Author: starpathwp-production
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SpaceX launches second of two Starlink missions within days
SpaceX launched two Starlink missions from both coasts within the week. The first launch, Starlink Group 2-10 launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) located on the Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California with a T0 of 11:02 PM PDT Tuesday, May 30 (06:02 UTC May 31). The second launch,…
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This Week In Spaceflight: China’s lunar plans, North Korea’s failed launch, and Starliner delays
Reviewing this week in spaceflight and upcoming events, it’s been another busy period. China now claims to be on track to land humans on the Moon by 2030, North Korea’s recent orbital launch failed, and Starliner’s Crewed Flight Test has been delayed yet again. China Claims to be on Track for Human Landing on the…
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Rocket Report: SpaceX pushing ahead on Starbase, North Korea launch failure
Welcome to Edition 5.41 of the Rocket Report! Not for the first time this year, the next three launches on the global calendar are all Falcon 9 missions. The cadence of that rocket’s ability to launch continues to astound me—as does its reliability record. Read more about that below. As always, we welcome reader submissions,…
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Boeing Starliner runs into more problems, delaying launch further
Boeing finds faulty part of Starliner’s parachute system The first issue, and the most serious it sounds like from Boeing, was a lower-than-expected stress limit on Starliner’s parachute system. Airborne Systems, a sub-contractor of the Starliner program, informed Boeing that it found the “soft links” on the parachutes failed at a much lower limit than…
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Momentus to Collaborate with Axient on Space Services from LEO to Cislunar Space
Momentus Inc., a U.S. commercial space company that offers orbital transportation and in-space infrastructure services, and Axient LLC, a key player in the U.S. civil, commercial, and national security space markets, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on technologies and capabilities to serve customers from Low-Earth Orbit to Cislunar space. The two…
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Boeing finds two serious problems with Starliner just weeks before launch
A Boeing official said Thursday that the company was “standing down” from an attempt to launch the Starliner spacecraft on July 21 to focus on recently discovered issues with the vehicle. Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for Starliner, said two spacecraft problems were discovered before Memorial Day weekend and that the company spent…
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STAR Command is a thing, and it’s coming to Florida
Before someone yells at me, the proper name is the Space Training and Readiness Command, typically referred to as STARCOMM. A field command of the US Space Force, it’s tasked with education, doctrine, and testing for the newest military branch. Whether you recognize the name from cartoons, TV shows, movies, or my personal favorite, Buzz…
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NASA panel: No convincing evidence for extraterrestrial life connected with UAPs
On Wednesday, members of the NASA advisory board tasked with studying unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) held its first public meeting, debuting its plan for how it would proceed with a report it is scheduled to write this year. Among many topics discussed, several of its members (and NASA officials) stressed that they were not specifically…
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Arianespace to Launch Kompsat-6 Earth Observation Satellite for Korea Aerospace Research Institute
Arianespace announced the signature of a launch contract for the Earth observation satellite Kompsat-6 which will be delivered to orbit by the European light launcher Vega C. Kompsat-6 will be launched from Europe’s Spaceport, in French Guiana, as early as December 2024. “Arianespace is proud to support KARI,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “Since…
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Ax-2 Astronauts Splash Down Concluding the Second Private Mission to the International Space Station
The Ax-2 crew aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft safely splashed down off the coast of Florida. The crew’s return officially concludes the second all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-2 crew includes Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, Pilot John Shoffner, and…