Tag: Falcon Heavy
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SpaceX to launch 4 Falcon Heavy rockets as part of newest U.S. national security missions award
A Falcon Heavy roars passed the Moon as it launches the X-37B for the U.S. military. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now. The latest missions carrying payloads for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) were announced on Friday with a combined value of $1.142 billion. SpaceX was tasked with five missions and…
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B1091 “A Heavy Core in Falcon 9 Clothing”
SpaceX’s recent launch involved another successful landing of its Falcon 9 booster, but this time marked a Falcon Heavy center core booster launching and landing as a single-stick Falcon 9 rocket. The booster, designated B1091, powered the KF-02 mission, deploying 24 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband constellation into low Earth orbit. This event marks…
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Halfway through 2025, SpaceX breaks Falcon records and struggles with Starship
In the second quarter of 2025, SpaceX continued its record launch cadence with the Falcon family of rockets, completing the 500th launch of that family by any measure. The company continued to grow its Starlink constellation and customer base, and completed the deployment of its first-generation Direct-to-Cell constellation. While all other programs at SpaceX have…
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Department of the Air Force issues draft documents for new SpaceX launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Starlink 15-3 mission. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is moving ahead with expansion plans at Vandenberg Space Force Base that will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California. Last…
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SpaceX starts 2025 with Falcon records and Starship problems
SpaceX kicked off 2025 by continuing its record-breaking pace of Falcon 9 launches while also setting new firsts with its Dragon program. The company continued the deployment of its Starlink satellite internet constellation, growing in number of users and availability of its direct-to-cell services. SpaceX’s Starship rocket also suffered two back-to-back failures of a new…
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Rocket Report: “No man’s land” in rocket wars; Isaacman lukewarm on SLS
Welcome to Edition 7.39 of the Rocket Report! Not getting your launch fix? Buckle up. We’re on the cusp of a boom in rocket launches as three new megaconstellations have either just begun or will soon begin deploying thousands of satellites to enable broadband connectivity from space. If the megaconstellations come to fruition, this will…
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With new contracts, SpaceX will become the US military’s top launch provider
The US Space Force announced Friday it selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin for $13.7 billion in contracts to deliver the Pentagon’s most critical military satellites to orbit into the early 2030s. These missions will launch the government’s heaviest national security satellites, like the National Reconnaissance Office’s large, bus-sized spy platforms, and deploy…
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With new contracts, SpaceX will become the US military’s top launch provider
The US Space Force announced Friday it selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin for $13.7 billion in contracts to deliver the Pentagon’s most critical military satellites to orbit into the early 2030s. These missions will launch the government’s heaviest national security satellites, like the National Reconnaissance Office’s large, bus-sized spy platforms, and deploy…
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U.S. Space Force awards $13.7 billion in new national security launch contracts to Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance A long-awaited launch contract for national security missions was announced by the U.S. Space Force after close of business Friday evening. The mission spreads nearly $14 billion worth of missions between Blue…
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U.S. Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane lands following 434-day orbital mission
The X-37B on the runway at Vandenberg Space Force Base following its landing there on March 7, 2025. Image: U.S. Space Force. Announced with the thunder of a sonic boom, the secretive U.S. military X-37B spaceplane made its return from orbit early Friday at 2:22am EST (0722 UTC). The uncrewed spacecraft touched down on a…