Commercial Space – Page 5 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches Transporter 7 rideshare mission from California

April 15, 2023 Stephen Clark

After several delays to wait for improved weather, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket into space Saturday from California’s Central Coast with 51 small satellites, payloads, and orbital transfer vehicles from customers around the world.

FAA clears SpaceX to launch world’s largest rocket

April 15, 2023 Stephen Clark

The Federal Aviation Administration approved a commercial license Friday for the first full-scale test flight of SpaceX’s nearly 400-foot-tall Super Heavy and Starship mega-rocket from South Texas, a launch SpaceX said could happen as soon as Monday morning.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches rideshare mission with 51 small payloads

April 13, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, with 51 small satellites, hosted payloads, and orbital transfer vehicles heading into polar orbit on the Transporter 7 mission. Liftoff occurred at 11:48 p.m. PDT Friday (2:48 a.m. EDT; 0648 UTC Saturday).

Schedule for SpaceX’s Starship test flight hinges on FAA regulatory approval

April 13, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX continues to prepare for a launch attempt as soon as next week for the first test flight of its Super Heavy booster and Starship rocket, with final work on the ship’s self-destruct system, data reviews, and the receipt of an FAA license still to come before teams proceed into a countdown in South Texas.

SpaceX readying Starship rocket for around-the-world test flight next week

April 11, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX said Tuesday it won’t perform a final countdown dress rehearsal this week for the giant new Starship launch vehicle, and could send the rocket — standing nearly 40 stories tall on its Texas launch pad — on an around-the-world test flight as soon as next week.

SpaceX launches Intelsat satellite with NASA air quality sensor

April 6, 2023 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral shortly after midnight Friday with Intelsat 40e, a communications satellite destined to beam broadband internet signals to airplane and cruise ship passengers across North America while hosting a NASA instrument package to monitor air pollution.

NASA air quality sensor ready for launch with Intelsat satellite

April 5, 2023 Stephen Clark

A $210 million NASA mission to improve air pollution monitoring over North America is set to launch Thursday with an Intelsat communications satellite blasting off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX launches another bundle of Starlink internet satellites

March 29, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX delivered 56 more Starlink internet satellites into the company’s global internet constellation after liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Wednesday, bringing the total number of Starlinks launched to 4,217 spacecraft.

Blue Origin blames September New Shepard abort on engine nozzle failure

March 27, 2023 William Harwood

Structural failure of the nozzle at the base of a rocket engine powering an unpiloted New Shepard spacecraft toward the edge of space last September triggered a dramatic-but-safe in-flight abort, builder Blue Origin announced Friday, saying the company has identified fixes and plans to resume sub-orbital flights “soon.”

Indian launch gives OneWeb enough satellites for global internet service

March 26, 2023 Stephen Clark

The successful launch of 36 more OneWeb satellites aboard India’s most powerful rocket Saturday brought the total number of OneWeb spacecraft in orbit to 618, enough for the London-based company to start global broadband service later this year.