Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX seeks go-ahead from the FCC to put up to a million data center satellites in orbit
This time-lapse image of Venus and the Pleiades shows the tracks of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. The image received an award in the 2021 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest. (Torsten Hansen / IAU OAE / Creative Commons Attribution) SpaceX founder Elon Musk wasn’t kidding about his plans to go big with orbital data centers: The company is…
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Musk Weighs Options to Consolidate SpaceX With Tesla or xAI, Sources Say
Elon Musk has held internal discussions about potentially consolidating parts of his business empire, including exploring whether SpaceX could merge with Tesla or absorb his artificial intelligence startup xAI, according to company filings and sources cited by Reuters and Bloomberg. SpaceX has evaluated the feasibility of a combination with Tesla, an idea that some investors…
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GAO Warns SDA Missile-Tracking Satellite Program Faces Capability and Cost Risks
The Space Development Agency’s effort to deploy a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for missile warning and tracking is at risk of falling short of its goals and operational requirements, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office released on Thursday. The report, covering the period from October 2023 to January 2026,…
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China Eyes Space-Based AI Data Centres, Setting Up Rivalry With SpaceX
China plans to deploy space-based artificial intelligence data centres within the next five years, state media reported, as Beijing steps up efforts to combine space technology and advanced computing in a move that could directly challenge initiatives outlined by SpaceX. China’s main space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), said it will work…
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SpaceX launches overnight Starlink flight as it unveils new ‘Stargaze’ space situational awareness system
SpaceX launches the Starlink 6-101 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral on Jan. 30, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. SpaceX completed its 13th and final Falcon 9 rocket launch of the month, which flew from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on in the predawn hours of Thursday morning. The Starlink 6-101 mission will add…
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SpaceX Launches Jam-Resistant GPS III Satellite for U.S. Space Force
SpaceX on Tuesday night launched an advanced, jam-resistant GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force, marking the company’s fastest turnaround to date for a national security mission. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GPS III-SV09 spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:53 p.m. EST (0453 GMT on Jan. 28), following a…
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FAA Warns Airlines to Plan for Rising Risks From Space Launch Debris
Commercial airlines should plan for an increased risk from space launch and reentry activity, including rare but potentially serious debris events, the Federal Aviation Administration said in guidance issued earlier this month, as the pace of spaceflight accelerates. In a Safety Alert for Operators, SAFO 26001, the FAA advised carriers and flight crews to prepare…
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Cold weather delays earliest Artemis 2 launch opportunity
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft sit atop the Mobile Launch at Launch Complex 39B the morning of Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Abnormally cold weather forecast over the weekend for Florida delayed both the earliest possible launch date for the Artemis 2 mission and a crucial fueling test for…
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Former SpaceX astronaut discusses training as a NASA astronaut candidate
Training is underway for NASA’s newest class of astronaut candidates at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. The nearly two-year long process began this past September for the four men and six women of Astronaut Group 24. One of those ‘ASCAN’s, as they’re known, is Anna Menon, who previously flew on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn…
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SpaceX Weighs Mid-2026 IPO at Valuation of About $1.5 Trillion, FT Reports
SpaceX, the rocket and satellite company founded by Elon Musk, is weighing a possible initial public offering as early as mid-June 2026 that could raise up to $50 billion and value the company at around $1.5 trillion, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. If completed at that scale, the…