9 lifts off on fourth dedicated launch for Starlink network

January 31, 2020 Stephen Clark

The 80th flight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket delivered 60 more satellites to orbit for the company’s Starlink broadband network Wednesday after launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

SpaceX boosts 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit after weather delays

January 29, 2020 Stephen Clark

After waiting more than a week for good weather, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday from Cape Canaveral with 60 more satellites for the company’s Starlink Internet network, continuing to build out a fleet of fleet of orbiting broadband relay stations that could eventually number in the thousands.

SpaceX scrubs Starlink launch due to winds aloft, will try again Wednesday

January 27, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX called off a scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 rocket about a half-hour before liftoff from Cape Canaveral Monday due to strong upper level winds, and officials aim to try again to send 60 Starlink Internet satellites into orbit Wednesday after bypassing a planned launch attempt Tuesday due to poor weather in the offshore booster recovery area.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

January 27, 2020 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with more Starlink satellites

January 27, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday at 9:06 a.m. EST (1406 GMT) from Cape Canaveral with 60 satellites for the company’s Starlink Internet network. Previous attempts to launch the mission were stymied by strong upper level winds and rough seas in the Falcon 9’s downrange recovery area northeast of Cape Canaveral.