Tag: Electric Propulsion
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Northrop Grumman servicer docks with active satellite in geosynchronous orbit
A visible narrow field-of-view camera on the MEV 2 spacecraft captured this view of Intelsat 10-02 from a range of about 100 feet, or 30 meters. Credit: Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman’s second robotic life extension spacecraft docked with an Intelsat satellite in geosynchronous orbit Monday, the first link-up between a commercial servicing mission and an…
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Lockheed Martin to buy rocket engine-builder Aerojet Rocketdyne
An Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-X prototype engine, which includes 3D-printed core components, undergoes hotfire testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne Lockheed Martin, the largest U.S. defense contractor, announced late Sunday that it has reached a deal valued at $4.4 billion to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne, a supplier of engines to…
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ULA, SpaceX win contracts to launch satellites for SES in 2022
File photo of a previous Atlas 5 launch in the “531” configuration with three solid rocket boosters. Credit: United Launch Alliance SES has selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX to launch up to five new commercial C-band communications satellites from Cape Canaveral in 2022 aboard Atlas 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, officials announced Wednesday. Two…
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Photos: Atlas 5 rocket lifts off with U.S. military’s X-37B spaceplane
Launching the sixth mission of the U.S. military’s super-secret X-37B spaceplane program, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off Sunday morning from Cape Canaveral and successfully delivered its clandestine cargo to orbit. The 197-foot-tall (60-meter) Atlas 5 rocket launched from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:14 a.m. EDT (1314…
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Upgraded X-37B spaceplane rockets into orbit aboard Atlas 5 launcher
A 197-foot-tall (60-meter) Atlas 5 rocket climbs into the sky over Cape Canaveral on Sunday. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now Darting through low clouds, the US Air Force’s reusable X-37B spaceplane rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket into orbit Sunday, debuting upgrades to accommodate additional scientific experiments, a dishwasher-sized tech demo satellite, and classified…
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Accion Systems raises $11M for tiny ion engines, with Boeing HorizonX Ventures playing a lead role
Each of Accion Systems’ ion thrusters is about the size of a postage stamp. (Accion Systems Photo) Boeing HorizonX Ventures has teamed up with Shasta Ventures to lead an $11 million Series B investment round for Accion Systems, a pioneer in developing miniaturized ion propulsion systems for satellites in space. This isn’t the first time…
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Starlink ‘train’ traces path across twilight skies
This view of the train of 60 Starlink satellites was captured Nov. 11 from Castaic, California. This view was created by merging four long exposure images. Credit: William G. Hartenstein The 60 Starlink satellites deployed Monday by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket have traced paths across twilight skies around the world this week, but their…
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Photos: Falcon 9 launches with 60 Starlink satellites
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the heaviest payload ever launched by SpaceX took off Monday morning from Cape Canaveral with 60 satellites for then company’s Starlink broadband network. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket lifted off at 9:56 a.m. EST (1456 GMT) Monday, powered by nine Merlin 1D engines generating 1.7 million pounds of thrust. The kerosene-burning…
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Successful launch continues deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink network
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral at 9:56 a.m. EST (1456 GMT) Monday. Credit: Steven Young/Spaceflight Now Sixty upgraded satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network rocketed into orbit Monday from Florida’s Space Coast, debuting performance enhancements and notching new firsts in SpaceX’s list of rocket reuse accomplishments. SpaceX’s second batch of Starlink…
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SpaceX readies upgraded Starlink satellites for launch
Artist’s illustration of a Starlink satellite. Credit: SpaceX New satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network set for launch Monday from Cape Canaveral will debut several performance and safety upgrades, but they do not include changes to reduce the brightness of the satellites, a modification SpaceX says it will introduce on future Starlink craft to mitigate their…