Tag: SpaceX
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Starship Flight 13 Carries 20 Starlink V3 Sats July 16
Does Starship Flight 13 Carry Its First Real Payload? Yes — and it matters. SpaceX has confirmed Starship Flight 13 is targeting liftoff from Starbase, Texas, as early as Thursday, July 16, carrying 20 Starlink V3 satellites: the vehicle’s first operational payload in 13 flights of developmental testing. For the first time, the world’s most…
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Falcon 9 Booster Hits 35 Flights, 12,472 Starlinks Launched
Is a 35-Flight Falcon 9 Booster the New Normal for Launch Economics? A single Falcon 9 first stage flew its 35th mission on July 10, 2026, deploying 29 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit and landing intact for future reuse. The flight is the highest confirmed reuse count in the Falcon 9 fleet to date,…
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City Labs Launches Commercial Nuclear-Powered CubeSat on SpaceX Rideshare Mission
City Labs has launched what it describes as the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite, marking a milestone in the development of alternative power systems for spacecraft. The company’s BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) spacecraft was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 rideshare mission. According to City Labs, it is also the first CubeSat to carry a commercial nuclear…
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SpaceX Plans Natural Gas Pipeline to Support Starship Operations in Texas
SpaceX is planning to construct a natural gas pipeline in Texas to supply fuel for its Starship launch operations, according to regulatory filings reviewed by Reuters and the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. SpaceTechnology The proposed pipeline would extend approximately eight miles from the Port of Brownsville to the company’s Starbase launch and manufacturing facility.…
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NASA OIG: Starliner Helium Leaks Still Unresolved at March 2026
Is Boeing Starliner’s Human-Rating Certification Still Out of Reach? As of March 2026, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft still has unresolved helium leaks and propulsion system failures — the same technical problems that grounded it after the two-astronaut Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission in 2024. A NASA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit released June 30,…
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Launch Preview: Swift rescue mission, final Atlas satellite launch
Several orbital launches are scheduled worldwide this week. A mission to rescue the Swift observatory spacecraft is planned along with the first full flight of a South Korean military launcher. This week could also see the final satellite launch by an Atlas family rocket. There is also an Electron launch from New Zealand. The Swift…
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NASA Advisory Panel Warns ISS Safety Margins Are Reaching ‘Alarming’ Levels
The safety margin for operating the International Space Station (ISS) is shrinking to an “alarming” level as aging hardware and limited replacement options continue to challenge long-term operations, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has warned. Astronomy Speaking during a panel meeting, chair Susan Helms said it is becoming increasingly difficult for NASA to maintain sufficient…
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SpaceX Plans Eight-Mile “Starpipe” Natural Gas Line to Fuel Starship in Texas
The project was not announced publicly by SpaceX. It surfaced through local government records, which detail the planned pipeline and its construction timeline. According to those filings, Starpipe will run eight miles to SpaceX’s launch site in Texas. Construction is scheduled to begin next month. The pipeline’s stated purpose is to supply natural gas to…
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NASA Delivers First Braking Engines for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars Mission
NASA has delivered the first braking engines for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, marking an important milestone in the agencies’ collaboration to return the rover mission to flight. The braking engines are one of three major contributions NASA is providing to the mission, alongside launch services and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs)…
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ESA and European Commission Expand Flight Ticket Initiative for European Launchers
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC) have launched a new call for proposals under the European Flight Ticket Initiative, expanding opportunities for European launch providers to compete for institutional launch contracts. The two-part call invites European launcher developers to apply for framework contracts while also opening competition for the fifth batch…