Starlink 5 – Spaceflight Now

NASA, U.S. military reviewing SpaceX engine malfunction

March 25, 2020 Stephen Clark

NASA and U.S. military officials are reviewing a malfunction that triggered a premature engine shutdown during a flight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket earlier this month, a cautionary step before upcoming launches with a GPS navigation satellite and astronauts on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Video: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A (members only)

March 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

With nine engines firing, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Wednesday morning from launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with 60 Starlink satellites on-board.

Falcon 9 rocket overcomes engine failure to deploy Starlink satellites

March 18, 2020 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket overcame a rare in-flight engine failure soon after launch from Florida’s Space Coast Wednesday to place 60 satellites in orbit for the company’s Starlink Internet network. Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, promised a “thorough investigation” of the engine failure before the next Falcon 9 launch.

SpaceX launch aborted in final second before liftoff

March 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

The countdown for a planned launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida automatically aborted in the last second before liftoff Sunday after an on-board computer detected unexpected data during an engine power check.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

March 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.

SpaceX set to fly Falcon 9 booster for fifth time on Starlink launch Sunday

March 13, 2020 Stephen Clark

The launch of 60 Starlink Internet satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will mark SpaceX’s first mission to fly a Falcon first stage for a fifth time, and the second to launch with a reused payload fairing.

Video: Falcon 9 rocket test-fired at pad 39A (members only)

March 13, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Friday in preparation for launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit.

Live coverage: SpaceX delivers Starlink satellites to orbit despite engine failure

March 13, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX successfully deployed 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit Wednesday following launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:16 a.m. EDT (1216 GMT). One of the nine Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage shut down prematurely during ascent, but the launcher was still able to reach the mission’s targeted orbit.

SpaceX swaps upper stage for next Falcon 9 launch

February 26, 2020 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is targeting launches March 6 and March 11 for its next two missions after swapping an upper stage for its next Falcon 9 rocket with another stage already being readied for liftoff at Cape Canaveral.

Live coverage: SpaceX readies Falcon 9 for fifth Starlink mission

February 13, 2020 Spaceflight Now

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Cape Canaveral in preparation for liftoff as soon as Sunday with the company’s fifth batch of Starlink broadband satellites.