Tag: Iridium
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FAA signs off on SpaceX mishap investigation
Credit: US Launch Report The Federal Aviation Administration has granted a launch license for SpaceX’s deployment of 10 Iridium communications satellites next week after reviewing the company’s inquiry into a Falcon 9 rocket explosion in September, an agency spokesperson said Friday. The FAA has regulatory oversight authority over commercial space activities in the United States,…
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FAA closes the case on SpaceX’s rocket explosion and OKs Falcon 9 satellite launch
A closeup shows the fairing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in January 2016. (NASA Photo) SpaceX has the all-clear to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight next week after a four-month suspension due to a launch-pad explosion. The go-ahead came in the form of a launch license…
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SpaceX set to return to action with RTF Falcon 9 launch of Iridium spacecraft
SpaceX is set to Return To Flight (RTF) no sooner than January 14, with the Falcon 9 launch of the first Iridium NEXT mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SpaceX’s return follows a stand down related to the September loss of the Falcon 9 that was scheduled to launch the Amos-6 satellite during…
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SpaceX failure probe complete; flights to resume Sunday from California
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION File photo. Credit: NASA After an exhaustive investigation, SpaceX engineers have identified the most likely cause of the spectacular explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket during a pre-launch test Sept. 1 that destroyed the booster and its $195 million satellite payload, the company announced Monday. SpaceX engineers believe…
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SpaceX traces Falcon 9 blast to failed helium tank; return to flight set for Jan. 8
SpaceX’s return to flight is due to take place Jan. 8 at its launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (SpaceX Photo) SpaceX says an investigation has concluded that the Sept. 1 explosion of its Falcon 9 rocket occurred due to the failure of a helium pressure vessel, and it’s taking steps to avoid the…
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Iridium satellites closed up for launch on Falcon 9 rocket
The first 10 Iridium Next satellites were encapsulated inside the payload fairing of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket earlier this week. Credit: Iridium The first 10 satellites for Iridium’s next-generation mobile voice and data relay network have been fueled, joined with their deployment module and encapsulated inside the clamshell-like nose cone of a SpaceX Falcon 9…
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SpaceX return-to-flight slips to early January
File photo of a Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett SpaceX’s first mission since a rocket explosion on a Florida launch pad is now scheduled for early January, when a Falcon 9 booster is set to begin a 70-satellite deployment for Iridium’s next-generation voice and…
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SpaceX targets early January for Falcon 9 rocket’s return to flight after explosion
The next launch of a Falcon 9 rocket is expected to occur in early January. (SpaceX Photo) SpaceX says it expects to finish its investigation of September’s fiery loss of a Falcon 9 rocket and its payload in time for a return to flight in early January. That launch is expected to send 10 Iridium…
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SpaceX sets Dec. 16 for first flight since launch pad explosion
File photo of a Falcon 9 rocket rolling to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg. Credit: SpaceX The first 10 satellites in Iridium’s next-generation mobile voice and data network could head into orbit from California as soon as Dec. 16 on SpaceX’s first Falcon 9 flight since a booster exploded on…
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SpaceX hopes procedure fix can allow Falcon 9 launches to resume
File photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rolling out to its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX Investigators probing the Sept. 1 explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on its launch pad in Florida believe a high-pressure gas tank inside the launcher’s upper stage most likely burst due to…