Tag: Drone Ship
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Photos: SpaceX rocket climbs into orbit from Vandenberg
The launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Aug. 24 from California delivered Taiwan’s Formosat 5 Earth-imaging satellite to orbit, and the Falcon’s first stage booster returned to landing on a drone ship downrange in the Pacific Ocean. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket lifted off at 11:51 a.m. PDT (2:51 p.m. EDT; 1851 GMT) from Space…
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Video: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg, lands in Pacific
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Sunday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and carried 10 Iridium communications satellites toward a perch in low Earth orbit, then the launcher’s first stage nailed a landing on a platform positioned in the Pacific Ocean. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket took off at 1:25:14 p.m. PDT (4:25:14 p.m.…
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Timeline for Falcon 9’s second launch of Iridium satellites
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the second set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Saturday at 1:25:14 p.m. PDT (4:25:14 p.m. EDT; 2025:14 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Data source: SpaceX T-0:00:00:…
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SpaceX launches and lands second Falcon 9 rocket in two days
The Falcon 9 rocket accelerates downrange south from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California after Sunday’s liftoff with 10 Iridium Next satellites. Credit: SpaceX Two days after launching a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida, SpaceX sent another mission into orbit Sunday from California’s Central Coast with 10 new satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay…
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Falcon 9 rocket launching Sunday sports fin upgrade
The new grid fins, seen here in black, will aid in the recovery and reuse of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket boosters. Credit: SpaceX Redesigned titanium steering fins will fly aboard a Falcon 9 rocket launching Sunday from California, part of upgrades SpaceX says will ease the reuse of future boosters. The Falcon 9 rocket is…
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Live coverage: Ten Iridium satellites successfully deployed by Falcon 9 rocket
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 next-generation Iridium communications satellites. SpaceX’s live video coverage begins at approximately 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; 1:10 p.m. PDT). Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow…
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Bulgaria’s first communications satellite heaved into orbit
Credit: SpaceX Launching into a sun-splashed summertime afternoon sky, a previously-flown SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbed into orbit from Florida’s east coast Friday with a U.S.-built, Bulgarian-owned television broadcasting satellite. In a secondary objective, the Falcon 9’s first stage booster descended back to Earth and slowed down for a jarring touchdown on SpaceX’s drone ship…
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Head of BulgariaSat says satellite project would be impossible without SpaceX
The BulgariaSat 1 communications satellite. Credit: Space Systems/Loral On the eve of the launch of his country’s first communications satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket, the chief executive of BulgariaSat credited SpaceX’s cost-cutting ways with making space accessible for small nations and money-conscious companies like his own. Maxim Zayakov, CEO of BulgariaSat and its affiliate…
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Photos: SpaceX booster lands for second time on drone ship
SpaceX’s reused Falcon 9 first stage booster returned to a landing on an ocean-going platform a few minutes after launching March 30 with the SES 10 communications satellite, then returned to Port Canaveral early Tuesday. Standing more than 150 feet (nearly 50 meters) tall, the booster sailed into port around sunrise Tuesday after riding SpaceX’s…
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Musk previews busy year ahead for SpaceX
Elon Musk speaks with reporters after Thursday’s launch of SES 10. Credit: Walter Scriptunas II / Spaceflight Now There’s a lot on SpaceX’s agenda this year if the company can maintain its pace, including refinements of the Falcon 9 rocket to hasten refurbishment between flights and the debut of the long-delayed Falcon Heavy launch vehicle…