SpaceX Scrubs Starlink Mission for Third Time Due to Poor Weather Conditions
SpaceX has had to scrub the Starlink mission for the third time this week due to poor weather conditions. The next available launch opportunity is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 5:17 p.m. PST. If successful, this will be the 82nd landing on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ which is staged out in the Pacific Ocean. The mission was announced after strong ground winds forced SpaceX and NASA to stand down from attempting to launch NASA’s PACE mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If the Starlink 7-13 launch is successful, it will mark several milestones for SpaceX including the 65th SpaceX launch from SLC-4E, 133rd orbital launch from SLC-4E, 296th Falcon 9 launch, and the 270th Falcon 9 booster landing.
NASA Requests Private Space Companies for Mars Missions
We are one step closer to a private, for-profit, libertarian utopia on Mars as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories has requested private space companies to outline how they would complete one of four different missions to the Red Planet, as reported…
SpaceX Unveils Ambitious Plans for Future with Starship Megarocket
SpaceX has unveiled its ambitious plans for the future, showcasing a photo of the ‘megabay’ at its Starbase site in South Texas. The image reveals a packed building filled with towering stainless-steel cylinders – Super Heavy vehicles, the first stage…
Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 Lunar Lander Mission Prepares for Mid-February Launch
Final preparations are underway for the launch of Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander mission, the IM-1, in mid-February. The mission will carry payloads from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program as well as for commercial customers. Joel Kearns, deputy…
Chinese Space Startup Landspace Achieves Successful Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing Test for Reusable Rocket
Chinese space startup Landspace achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the first vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test for its reusable stainless steel rocket, the Zhuque-3 VTVL-1. The test took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, with the…
Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Set to Launch on Falcon 9 Rocket for the First Time
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft is set to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket for the first time, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. The mission, designated NG-20, is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40…
SpaceX Gearing Up for Another Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX is gearing up for another rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, with plans to launch 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The company has announced that the launch is scheduled for…
Should Rocket R&D Become a New Priority with U.S. Reliance on SpaceX?
Covering the business and politics of space With the U.S. increasingly reliant on SpaceX, should rocket R&D become a new priority? January 17, 2024 With the U.S. government’s increasing reliance on SpaceX for space launch services, concerns have been raised…
NASA’s Crew-8 Mission News Conferences Scheduled
NASA is gearing up for its upcoming Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station, and the agency has scheduled a pair of news conferences to provide details about the mission and the crew involved. The briefings will take place on…