Tag: launch

SpaceX Starship Rocket Is Lost During 7th Test Launch, Causing Debris to Fall

The New York Times reports, “The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket failed on Thursday as the vehicle’s upper stage experienced a catastrophic malfunction as it headed upward to space. SpaceX was able to achieve some success by repeating the feat of catching the gargantuan Super Heavy booster back at the launchpad.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)

 

 

 

 

 

Video

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded shortly after launching on its seventh test flight.
(Brut India; YouTube)

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Launches on its Inaugural Flight

Scientific American reports, “A few minutes after 2:00 A.M. EST, a hulking, 320-foot-tall rocket slipped its tethers at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and heaved itself into the sky on a bluish-white pillar of flame, briefly turning night into day along the eastern shore of Florida’s Space Coast. About 8 minutes later, the rocket’s large, first-stage booster failed to stick its landing on a barge in the Atlantic—not exactly the desired outcome, but not unusual for the first attempt to land a booster upright.”
Full Story (Scientific American)
More Info (AIAA Statement)

 

 

 

Video

New Glenn at liftoff during the NG-1 mission, January 16, 2025.  (Launch at 04:00:41 mark)
(NASASpaceflight; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Two Private Moon Landers at Once

The New York Times reports, “A space twofer took place early Wednesday morning — two lunar missions for the price of one rocket launch. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:11 a.m. Eastern time, carrying the Blue Ghost lander built by Firefly Aerospace of Austin, Texas, and the Resilience lander from Ispace of Japan.”
Full Story (The New York Times – Subscription Publication)

 

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Firefly Blue Ghost & HAKUTO-R M2 “Resilience”  (Launch at 00:56:42 mark)
(NASASpaceflight; YouTube)

SpaceX Launches Another 21 Starlink Satellites on Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX kicked off a busy launch week that features flights from all four of its launch pads between California, Florida and Texas. Assuming no launch slips, it will launch three Falcon 9 rockets and the seventh flight test of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket. First up was the Starlink 12-4 mission, which launched from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff happened at 11:47 a.m. EST (1647 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral  (Launch at 00:59:25 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

Blue Origin Scrubs Debut Launch of its New Glenn Rocket

The New York Times reports, “There’s a new rocket that’s never flown waiting on a launchpad in Florida. It’s called New Glenn and it’s going to have to stay there a little longer. On Monday, propellants were loaded into the vehicle and a countdown clock started. Then the clock was reset again. And again. And again.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription publication)
More Info (Spaceflight Now)

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Delayed Until 12 January

The Guardian reports Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch is delayed until at least 12 January due to conditions in the Atlantic, where the booster is slated to land. A statement from the company read: “We’re shifting our NG-1 launch date to no earlier than January 12 due to a high sea state in the Atlantic, where we hope to land our booster.”
Full Story (The Guardian)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 21 More Starlink Satellites from Kennedy Space Center

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX kicked off Wednesday with the launch of a batch of 21 Starlink satellites, heading to low Earth orbit. Among those were 13 satellites equipped to provide text and data cellphone service. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center happened at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 21 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center  (Launch at 01:00:56 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches on First Dedicated Starlink Mission of 2025

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its first Starlink mission of the year on the first Monday of 2025. Onboard the Starlink 6-71 mission were 24 V2 Mini satellites headed to low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 3:43 p.m. EST (2043 UTC), which was the end of the available three-hour window.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral at 3:43 p.m. EST, January 6.  (Launch at 01:01:06 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Conducts Third Falcon 9 Launch in Less Than 24 Hours

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its third Falcon 9 launch in less than 24 hours with a launch for one of its oldest customers: Luxembourg-based communications company, SES. Liftoff of the O3b mPOWER 7 and 8 satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center happened near sunset at 5:26 p.m. EST (2226 UTC), which was the close of a nearly 1.5-hour-long launch window. It was be the 90th orbital launch from the Florida spaceport comprising of Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches pair of O3b mPOWER satellites from Kennedy Space Center (Launch at 0:59:21 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Expedited GPS Mission for U.S. Space Force

Spaceflight Now reports, “The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Space Operations Command (SpOC) shifted the GPS 3 Space Vehicle 07 spacecraft to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket due to delays in Vulcan’s certification. The launch, previously known simply as ‘RRT-1,’ actually stands for “Rapid Response Trailblazer.” Onboard was the GPS 3 Space Vehicle (SV) 07 (GPS 3 SV-07). Lockheed Martin, the satellite’s manufacturer, confirmed successful signal acquisition less than two hours after the launch at 7:52 p.m. EST (0052 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX launches U.S. Space Force RRT-1 mission from Cape Canaveral on Falcon 9 rocket (Launch at 1:00:51 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)