Tag: Vandenberg
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Firefly closes in on debut flight with rocket delivery to Vandenberg launch site
Across the world, several startup launch providers such as Relativity Space, Astra, Virgin Orbit, and others are currently in fierce competition with one another to bring their in-development rockets into operation and obtain a share of the ever-growing small satellite launch market. One of those companies – Texas-based Firefly Aerospace – has taken a substantial…
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ULA updates Vulcan status, readiness for certification missions
Development and flight qualification for United Launch Alliance’s new rocket, Vulcan, remains on track and on schedule (with margin) to make its debut flights next year, as do all ground support facilities and flight software elements for the heavy-lift vehicle. Vulcan’s first two flights, certification missions to clear the rocket to fly category A/B national…
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ULA updates Vulcan status, readiness for certification missions
Development and flight qualification for United Launch Alliance’s new rocket, Vulcan, remains on track and on schedule (with margin) to make its debut flights next year, as do all ground support facilities and flight software elements for the heavy-lift vehicle. Vulcan’s first two flights, certification missions to clear the rocket to fly category A/B national…
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Relativity Space to Launch Iridium Satellites from New Vandenberg Launch Site
Iridium Communications has selected Relativity Space to provide launch services for up to six Iridium NEXT satellites. The launches will occur from a new launch site to be constructed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (Lead image via Relativity Space) The operational Iridium NEXT constellation, the second generation of Iridium communications satellites, was completed…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 lofts three Canadian radar satellites
SpaceX deployed Canada’s Radarsat Constellation via a Falcon 9 launch Wednesday. Lifting off from California’s Vandenberg Air Force base at 07:17 Pacific Time (14:17 UTC), Falcon delivered the three radar-imaging satellites to orbit a little over an hour after launch. (Lead photo by Sam Sun for NSF/L2 – full set in L2, here) The Radarsat…
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SpaceX conducts static fire test ahead of SAOCOM-1A mission, first west coast RTLS
SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket conducted its Static Fire test on Tuesday, ahead of is its next launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base – set for the weekend. This launch will be the second reflight of a Block 5 Falcon 9 first stage, core B1048. The flight will also include the first west coast Return…
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SAOCOM 1A ships to Vandenberg as Falcon 9 prepares for the first west coast RTLS
SAOCOM 1A – the Argentinian Earth observation satellite – has shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base ahead of launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The mission will be the first on the west coast to see a Falcon 9 first stage perform an RTLS (Return to Launch Site) recovery. SAOCOM: SAOCOM (Satélite Argentino de Observación…
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SpaceX launches seventh Iridium mission and recovers booster
SpaceX successfully launched the seventh of eight planned missions for Iridium Communications from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base at 04:39 Pacific Time (11:39 UTC). The launch which took place in foggy conditions and high wind shear over the booster recovery zone, yet the first stage still managed to successfully land on the drone ship. A…
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SpaceX, ULA near-term manifests take shape, SpaceX aims for 1st RTLS at Vandenberg
With the first half of 2018 in the books, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance’s near term launch manifests are taking shape with an exciting 15 day period between 20 July and 4 August during which four flights are scheduled. SpaceX has also officially filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, to perform the first…
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Falcon 9 launches Iridium NEXT 6 and GRACE-FO
SpaceX conducted its tenth launch of the year Tuesday, deploying five commercial Iridium communications satellites and the GRACE Follow-On Earth science mission for NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base at 12:47:48 local time (19:47 UTC). The dual-satellite GRACE Follow-On mission,…