Elon Musk – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Entrepreneur books SpaceX flight to benefit children’s research hospital

February 2, 2021 William Harwood

Jared Isaacman, a wealthy businessman and pilot, is chartering a four-seat SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for what will be the first fully commercial, non-government piloted flight to orbit, SpaceX and the entrepreneur announced Monday. The mission will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Full video of Starship’s seven-minute high-altitude test flight

December 10, 2020 Stephen Clark

This video replay shot from South Padre Island shows SpaceX’s Starship SN8 prototype rocket taking off from Boca Chica, Texas, climbing high into the atmosphere, then gliding back to a fiery crash landing after an otherwise successful test flight.

Spectators watch the final fiery moments of the Starship test flight

December 10, 2020 Spaceflight Now

Spectators on South Padre Island watch the Starship prototype end its test flight in a fiery crash landing.

SpaceX’s Starship achieves most objectives in mesmerizing test flight

December 9, 2020 Stephen Clark

A full-size prototype of SpaceX’s heavy-lift Starship launch vehicle soared high into the atmosphere Wednesday in a spectacular test flight over South Texas, and successfully guided itself to a beachside landing site before exploding at touchdown. Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, hailed the nearly seven-minute test flight as a success.

Photos: SpaceX’s stainless-steel Starship SN8 test vehicle

December 8, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s latest Starship prototype, on its launch pad in South Texas, is ready for the rocket’s most daring test flight yet.

Gleaming prototype of SpaceX’s Starship ready for experimental flight

December 7, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is gearing up for the next big leap in the development of the next-generation Starship heavy-lift launch vehicle with a test flight to more than 40,000 feet over the Texas Gulf Coast as soon as Tuesday.

NASA formally certifies SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for “operational” astronaut flights

November 10, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA officials gave approval Tuesday for SpaceX to begin regular crew rotation flights to the International Space Station with the launch of four astronauts set for Saturday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, signaling a transition from development to operations for the human-rated Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX test-fires Starship prototype with three engines

October 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX fired three Raptor engines on a prototype of the company’s Starship vehicle Tuesday, accomplishing another milestone on the road toward testing of the methane-fueled rocket at higher altitudes.

After second hop, SpaceX preps for next phase of Starship testing

September 9, 2020 Stephen Clark

After another Starship hop test last week, SpaceX is set to build the first prototype for the next-gen rocket’s huge first stage booster. Meanwhile, testing will commence soon on the Raptor engine model needed for orbital Starship missions.

Elon Musk offers update on SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket

September 1, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX founder Elon Musk detailed progress on the company’s next-generation Starship program Monday, saying the huge rocket could “probably” attempt its first launch into Earth orbit next year, and adding that the Starship will fly hundreds of missions before SpaceX puts people on-board.