Tag: Falcon 9
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CRS-3 Falcon 9 first stage to sport legs and attempt soft splashdown
SpaceX is expected to take another leap towards the full reusability of their Falcon 9 launch vehicle next month, when the rocket’s first stage will be commanded back to Earth for a soft touchdown on water. The CRS-3/SpX-3 Falcon 9 v1.1 will also debut landing legs on its aft for the first time, according to…
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Falcon 9 preparing to stretch her legs via Grasshopper trials
The prospect of a Falcon 9 v1.1 first stage returning to terra firma following launch is continuing to advance along a path towards reality, as the SpaceX team push forward with testing on the system’s landing legs at their Texas test facility. Photos of the Grasshopper 2 (GH2) test vehicle have surfaced, showing the leg…
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SpaceX win contract to loft JCSAT-14 via Falcon 9
Hot on the heels of their first two Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) missions, SpaceX have been awarded the launch contract for the mission to loft the JCSAT-14 communications satellite to its GTO destination. The award from SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan calls for the satellite to ride uphill on a Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket in the…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Thaicom-6 launch slips to January 6
Following the successful completion of the Static Fire test on their Falcon 9 v1.1 at Cape Canaveral on Saturday, SpaceX was preparing for a January 3 launch of the Thaicom-6 satellite. However, due to an issue with the Falcon 9’s fairing, the launch has been slightly delayed to No Earlier Than (NET) target of January…
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Falcon 9 v1.1 successfully lofts SES-8 in milestone launch
SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket on Tuesday, ahead of successfully lofting the SES-8 satellite into its Geostationary Transfer Orbit. In what was the debut of SpaceX’s upgraded Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, the third launch attempt enjoyed a smooth countdown, launching at the start of the launch window at 17:41…
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Falcon 9 v1.1 aiming for Thanksgiving launch of SES-8
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 v.1.1 rocket is currently being realigned for a Thanksgiving launch attempt on Thursday, following its scrub on Monday. Three attempts were made inside the 66 minute window to launch the SES-8 satellite from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, in what is SpaceX’s debut of the upgraded rocket from their Florida base. Realigning Falcon…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 conducts first Hot Fire at SLC-40
SpaceX have conducted the first Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) and Hot Fire (Static Fire) test of their upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle at their Florida launch site. The rocket is still targeting a November 25 launch date, tasked with lofting the SES-8 satellite from SLC-40 into a geostationary transfer orbit. Falcon 9 v1.1 Florida…
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SpaceX progress on Dragon abort test and Raptor engine
SpaceX provided another glimpse into their future ambitions by announcing they have completed a review of their 2014 abort test for their commercial crew program. The company also announced they would begin testing of their new Raptor engine – a key element of their Mars mission architecture – early next year at NASA’s Stennis Space…
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SpaceX realign next two Falcon 9 missions
SpaceX have opted to slip their next two missions, to allow for corrective work on the upper stage engine. The company’s Falcon 9 v1.1 is now set to launch with the SES-8 spacecraft no sooner than November 12, with the Thaicom-6 satellite set to follow just one month later. Both launches will take place from…
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Musk lays out plans for reusability of the Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk has laid out his plans for recovery and reusability of the first stage of the Falcon 9. The debut mission to launch the Cassiope satellite into orbit included a number of events that should help SpaceX recover and possibly even reuse the first stage of the Falcon 9…