Tag: SpaceX
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Exploring what’s next for Iridium after final NEXT constellation launch
A 12 year campaign – including a two year, eight launch process – came to a successful conclusion for Iridium Communications on Friday, 11 January when the final batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites were successfully deployed into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Rounding out the launch campaign might have seemed like the…
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SpaceX says it’ll build and test its Starship prototypes in Texas, not Los Angeles
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted this picture of a Starship prototype under construction in Texas in December. (Elon Musk via Twitter) SpaceX says it’ll build and test the prototypes for its next-generation Starship space cruiser and Super Heavy booster in South Texas, despite a deal it struck to build a rocket factory at the Port of Los…
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Dragon cargo craft returns to Earth
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule departs the International Space Station on Sunday. Credit: David Saint-Jacques/NASA/CSA A SpaceX-owned commercial cargo craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California late Sunday, closing out a 39-day mission that delivered 2.8 tons of supplies, experiments and holiday treats to the International Space Station, and returned home with…
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Dragon cargo craft returns to Earth
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule departs the International Space Station on Sunday. Credit: David Saint-Jacques/NASA/CSA A SpaceX-owned commercial cargo craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California late Sunday, closing out a 39-day mission that delivered 2.8 tons of supplies, experiments and holiday treats to the International Space Station, and returned home with…
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SpaceX gearing up for Starship tests at Boca Chica
At the southern tip of Texas, SpaceX is preparing to begin testing their interplanetary spacecraft. The first Starship test vehicle, dubbed Starhopper, is in advanced stages of construction, and SpaceX facilities at Boca Chica and McGregor are preparing to support a flight test program beginning this year. The new South Texas Launch Site was originally…
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SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship leaves space station and splashes down in the dark
SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo ship is released by the International Space Station’s robotic arm. (NASA Photo) SpaceX’s robotic Dragon cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean tonight, bringing science experiments and used hardware from the International Space Station back to Earth after dark. The Dragon delivered nearly 3 tons of food, supplies and experiments…
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SpaceX launches final batch of Iridium telecom satellites (and lands rocket)
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into space. (SpaceX via YouTube) SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket deployed the eighth and final set of next-generation Iridium satellites into orbit today, closing off a two-year launch campaign. The rocket rose into partly cloudy skies from California’s Vandenberg…
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Iridium boss reflects as final NEXT satellite constellation launches
The eighth and final Iridium NEXT launch – that was conducted on Friday – will bring to fruition a near 12-year campaign to replace and upgrade the Iridium communications network in Earth orbit. Iridium NEXT-8 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff took place during a…
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SpaceX plans to lay off 10 percent of workforce
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks with reporters after the Falcon Heavy’s maiden flight in February 2018. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now SpaceX, the upstart rocket company that has shaken up the launch industry with low-cost reusable boosters and ambitious long-range plans to carry people to Mars and beyond, plans…
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SpaceX plans to lay off 10 percent of workforce
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks with reporters after the Falcon Heavy’s maiden flight in February 2018. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now SpaceX, the upstart rocket company that has shaken up the launch industry with low-cost reusable boosters and ambitious long-range plans to carry people to Mars and beyond, plans…