Tag: SLC-40
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SpaceX’s workhorse launch pad now has the accoutrements for astronauts
Upgrades at SpaceX’s most-used launch pad in Florida got a trial run Thursday with the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon cargo ship heading for the International Space Station. SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft launched at 4:55 pm EDT (20:55 UTC) Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force…
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SpaceX’s 30th resupply mission uses new access tower at SLC-40 for the first time
SpaceX has debuted a new capability on their 30th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. For the first time, a Dragon 2 capsule lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was possible thanks to the newly constructed crew…
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Dragon soars from Cape Canaveral’s pad 40 on SpaceX’s 30th cargo mission to the Space Station
A Falcon 9 soars from pad 40 carrying a Cargo Dragon spaceship bound for the International Space Station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. Update: Liftoff occurred on time at 4:55 p.m. EDT and was followed by separation of the Cargo Dragon vehicle a little less than 12 minutes into flight. SpaceX kicked off the next phase…
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Launch Roundup: two missions to the ISS, including first Dragon 2 from SLC-40
SpaceX is preparing to launch three Falcon 9s, including two Starlink missions. Additionally, launching this week are two Chinese rockets, an Electron, and a crewed Soyuz. SpaceX will continue to strive for a record-breaking year by launching from all three of its Falcon 9 launch pads this week, which will take its launch total to…
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ISS Roundup: Cygnus NG-20, Axiom Mission 3, and Progress MS-26
This month, the International Space Station (ISS) has seen a flurry of activity, from experiments to vehicle arrivals and departures. Multiple resupply missions by Cygnus and Progress have kept the crew of Expedition 70 healthy onboard the Station. Meanwhile, a private mission from Axiom headed back to Earth with the first-ever all-European commercial crew, and…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX launches three Falcon 9 rockets in just over 20 hours
Three missions have now launched this week, starting with Crew-8, which is sending a new crew to the International Space Station for a six-month tour of duty after successfully launching from Florida. Starlink 6-41 from Cape Canaveral and Transporter 10 from Vandenberg Space Force Base have also flown, and the debut of a new small…
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SpaceX tests new emergency escape system to certify pad 40 at Cape Canaveral for astronaut missions
SpaceX performed a deployment test of its new emergency egress system from the crew access tower at Space Launch Complex 40 on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now SpaceX is closing in on certifying its launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 to support astronaut and cargo missions with its second-generation Dragon spacecraft.…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX launches two Starlink missions; China launches Chang Zheng 5
A brand new week of spaceflight is approaching with SpaceX preparing to launch three Starlink missions, China getting ready to send two payloads to orbit, including one on the powerful Chang Zheng 5 (CZ-5) rocket, and Roscosmos preparing to launch Russian-built satellites to orbit atop Soyuz. Late on Feb. 22, Starlink Group 7-15 took 22…
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SpaceX launches missile tracking satellites for MDA and SDA
SpaceX launched the USSF-124 mission carrying six prototype missile tracking satellites for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) into a 1000 kilometer altitude, 40 degree inclination orbit on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 5:30 PM EST (22:30 UTC). The mission took off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in…
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Launch Roundup: Falcon 9’s 300th Flight and SpaceX to launch lunar lander
On the week of the sixth anniversary of the first flight of Falcon Heavy, SpaceX launched four separate Falcon 9 missions. Meanwhile, Roscosmos resupplied the International Space Station (ISS) with Progress MS-26 launching on Soyuz. Early Thursday morning, Falcon 9 launched from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) taking NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud,…