Tag: KSC
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Amid Starship milestones, Booster 7 set to return for pre-launch testing
SpaceX’s Starship program continues to march through a fluid set of milestones, ranging from a new record number of Raptor engines firing simultaneously, to the anticipated presence of a vehicle on the Starship pad at Florida’s historic LC-39A by the second quarter of 2023. Booster 7 achieved the seven-engine static fire test milestone before rolling…
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NASA teams take SLS through fueling test to inform launch date
As part of continued troubleshooting and seal replacement validation efforts, teams at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida took the SLS rocket through a Core Stage and Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS) fueling test on Wednesday, Sept. 21. NASA officials hoped the test would reveal no leaks of the liquid hydrogen (LH2) system, which has…
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Starship vehicles move to next phase of testing despite issues
SpaceX continues to make progress with its orbital test flight duo, with Ship 24 completing a six-engine static fire test, followed by Booster 7 conducting a 33-engine spin prime milestone. As that launch inches closer, teams ready multiple vehicles for future launches and near completion of major construction at their Starship Florida launch site. See…
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SpaceX launches Starlink 4-2 mission with BlueWalker 3 rideshare
SpaceX launched the Starlink 4-2 rideshare mission on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 9:20 PM EDT (01:20 UTC on September 11) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Onboard Falcon 9 were 34 SpaceX Starlink satellites and the BlueWalker 3 prototype satellite for AST SpaceMobile’s cellular broadband constellation. The…
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NASA discusses path to SLS repairs as launch uncertainty looms for September, October
NASA and SLS program managers have developed part of a forward plan for addressing the significant liquid hydrogen (LH2) leak that was observed during the Saturday, September 3rd attempt to launch the SLS rocket and the Artemis I mission from LC-39B at the Kennedy Space Center. Under the current plan, teams will repair the liquid…
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SLS teams scrub second launch attempt for Artemis I as hydrogen leaks persist
NASA has scrubbed the second launch attempt of the Artemis I mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a liquid hydrogen (LH2) leak was detected at the vehicle-to-ground interface on the LH2 Tail Service Mast Umbilical (TSMU). This was the fourth time teams loaded liquid hydrogen on the vehicle, and the fourth time…
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Aiming for the Moon: Artemis I countdown begins for historic flight
The launch countdown for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Artemis I mission is underway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of a planned liftoff within a two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 AM EDT (12:33 UTC) on Monday, August 29. The launch count comes after more than a decade…
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SLS arrives at LC-39B for launch, teams prepare for multiple launch trajectories
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has left the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and completed its 4.2-mile (6.7-km) journey to Launch Complex 39B. The multi-hour rollout process resulted in a sunrise arrival at the pad. The rollout is the last major milestone ahead of launch, which will differ from…
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Starlink Group 4-26 launches on Falcon 9 from LC-39A
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, carrying 52 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These satellites will contribute to filling up the fourth shell of the Starlink constellation, which is now available in 36 countries to provide internet access to people around the globe. On…
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Awaiting Static Fire as SpaceX sets up Starship’s test campaign
It was December 29 of last year when Ship 20 performed its fourth and final static fire test. That was the last time any Starship vehicle had performed a static fire test. However, Ship 24 is now being readied to undergo a similar test campaign in preparation for the launch of Starship’s first orbital test…