Tag: Reusability
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Rocket Lab recovers booster again after launch with BlackSky satellites
An Electron rocket lifts off Friday with two BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab Two BlackSky optical Earth-imaging satellites rode an Electron launcher into orbit Friday from New Zealand, while the Electron’s first stage booster gently parachuted into the Pacific Ocean as engineers consider abandoning airborne rocket recovery in favor of ship-based retrieval and reuse.…
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Live coverage: SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites from California
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the Starlink 2-8 mission with 52 Starlink internet satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter. [tabby title=”SpaceX Webcast”] [tabby title=”SpaceX Mission Audio”] [tabbyending]
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SES to complete C-band clearing program with SpaceX dual-satellite launch
The SES 18 and 19 communications satellites inside a SpaceX payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral. Credit: SpaceX SES, the international communications satellite operator, plans to send two more C-band television broadcasting spacecraft into orbit from Cape Canaveral Friday night atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a mission that will help clear spectrum for…
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Rocket Lab launches successfully, fails mid-air recovery attempt
Six months after its first first-stage recovery attempt, Rocket Lab tried its hand at booster recovery once again, with the launch of its 32nd mission, “Catch Me If You Can.” Liftoff took place on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at 6:27 AM NZDT (17:27 UTC on Friday, Nov. 4). The California-based launch services company made its…
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Themis tanking test marks milestone in ESA’s path to reusability
The ESA (European Space Agency) has taken a major step towards developing reusable rockets with the completion of a series of tanking tests for its Themis vehicle, which will serve as a testbed for the agency to experiment with launch and landing operations. After initially announcing plans for a reusable rocket – Ariane Next –…
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Falcon Heavy’s first national security launch slips to October
The second launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in April 2019. Credit: Walter Scriptunas II / Spaceflight Now The next launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket has been delayed from July to October to await the readiness of its U.S. military payload, and the following Falcon Heavy flight has been rescheduled from late…
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SpaceX outlines plans for Starship orbital test flight
Artist’s concept of a Super Heavy booster and Starship vehicle stacked together during launch. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX has revealed the flight plan for the first orbital test launch of the company’s huge stainless steel Starship rocket, a 90-minute, around-the-world mission that will originate from South Texas and culminate with a controlled re-entry and splashdown in…
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Upgraded Starship prototype makes first soft landing after test flight
SpaceX launched and landed an upgraded prototype for the company’s next-generation Starship vehicle in South Texas on Wednesday, the company’s first Starship test flight since winning a $2.9 billion NASA contract to use the craft to land astronauts on the Moon. Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO tweeted: “Starship landing nominal!” The 164-foot-tall (50-meter)…
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SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink spacecraft; FCC clears SpaceX to fly satellites at lower altitudes
SpaceX deployed 60 more Starlink internet-beaming spacecraft into orbit after a fiery late-night blastoff of a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday night from Cape Canaveral, surpassing the 1,500-satellite mark since Starlink launches began. Another Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to haul the next batch of Starlink satellites to space next week. The launch of the…
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SpaceX to resume Starlink flights, stretching reused Falcon rockets to their limits
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on pad 40 Tuesday at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The scorched first stage booster has flown to space and back six times. Credit: Steven Young / Spaceflight Now SpaceX aims to resume launching satellites for its Starlink internet network with the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday…