B1059 – 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.

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.

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.

Two payloads orbited by SpaceX’s launch of NRO mission

December 27, 2020 Stephen Clark

Tracking information released by the U.S. military indicates two government payloads rode a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Dec. 19 on the NROL-108 mission, a dedicated launch for the National Reconnaissance Office.

SpaceX closes out record-setting year of launches from Florida’s Space Coast

December 19, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX hurled a secret cargo into space for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency Saturday, the 30th rocket launch to fly into Earth orbit from pads on Florida’s Space Coast in 2020. The Falcon 9 flight broke an annual record for missions to reach orbit from the Florida spaceport that stood for 54 years.

SpaceX scrubs Falcon 9 launch to assess second stage issue

December 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX scrubbed a Falcon 9 launch attempt Thursday to evaluate a “slightly high” pressure reading in the rocket’s upper stage liquid oxygen tank, and officials have rescheduled the company’s final mission of the year for Saturday morning.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches NRO payload, lands booster at Cape Canaveral

December 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s final Falcon 9 launch of the year carried a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. SpaceX aborted a launch attempt Thursday morning to assess a second stage sensor reading, but the Falcon 9 successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) Saturday. The rocket’s stage landed back at Cape Canaveral eight minutes later.

NRO using SpaceX’s commercial launch service for spy satellite payload

December 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to take off Thursday from Florida’s Space Coast with a secret cargo for the National Reconnaissance Office, which broke with standard practice to procure the launch commercially, outside of the government’s established contracting schemes.