Tag: Falcon 9
-
Photos: Falcon 9 rocket poised for first national security flight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is being readied for launch with a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office early Sunday, the commercial launcher’s 33rd overall flight, and first dedicated to a U.S. government national security mission. The two-stage rocket stood vertical on launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Saturday evening as…
-
Falcon 9 rocket rolled to launch pad with classified payload
The Falcon 9 rocket slated to launch on SpaceX’s first national security mission is seen on launch pad 39A on Saturday morning. Credit: Spaceflight Now Working overnight on Florida’s Space Coast, SpaceX technicians transferred a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from the company’s commercial hangar a quarter-mile up the ramp to launch pad 39A early Saturday,…
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches first NRO mission with NROL-76
SpaceX conducted its first dedicated launch for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Monday, with a Falcon 9 carrying out the NROL-76 mission. Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A was within a two-hour window, with T-0 occurring at 07:15 Eastern time (11:15 UTC). SpaceX launch: Sunday’s initial attempt was scrubbed after a…
-
Iridium hails performance of new satellites, targets four more launches this year
Artist’s concept of an Iridium Next satellite in space. Credit: Thales Alenia Space Eight of Iridium’s first ten upgraded communications satellites launched in January started providing voice and data relay service ahead of schedule, and SpaceX says it can launch up to 40 more Iridium spacecraft by the end of the year, Iridium officials reported…
-
Weather looks good for Falcon 9 launch Sunday, but payload still a mystery
The National Reconnaissance Office has released its mission patch for Sunday’s launch. The NROL-76 mission patch “depicts Lewis and Clark heading into the great unknown to discover and explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory,” the NRO said. Credit: NRO An official weather outlook issued by U.S. Air Force meteorologists Thursday calls for partly cloudy skies…
-
Watch a Falcon 9 rocket fire its engines Tuesday at pad 39A
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket completed a prelaunch hotfire test at launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday in a signifiant step before Sunday’s scheduled liftoff of a top secret U.S. government spy payload. Email the author. Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.
-
SpaceX completes static fire test for Sunday launch of secret satellite
Nine Merlin engines at the base of SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket fired up Tuesday on a launch pad in Florida, wringing out the booster and ground systems ahead of a planned liftoff Sunday with a top secret payload for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. The computer-controlled countdown sequencer oversaw filling of the two-stage…
-
Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket on track for Sunday launch
Live coverage of SpaceX’s preparations for the next Falcon 9 rocket launch from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will launch a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
-
Falcon Heavy build up begins; SLC-40 pad rebuild progressing well
As SpaceX continues to make excellent progress on rebuilding SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the company has achieved a major milestone toward the debut of its Falcon Heavy rocket. With the first Falcon Heavy side core on the test stand at McGregor, Texas, SpaceX is in final preparation for the all important…
-
Musk wants to make Falcon rockets fully reusable
This illustration of a Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage re-entering the atmosphere is part of an animation released in 2011. SpaceX officials have not discussed technical details of how the company would recover upper stages under founder Elon Musk’s latest emphasis on the project. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX chief Elon Musk said last week he is…