SpaceX – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

FAA concludes SpaceX Starship safety review, continues environmental review

October 31, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX’s highly anticipated second test flight of its Starship super heavy lift rocket is one step closer to liftoff from South Texas. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the conclusion of its safety review. The FAA said it is still working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete an environmental review.

Intuitive Machines targets launch to the Moon in mid-January

October 27, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The first lunar lander aiming for a touchdown at the Moon’s south pole has a new launch date. Intuitive Machines said Friday it is targeting the launch of its Nova-C lander on the IM-1 mission for no earlier than January 12, 2024.

On-time Artemis landings by SpaceX, Blue Origin possible, but face “great challenges”

October 27, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The head of NASA’s Human Landing System program sat down with Spaceflight Now to discuss the progress of getting humans back to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral

October 21, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:17 p.m. EDT (0217 UTC on Oct. 22) carrying 23 Starlink satellites.

Commercial space companies say cut red tape or U.S. will lose its lead in spaceflight

October 19, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic representatives all called for improvements to the regulatory framework that governs spaceflight operations during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

SpaceX battles regulatory process that could hold up Starship test flight for months

October 18, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX leadership is heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby for greater efficiency when it comes regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company is hoping to streamline the process of issuing launch licenses for both Starship test flights and more routine Falcon 9 rocket missions.

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on 47th Starlink launch of 2023

October 17, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

SpaceX launched 22 of its Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 UTC on Oct. 18).

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites on its second Friday launch

October 13, 2023 Spaceflight Now

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites, delayed by upper level winds and held up for the Falcon Heavy launch of NASA’s Psyche, is scheduled to liftoff from Cape Canaveral’s pad 40 at 7:01 p.m. EDT (2301 UTC) on Friday night.

Falcon Heavy launches NASA’s Psyche asteroid probe

October 13, 2023 William Harwood

Getting off to a ground-shaking start, NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche asteroid probe roared into space atop a Falcon Heavy rocket Friday, setting off on a 2.2-billion-mile voyage to a rare, metal-rich asteroid that may hold clues about how the cores of rocky planets like Earth first formed.

Live coverage: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches NASA’s Psyche on mission to a metal asteroid

October 13, 2023 Spaceflight Now

NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid has lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Launch from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is occurred at 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 UTC) Friday.