SpaceX – Page 69 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX Starship prototype lost in test flight landing mishap

February 2, 2021 William Harwood

SpaceX launched a prototype Starship rocket Tuesday from its Boca Chica, Texas, flight facility, successfully sending the silver booster up to an altitude of about six miles as planned. But the unpiloted test flight ended with a spectacular explosion when the rocket failed to right itself and slow down enough for a tail-first landing.

Second high-altitude Starship test flight ends in landing explosion

February 2, 2021 Spaceflight Now

Starship completed a successful climb to approximately 10 kilometers altitude and then descended horizontally toward the landing site. It appeared to lose control as it was in the process of flipping back to a vertical position and exploded as it bellyflopped onto the landing pad. Watch a replay of the test flight.

FAA approves Starship test after saying SpaceX violated safety rules on last flight

February 2, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX defied public safety rules on its most recent Starship launch over South Texas in December, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday as it approved a license for SpaceX’s next high-altitude Starship test flight scheduled for the same day.

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.

Watch the Falcon 9 test fire its engines ahead of Starlink launch (members only)

January 31, 2021 Spaceflight Now

Watch as a Falcon 9 rocket lights its nine Merlin first-stage engines at pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the 18th launch dedicated to SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellite venture.

Live coverage: SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A

January 29, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has delayed the next launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center until Sunday. The two-stage launcher will carry with another batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Engineers analyze failure on SiriusXM satellite launched from Florida last month

January 28, 2021 Stephen Clark

Ground teams are evaluating a payload failure on a Maxar-built SiriusXM radio broadcasting satellite that launched from Cape Canaveral in December on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, officials said Wednesday.

Falcon 9 rocket arrives on pad 39A for sunrise Starlink launch this weekend

January 28, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX plans to deploy the next group of Starlink internet relay spacecraft Sunday with a liftoff on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the company’s fourth satellite launch of the month.

Axiom reveals first all-private crew for trip to International Space Station

January 26, 2021 William Harwood

A four-man crew led by a former NASA astronaut intends to blast off early next year aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a flight to the International Space Station, the first such purely commercial, non-government flight to orbit in space history, officials said Tuesday.

SpaceX smashes record with launch of 143 small satellites

January 24, 2021 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday from Cape Canaveral with 143 small satellites, a record number of spacecraft on a single mission, giving a boost to startup space companies and stressing the U.S. military’s tracking network charged with sorting out the locations of all objects in orbit.