SpaceX – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX delays Falcon 9 launch to Tuesday night

February 28, 2021

A Falcon 9 rocket was set to haul 60 more Starlink broadband satellites into orbit Sunday night for SpaceX, but the countdown was aborted at T-minus 1 minute, 24 seconds. The next opportunity to launch the two-stage Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center is at 7:53 p.m. EST Tuesday (0053 GMT Wednesday). The rocket’s reusable first stage — flying on its eighth mission — will target a landing downrange on SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX says “heat damage” caused landing failure on recent Falcon 9 mission

February 25, 2021

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.

Cancer survivor named to SpaceX flight promoting St. Jude hospital

February 23, 2021

A 29-year-old cancer survivor, now a physician’s assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will blast off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule later this year for a flight dedicated to raising money for the Memphis medical center. It will be the first orbital spaceflight with no professional astronauts on board.

Next SpaceX launch postponed

February 16, 2021

SpaceX has postponed its next launch of Starlink internet satellites from Wednesday after a Falcon 9 booster missed a landing attempt on an offshore drone ship during an otherwise successful mission Monday night.

SpaceX successfully deploys 60 Starlink satellites, but loses booster on descent

February 16, 2021

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.

SpaceX planning launch of two Falcon Heavy missions in summer and fall

February 15, 2021

SpaceX plans two Falcon Heavy launches this year for the U.S. Space Force in July and October, and United Launch Alliance has four national security space missions on its 2021 schedule, according to a military spokesperson.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

February 14, 2021

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

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.

SpaceX gearing up for two more Starlink missions within days

February 12, 2021

Days after SpaceX opened preorders for Starlink internet service, two more Falcon 9 rockets are set to launch from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as Sunday night and Wednesday morning — weather permitting — to help push the network closer to commercial operations.

NASA decides to launch Europa Clipper on commercial rocket in 2024

February 11, 2021

NASA has decided to launch the multibillion-dollar Europa Clipper mission — a spacecraft to study a moon of Jupiter with an icy crust covering a liquid water ocean — aboard a commercial heavy-lift rocket in October 2024, and not on the government-owned Space Launch System, officials said Wednesday.