Tag: SpaceX
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SpaceX Alumni Have Founded More Than 1,300 Companies, Data Shows
SpaceX’s influence on the space industry extends well beyond its launch vehicles and spacecraft, with new data indicating the company has become a major source of entrepreneurial talent across multiple technology sectors. According to data compiled by Crustdata from publicly available sources and shared with Payload, approximately 1,330 former SpaceX employees have gone on to…
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Ship 40 completes single-engine static fire; Booster 20 and Pad 2 see new work
SpaceX rolled out Ship 40 for engine testing, but after completing only a single engine test and what appeared to be an abort, it was rolled back to Mega Bay 2. The full test of all of Ship 40’s engines has yet to be completed, though time remains as Booster 20 appears to still be…
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Japan Nears Decision on $2 Billion Domestic Direct-to-Device Satellite Network
Japan is expected to select a proposal this month for its planned J-LEO direct-to-device (D2D) satellite network, a government-backed initiative aimed at establishing a domestically owned and operated low Earth orbit (LEO) communications system. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has allocated approximately $1 billion in subsidies for the project, covering up to…
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Ship 40 Single-Engine Static Fire Signals Caution
Ship 40’s Single-Engine Static Fire: What the Restrained Test Tells Us About Starship’s Next Phase SpaceX fired exactly one Raptor on Ship 40 — and that deliberate restraint may be the most informative data point of the day SpaceX rolled Ship 40 to the orbital launch mount at Starbase, Boca Chica on June 26, conducted…
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West Coast Falcon 9 launch continues expansion of SpaceX’s Starlink network
The Starlink 17-45 mission lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 25, 2026. Image: SpaceX Spacex launched another 24 satellites for its Starlink internet service from the West Coast Wednesday evening. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-45 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at…
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Rocket Lab Launches U.S. Space Force Mission in Under 17 Hours After Call-Up
Rocket Lab has successfully launched a responsive space mission for the U.S. Space Force, deploying a spacecraft less than 17 hours after receiving a launch order as part of the Victus Haze mission. The mission, conducted under the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from…
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SpaceX launches reentry capsule demo mission called ‘Starfall’
Liftoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on the Starfall Demo mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 23, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update June 23, 10:01 a.m. EDT (1401 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the Starfall capsule. As the sun rose over Florida’s Space Coast on…
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SpaceX tests upcoming Starfall reentry vehicle with demonstration mission on Tuesday
Early Tuesday morning, SpaceX launched a demonstration mission for its Starfall reentry vehicle. Falcon 9 lifted off at 6:53 AM EDT (10:53 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Weather was 95% “go” for launch, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule. Riding within…
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SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
The Starlink 17-28 mission lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 21, 2026. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:39:06 a.m. PDT (12:39:06 p.m. EDT / 1639:06 UTC). The Father’s Day flight added another 24…
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SpaceX launches intelligence-gathering satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office
A streak shot of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as it launched the NROL-179 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on June 18, 2026. Image: SpaceX Update June 19, 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC): The NRO confirmed deployment of its satellites. SpaceX launched its third mission this year supporting the National Reconnaissance Office’s constellation of intelligence-gathering…