SpaceX’s next Starlink launch to break Falcon 9 fairing reuse record

SpaceX has revealed that its next Starlink launch will mark a new first for Falcon 9 payload fairing reuse, reaching a milestone that took booster reuse 18 months in less than a year. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than (NET) 2:19 pm EDT (18:19 UTC) on Thursday, September 17th, the Starlink-12 (v1.0 L12) mission […]

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SpaceX eyes Starlink to connect rocket recovery ships to the internet

Regulatory filings show that SpaceX wants to use Starlink to connect its fleet of rocket recovery ships to the internet, potentially kicking off a range of tests that could prove the nascent satellite internet network viable for maritime use. First reported by CNBC, the news came in the form of a radio service application filed […]

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SpaceX Starship test tank survives first two nights of stress testing

SpaceX’s newest Starship test tank has survived the first two nights of stress testing, pushing the steel tank one step closer to a destructive finale. Known as Starship SN7.1, the new tank – aside from one critical difference – is similar to Starship SN2 (pictured above), a full-scale prototype SpaceX repurposed into a test tank […]

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SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship a week away from completion, says Elon Musk

CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship prototype – built entirely out of a new steel alloy – will be fully assembled “about a week” from now. On August 4th, SpaceX successfully hopped a full-scale Starship prototype (serial number 5 or SN5) for the first time, reaching the same 150m (~500 ft) apogee […]

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SpaceX Starship test tank set for destructive finale after ‘cryo proof’

SpaceX’s fourth Starship test tank is set for a destructive finale after completing a “cryo proof” pressure test on Thursday. SpaceX’s newest Starship test tank – SN7.1 – is the second in a series of two planned prototypes, both designed to test the viability of using a new steel alloy to build future Starships and […]

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SpaceX drone ship heads to sea for Falcon 9’s next Starlink launch and landing

An upgraded SpaceX drone ship is headed roughly 630 kilometers (~390 mi) into the Atlantic Ocean to support Falcon 9’s next Starlink launch and landing. SpaceX’s 11th Starlink launch this year alone, the mission will be the 12th operational (v1.0) launch and 13th Starlink launch overall, together representing some 700 operational satellites in orbit. According […]

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NASA wants you to dig up stuff on the Moon in pursuit of lunar exploration architecture

As part of NASA’s ramp up to its Artemis Moon mission in 2024, a few technologies are being sought out for development by private entities. The latest request is for the collection of a Moon sample, any sample will do, and bidding is open to any commercial entity in the world. NASA’s proposal went out […]

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SpaceX posts uncut Falcon 9 launch and landing footage and audio

SpaceX has released uncut footage of one of its most recent Falcon 9 launches and landings, including unprecedented onboard audio from the rocket through all phases of flight. The rocket in question, Falcon 9 booster B1059, ended months of delays when it lifted off at long last on August 30th, sending a new upper stage, […]

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SpaceX Starship factory overflowing with new and flight-proven rockets

After a relatively relaxed period of production and testing, SpaceX’s South Texas Starship factory is practically overflowing with new and flight-proven ships as the company prepares for the rocket’s next major tests. Even before the one-off Starship Mk1 prototype failed a pressure test late last year, SpaceX was in the process of upgrading its Boca […]

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SpaceX’s 13th Starlink launch set hours before next ULA Delta IV Heavy attempt

SpaceX and ULA’s next launch attempts have coincidentally wound up scheduled within hours of each other for the second time this month. The date for SpaceX’s thirteenth Starlink – and 12th Starlink v1.0 – launch appeared to solidify earlier this week, pointing towards a T-0 of 2:17 pm EDT (UTC-4) on Thursday, September 17th. Almost […]

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