On January 16th, 2025 SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy launched on its seventh flight test, in what aimed to be a test of block upgrades of the Starship upper stage. While IFT-7 looked fairly similar to previous test flights during the first few minutes of ascent, problems quickly developed, ultimately resulting in the dramatic loss of the Starship vehicle over the Caribbean Sea.
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On December 29, 2024, a new breed of geostationary satellites took flight – powered into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. From One to Many, the first Astranis Block 2 mission, is the first operational deployment of the California based company’s MicroGEO fleet, with ultimate goal of providing connectivity across the globe.
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SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle completed a sixth flight test on Tuesday, November 19th, capping off an eventful year for this unique development program.
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At 7:25 AM CDT on October 13th, 2024, the fifth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-5) of SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle lifted itself from its Orbital Launch Mount at Starbase, Texas.
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NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, a 5 billion dollar Jovian orbiter, will aim to answer questions about one of the most tantalizing candidates for life in the solar system: the gas giant’s icy moon of Europa.
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The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft has lifted off on a unique mission to the binary asteroid pair Didymos and Dimorphos. The probe will seek new insights into planetary defense techniques that could protect the Earth from asteroid impacts in the future, following up on NASA’s DART mission which intentionally struck Dimorphos in September of 2022.
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Falcon 9 currently finds itself in the midst of its third grounding in 2024. Following a successful launch of the Crew-9 mission and crew aboard Crew Dragon Freedom on September 28th, the Falcon 9 second stage experienced an anomaly during its deorbit burn, causing it to fall outside of the designated safe zone.
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SpaceX’s ninth crew rotation to the International Space Station is underway, carrying two crew members uphill to the orbiting laboratory. Crew-9 evaded stormy weather to lift off on September 28th, 2024 at 1:17 PM EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
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In periods of uncertainty, one thing is clear in spaceflight – the show must go on. With this mantra in mind, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are preparing to launch on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has been a resounding success, both for SpaceX itself and for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. After ending a 9-year gap in the United States’ crewed launch capability, the spacecraft has become the de facto leader in the developing commercial orbital economy.
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On September 10, 2024, one of the farthest-reaching civilian missions in human history lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aiming to smash records and push boundaries in support of human spaceflight objectives. The Polaris Dawn mission, launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9, also completed the first commercial spacewalk, with Commander Jared Isaacman and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis exiting the spacecraft for an extravehicular activity (EVA) lasting just under two hours.
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SpaceX’s Starlink 8-10 mission lifted off successfully at 3:43 AM EDT on the morning of August 31st, deploying 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. This mission represents the second return to flight for Falcon 9 this year, and a historic turnaround.
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In an age marked by aggression and deterioration of relationships, it appears that the end of a long standing practice, seat exchange on partner vehicles, is coming to an end – thrusting the station into a period of uncertainty as it faces the twilight years of its operation.
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On July 27, 2024 at 1:45 AM EDT, Falcon 9 returned to flight following its stand down on July 11, returning the workhorse of American rocketry to service. Carrying the Starlink 10-9 group, the mission is a return to form for one of the most flown rockets of the decade.
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In a teleconference on July 17th, NASA and SpaceX provided additional information about the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), the spacecraft which will be tasked with pushing the International Space Station out of orbit at the end of its lifetime.
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At 7:30 Pacific Standard Time on July 11th, 2024, a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket carrying the Starlink Group 9-3 satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Nearly 2 hours later, SpaceX confirmed that the mission had experienced an anomaly.
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NASA and SpaceX have launched GOES-U, the final Earth observation satellite in the GOES-R series. The spacecraft was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, dodging inclement weather to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 PM EDT on July 25th, 2024.
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In an announcement on June 13th, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin were selected for the Department of Defense’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 program. All three providers are now eligible to compete for a series of 30+ launches, with a combined value of $5.6 billion.
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SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle has completed its fourth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-4), lifting off from the company’s Starbase facility at 7:50 AM Central Time on Thursday, June 6th, 2024.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) and SpaceX are preparing to launch the long-anticipated EarthCARE mission on May 27, 2024, set to improve climate models and weather forecasts by studying Earth’s radiation budget in new detail.
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With testing already underway ahead of Starship’s fourth Integrated Flight Test (IFT), and several more flight tests planned in 2024, one may ask how quickly the dream will become reality. The answer, however, as many things are regarding spaceflight, is complicated and prone to delays.
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On Thursday, March 14th, SpaceX completed the third Integrated Flight Test (IFT-3) of its Starship launch vehicle. Notably, IFT-3 successfully achieved the first complete ascent of the combined Starship and Super Heavy system.
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SpaceX has begun the final prep work for a third flight of their Starship heavy lift reusable launch vehicle, with March 14 as the currently projected liftoff date, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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NASA’s next crew to depart for the International Space Station, Crew-8, are nearly ready for launch, set to embark on a voyage of scientific discovery onboard the orbiting laboratory for the benefit of all on Earth.
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On Thursday, February 22nd, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander Odysseus successfully touched down on the Moon, achieving the “ultimate milestone” for the IM-1 mission and marking the first major victory for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
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On February 15th, at 1:05 AM Eastern Time, Intuitive Machine’s NOVA-C, Odysseus, lifted off in support of the IM-1 mission – with the aim of becoming the first American spacecraft to make it to the lunar surface in over 50 years.
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After nearly nine years of planning, preparation, and even once being slated for cancellation entirely, NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Earth-observation mission lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on February 8, at 1:33:36 AM.
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Intuitive Machines is targeting February 14th for the launch of IM-1, the first flight of its NOVA-C robotic moon lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
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Starlab Space, a joint venture of Voyager Space and Airbus Space and Defense, announced Jan. 31 it reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch the consortium’s Starlab space station on the currently under development Starship system.
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On January 30th, at 12:07:15 PM Eastern Time, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lofted the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as part of the NG-20 mission in a historic first for both Commercial Cargo providers.
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AS NG-20 prepares to fly, Space Scout’s Scarlet Dominik takes a closer look at the current state of the launch industry, and analyzes how a monopoly on launch may be something to avoid.
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Final preparations are underway for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (NG-20), currently set to launch on January 29th 2024.
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Amidst schedule delays and uncertainties surrounding the return to flight of the Vega launch vehicle, the European Space Agency and European Commission are considering the purchase of an American Falcon 9 rocket to launch their Sentinel-1C climate satellite, with a decision expected in the coming days or weeks.
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On January 18th, 2024 at 4:49 PM, SpaceX and Axiom Space launched their third mission to the International Space Station,
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SpaceX and Axiom Space are targeting January 18th, 2024 at 4:49 PM for the launch of their third mission to the International Space Station, Ax-3, carrying a historic all-European crew on a 14-day mission.
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While the Commercial Crew Program seems fairly straightforward, it has already had huge implications on the immediate future of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond.
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After considerable delay, USSF-52/OTV-7 has gotten underway, lifting off at 8:07 PM on Thursday, December 28th atop a Falcon Heavy.
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On November 30th, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report detailing the various challenges remaining for SpaceX, Axiom, and NASA as they work towards the first Moon landing in more than 50 years as part of the Artemis III mission.
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Space Scout lead photographer David Diebold reflects on his experience travelling to cover SpaceX’s second Integrated Test Flight of Starship
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On the 6th of October, 2023, United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket lifted off from SLC-41 carrying Amazon’s first two prototype Kuiper internet satellites. This marks the beginning of a new internet age…
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After weeks of reshuffling, NASA and SpaceX’s CRS-29 mission lifted off from Historic Launch Complex 39A for the International Space
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A next generation optical communications system known as ILLUMA-T is ready for flight onboard the CRS-29 mission to the International Space Station.
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On Friday the 13th, 2023 SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy beat the odds and
lifted off carrying NASA’s Psyche spacecraft on a two billion mile trek to the asteroid of its namesake.
With a rumble that has become routine, Falcon 9 lifted off on September 3rd, 2023 with Starlink 6-12, setting SpaceX’s new record for their number of launches in a given year.
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SpaceX and the Space Development Agency (SDA) are gearing up to launch their next batch of satellites as part of their Tranche program.
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On August 27th, 2023 at 9:16 AM Eastern Standard Time, Crew Dragon Endurance docked to the Zenith port of the Harmony Module of the International Space Station.
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Six years into the future and 177 years after its discovery, the massive asteroid 16 Psyche will receive its first visitor from Earth.
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As SpaceX’s Crew – 7 gears up for launch in August, 2023 – the crew of the sixth rotation mission to the International Space Station are wrapping up a record setting, history-making long duration segment.
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission is set to lift off on Tuesday, October 5 at 12:00 p.m. EDT, carrying a crew of four aboard Crew Dragon Endurance.
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On April 8th, Axiom-1, the first all-private crew will launch to the International Space Station.
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Views of the launch of Transporter-3, carrying 105 satellites to a polar orbit on January 13, 2022.
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JULY 17, 2021–A Shortfall of Gravitas, a new, modernized drone-ship, joins the SpaceX fleet.
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Crew-2 is set to liftoff April 23 at 5:49 a.m. ET – here’s everything you need to know, including full detailed timelines of the mission.
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JAN. 23, 2021–SpaceX is set to launch a mission carrying over 140 satellites. We tracked 142 out of 143.
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JAN. 12, 2020–SpaceX successfully undocked the CRS-21 Dragon resupply vehicle from the ISS this morning, ahead of splashdown in just over a day.
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DEC. 11, 2020–Two days ago, SpaceX’s massive SN8 prototype completed a successful test – by blowing up on the landing pad.
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DEC. 7, 2020–SpaceX is preparing for its first high-altitude Starship flight – a 12.5km test using “SN8”, a prototype Starship test vehicle.
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NOV. 20, 2020–Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is launching from Vandenberg in just 12 hours. If “launching from Vandenberg” isn’t a phrase you’ve heard lately – we don’t blame you.
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NOV. 20, 2020– With just twelve hours to go to the launch of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, here’s everything you need to know to watch the first Vandenberg launch in over a year and a half.
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NOV. 14, 2020–With just a day and a half to go before the first operational Commercial Crew mission, we’ve compiled some information as a guide to help you get the best experience out of Crew-1.
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Dragon capsule Endeavour and its two-man crew, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley, prepare to come home after over two months in space.
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JUNE 2, 2020– SpaceX’s Starship development program in South Texas seemed to be right on track until it met a swift (and explosive) halt last Friday.
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