Tag: SpaceX
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AST SpaceMobile Expands Satellite Coverage through Altered SpaceX Launch Plan
Texas-based satellite operator AST SpaceMobile has opted for a modified launch plan with SpaceX, investing an additional $5 million to deploy its first commercial direct-to-smartphone satellites early next year. The change involves adjusting the orbital inclination to 53 degrees, exceeding the initial plan. This alteration aims to enhance coverage, reaching up to 59 degrees latitude…
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SpaceX Secures Regulatory Nod for Second Starship/Super Heavy Launch
SpaceX has received the green light from regulatory authorities to proceed with its second integrated Starship/Super Heavy launch, scheduled for the morning of November 17. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on November 15 that it had issued an updated launch license, citing SpaceX’s compliance with safety, environmental, policy, and financial responsibility requirements. The key…
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SpaceX Launches Ninth Transporter Mission, Deploying Over 100 Satellites
SpaceX successfully launched its ninth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission, Transporter-9, on November 11, deploying more than 100 satellites. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:49 p.m. Eastern, marking another chapter in a program that has stirred mixed reactions within the commercial space sector. The booster, having previously…
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SpaceX Successfully Launches Cargo Dragon Mission to the International Space Station
SpaceX achieved another milestone on November 9 with the successful launch of a cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 8:28 p.m. Eastern, carrying the CRS-29 cargo Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Dragon is set to autonomously dock with the ISS around…
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SpaceX Launches Third Pair of O3b mPower Satellites for SES Despite Electrical Issues
SpaceX successfully launched a third pair of O3b mPower satellites for Luxembourg-based operator SES on November 12. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying SES’s satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, at 4:08 p.m. Eastern, heading towards medium Earth orbit (MEO). The Boeing-built satellites separated from the rocket about two hours later. SES…
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SpaceX receives launch license for second integrated flight test of Starship
SpaceX has received the modified license No. VOL 23-129 Rev. 1, which will allow them to fly its Starship-Super Heavy vehicle for the second time. This came shortly after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) confirmed the completion of their investigation into the new deluge system at the orbital launch site in Starbase. FWS…
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Launch Roundup: Starship, Falcon 9, and Chang Zheng-2C this week
While the spaceflight world waited for the Starship Integrated Flight Test-2 (IFT-2) launch that happened from Texas this week, three other launches were scheduled, from China as well as both main coasts of the United States. One was a Chang Zheng-2C (CZ-2C) from China, and another is Starlink 6-28 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 3rd pair of O3b mPOWER satellites from Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches with a pair of SES’ O3b mPOWER satellites heading up to medium Earth orbit. Image: Michael Cain Update 4:43 p.m. EST (2143 UTC): SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket to begin the mission. The satellites will start being deployed around 6:08 p.m. EST (2308 UTC). Original story: On its…
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SpaceX Transporter 9 rideshare features new OTV from Tom Mueller’s Impulse Space
On Saturday, Nov. 11 SpaceX launched the Transporter-9 rideshare mission from launch complex SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). The rocket lifted off at 10:49 AM PST (18:49 UTC). Deployment of payloads from the second stage to a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of approximately 520 kilometers began almost an hour after launch,…
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SpaceX launches more than a hundred payloads on Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg
A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Transporter 9 mission. Image: SpaceX. For the fourth time in 2023, SpaceX launched a smallsat rideshare mission to low Earth orbit with a multitude of payloads. The Transporter-9 mission lifted of at the opening of a 55-minute window at 10:49 a.m. PST…