SpaceX | Common News Update

Mar182020 by adminNo Comments

Watch live: SpaceX plans Starlink launch from Florida on Wednesday

ORLANDO, Fla., March 18 (UPI) -- SpaceX plans to launch it sixth cluster of 60 Starlink satellites from Florida at 8:16 a.m. Wednesday. The mission is to lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. A successful launch would boost the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to 362, by far the largest satellite constellation. An attempted launch of the mission was postponed Sunday at the last second when software detected a problem with the rocket's power supply. [embedded content] Wednesday's attempt has a 90 percent likelihood of good weather and no significant problems in the recovery zone for the booster landing, according to the Air Force weather forecast. The space firm launched 60 Starlink satellites at a time in May, November, on Jan. 6 and 29 and Fe...

Mar152020 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX Starlink mission fails to launch from Florida on Sunday

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ORLANDO, Fla., March 15 (UPI) -- A problem with power to the rocket forced a last-minute abort of SpaceX's planned launch of 60 Starlink communications satellites Sunday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9, burning rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen, was to lift off in ideal weather, using its first stage for the fifth time -- a tribute to the company's goal to reuse hardware for future missions. But computers stopped the countdown with just seconds to go, ending the attempt for the day. SpaceX did not immediately set a new launch date. The launch from Complex 39A was to boost the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to 362 -- by far the largest known satellite constellation. The space firm launched 60 Starlink satellites at a time in May, November, on Jan....

Mar72020 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX launches 20th space station cargo mission

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ORLANDO, Fla., March 7 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station from Florida on Friday night -- the company's 20th such mission for NASA. Liftoff came as scheduled at 11:50 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is adjacent to Kennedy Space Center. The mission, if successful, means SpaceX will have ferried 94,000 pounds of cargo to the space station since its first demonstration flight arrived there in 2012 and brought back 74,000 pounds of cargo. After launch, SpaceX flew the first-stage booster to the company's Landing Zone-1 at Cape Canaveral, the 50th such landing of that stage. The capsule will take a little more than two days to reach the space station, SpaceX said. In...

Jan262020 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX prepares for Starlink launch Monday

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ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The largest satellite constellation orbiting Earth, SpaceX's Starlink, will be getting bigger with two planned Florida launches in the coming weeks, including an attempt Monday morning. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket is planned for 9:49 a.m. from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is attached to Kennedy Space Center. Weather is only 50 percent favorable for the launch due to possible storms and thick clouds, according to an Air Force forecast. A backup time slot on Tuesday morning has a 70 percent favorable outlook. SpaceX is attempting to beat several competitors into space who have new high-speed internet networks, including OneWeb, Amazon and Telesat. So far, SpaceX is winning the race. SpaceX has 182 of its dinner table-size ...

Jan202020 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX completes emergency crew escape manoeuvre

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Media playback is unsupported on your device SpaceX has conducted a test of the abort manoeuvre it would use if one of its crew-carrying rockets ever developed a problem during flight.The rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center saw a Falcon-9 vehicle's ascent into the sky deliberately terminated just 80 seconds after lift-off. The Dragon astronaut capsule on top fired its escape engines to carry itself clear of the "faulty" booster.Parachutes brought the vessel to a safe splashdown some 30km off Florida.No humans were involved in the practice abort; the only occupants of the Dragon ship were a couple of Anthropomorphic Test Devices, or "dummies".This was considered to be the last major milestone for California's SpaceX company before the US space ag...