SpaceX – Page 188 – Spaceflight Now

Falcon 9 countdown halted by faulty radar tracker

February 9, 2015 Stephen Clark

A problem with a U.S. Air Force tracking radar kept a Falcon 9 rocket crowned with a NOAA space weather observatory grounded Sunday, forcing a long-delayed mission to stay on Earth an extra day.

New challenges await SpaceX’s next rocket landing attempt

February 7, 2015 Stephen Clark

A rocket recovery team positioned off Florida’s East Coast is standing by for liftoff Sunday of a Falcon 9 launcher with a space weather satellite, but the demanding trajectory of the flight adds more unknowns to the company’s dicey endeavor to land the booster on a ship at sea.

Storied space weather observatory finally ready for launch

February 7, 2015 Stephen Clark

The world’s most distant weather outpost is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launching to a point a million miles from Earth to warn forecasters of solar storms that could disrupt global air traffic, satellite navigation and power grids.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 soars into space with DSCOVR

February 7, 2015 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off Wednesday carrying NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory, the world’s most distant weather satellite heading for a point a million miles from Earth. Launch from Cape Canaveral occurred at 6:03 p.m. EST (2303 GMT).

Near-ideal weather expected for Sunday’s Falcon 9 launch

February 6, 2015 Stephen Clark

Forecasters predict mostly clear skies, light winds and comfortable temperatures for Sunday’s launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with a NOAA satellite designed to warn of solar storms that could disrupt navigation and communication technology on Earth.

NOAA space weather sentinel joined with Falcon 9 rocket

February 3, 2015 Stephen Clark

A new space weather observatory to be stationed a million miles from Earth has been enclosed inside the nose cone of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff Sunday from Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX nears pad abort test for human-rated Dragon capsule

January 30, 2015 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is finishing up preparations for a major test of a rocket-powered abort system for the company’s new Dragon crew ferry spacecraft, targeting launch from Cape Canaveral in March after a pair of Falcon 9 missions in February.

SpaceX releases new animation of mighty Falcon Heavy

January 28, 2015 Stephen Clark

A new animation of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket set for a debut flight later this year shows how the powerful launcher will blast off from Kennedy Space Center’s famed Apollo-era launch pad 39A, and could eventually fly back to Florida’s Space Coast for refurbishment and reuse.

SpaceX confirms first Crew Dragon flights will return to ocean landings

January 27, 2015 Stephen Clark

The human-rated Crew Dragon spacecraft being developed by SpaceX will return to Earth under parachutes for splashdowns in ocean, and not execute helicopter-like propulsive touchdowns on land, a SpaceX official confirmed Monday.

Boeing, SpaceX on track for commercial crew flights to station in 2017

January 27, 2015 William Harwood

NASA expects to spend some $5 billion underwriting development of commercial spacecraft built by Boeing and SpaceX to carry astronauts to and from the space station, ending reliance on the Russians for crew flights and lowering the average cost per seat to around $58 million.