Space News & Blog Articles

A Falcon 9 stands ready for a Starlink mission at Cape Canaveral’s pad 40. File photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.

SpaceX is preparing for one more Falcon 9 launch to close out the week at the Cape. The Starlink 6-52 mission will add 23 more satellites to the growing low Earth orbit constellation.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for 6:40 p.m. EDT (2240 UTC). The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about one hour prior to liftoff.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster for this mission, tail number B1080, sill be making its seventh flight on this mission. It previously flew the Ax-2 and Ax-3 private astronaut missions on behalf of Axiom Space in addition to launching the Euclid observatory for the European Space Agency.

A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1080 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ This will be the 66th landing on ASOG and the 299th Falcon booster landing to date.

A Falcon 9 rocket stands in launch position at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the Starlink 6-51 mission on April 17, 2024. Image: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX is preparing for its latest Falcon 9 launch from pad 39A NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Starlink 6-51 mission comes about a week-and-a-half after the launch of its first Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission from that pad.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket is set for 5:26 p.m. EDT (2126 UTC) during an approximately four hour launch window. The weather outlook is fairly ideal for the mission. The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions at liftoff, with thick clouds near the launch pad being the only concern.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the mission beginning about one hour prior to liftoff.

Once this rocket launches, SpaceX will be one flight shy of tying the total number of Space Shuttle missions from this historic launch pad. This will be the 81st flight of a Falcon rocket compared to the 82 total shuttle flights.

After liftoff, there will be a total of 174 orbital flights from LC-39A. Nine of those were Falcon Heavy rockets with the remaining 72 being Falcon 9 rockets. There were also 11 Saturn 5 launches from this pad.

The CST-100 Starliner spacecraft pauses in front of Boeing’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) before it embarks to Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now

Update 10:41 a.m. EDT: Added additional timing information regarding work at the VIF and a statement from Boeing regarding the Starliner-1 crew makeup.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner embarked on its last big road trip before its journey to the International Space Station next month. In the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning, the capsule and its service module made the slow trek from Kennedy Space Center to Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The rollout of the vehicle, named Calypso, is another key step towards the Crew Flight Test (CFT) of the Starliner spacecraft, the first time that it will carry astronauts to and from the ISS. The mission’s crew, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were on hand to witness the departure of their ticket to ride.

“Big day for our nation. Big day for NASA. Big day for Boeing as we get over to the rocket and mate these things together,” said Wilmore, the CFT commander. “We’re excited to be here at this point, early in the morning, and excited that you came to share the experience with us. So, go Starliner!”

The journey from the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) was a slow and steady process. The doors of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) opened around 4 a.m. EDT (0800 UTC).

This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover.
Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is going back to square one when it comes to many aspects of its Mars Sample Return mission in response to independent reviews that showed ballooning costs and significant schedule delays.

The current architecture called for no less than five separate vehicles to transport back to Earth more than two dozen samples collected on the Martian surface by the Perseverance rover, which has been traveling the Red Planet since 2021 and is the first of those.

“Every indication that we’ve had from the independent review boards, plus the [Inspector General], that this thing could cost up to $11 billion, which would cause NASA to have to cannibalize other programs,” Nelson said, referring to science programs, like the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan, and the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission to find and track potentially hazardous objects.

That cost estimate of $11 billion came from the second MSR Independent Review Board (IRB-2) analysis in which it estimated needing between $850 million and $1 billion annually during the development period. Nelson pointed out that the Decadal Survey, an assessment of priorities from the science community via the National Science Foundation created every ten years, argued that it should cost approximately between $5 and $7 billion.

He described the $11 billion projection as being “too expensive” and a 2040 sample return date as being “unacceptably too long.”

SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster, B1062, lifts off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-49 mission. This marked the first time a booster launch and landed for a 20th time. Image: Adam Bernstein

Update 10:13 p.m. EDT: SpaceX successfully launched and landed its booster, B1062, for a 20th time.

SpaceX shattered multiple records Friday night as it launched 23 satellites for the company’s Starlink internet service from Cape Canaveral. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted offf from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0140 UTC).

It was the first time a Falcon 9 first-stage booster flew for a 20th time and it came just two days, 20 hours since another Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral’s pad 40. That smashes the previous record for the shortest time between launches by 21 hours 24 minutes.

Meteorologists with the 45th Weather Squadron predicted near-prefect conditions for launch. They forecast a less than five-percent chance of a weather rule violation during the four-hour launch window, with liftoff winds being the only concern.

Let’s go!!! And a new pad 40 launch to launch record of 48 hours! https://t.co/LWMtHP2VJj

As the Delta family of rockets closes out a more than 60 year legacy, a new spacecraft from another legacy space company is preparing to make its debut with astronauts on board. Meanwhile, millions are still basking in the coronal glow of Monday’s total solar eclipse while a new military weather satellite is preparing to enter service.

These are just some of the topics on deck for this week’s edition of News from the Press Site. The hour-long, live show begins at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 UTC) on the Spaceflight Now YouTube channel.

This week, we’re joined by Elizabeth Howell, staff writer for Space.com, and Bill Harwood, space consultant for CBS News. Join the conversation by using the Superchat feature while the video is live.

Elizabeth Howell, Space.com:

Bill Harwood, CBS News:

The Weather System Follow-on – Microwave (WSF-M) space vehicle was successfully encapsulated April 8, 2024, ahead of its scheduled launch as the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-62 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., marking a major milestone on its upcoming launch into low Earth orbit. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX launched a military weather satellite designed to replace aging satellites from a program dating back to the 1960s. The United States Space Force-62 (USSF-62) mission featured the launch of the first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) spacecraft.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC), which was the opening of a 10-minute launch window.

The booster supporting this National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission, B1082 in the SpaceX fleet, made its third flight after previously launching the Starlink 7-9 and 7-14 missions this year.

“We’re absolutely thrilled be out here on the Central Coast, with a superb team primed and ready to launch the USSF-62 satellite. It has an important mission ahead of it and we’re excited for flight-proven Falcon 9 to deliver the satellite to orbit,” said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for the Space System Command’s Launch Execution Delta, in a statement. “And on this mission, we’re using a first-stage booster whose history is purely commercial.”

About eight minutes after liftoff, B1082 touched down at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4). This was the 17th land landing in California and the 295th booster landing for SpaceX.

A Falcon 9 rock climbs above Florida’s Space Coast on the Starlink 6-48 mission on April 10, 2024. Image: Spaceflight Now

Update 1:58 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-48 mission.

SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites during a mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 flight was the company’s 24th dedicated Starlink launch in 2024.

Liftoff of the Starlink 6-48 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 1:40 a.m. EDT (0540 UTC).

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1083 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launching for a second time. Its first flight supported the launch of the Crew-8 astronaut mission to the International Space Station on March 3, 2024.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1083 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ This marked the 77th landing on JRTI and the 295th booster landing to date.

A ULA Delta 4 Heavy rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 37 on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. This was the 16th and final launch of a Delta 4 Heavy rocket. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now

The second time was the charm for the finale of the Delta family of rockets. Following an issue with a gaseous nitrogen pipeline beyond the control of United Launch Alliance (ULA) that caused the March 28 scrub the second launch attempt on April 9 proved successful.

Liftoff of the Delta 4 Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 12:53 p.m. EDT (1653 UTC). The “most metal of all rockets” as described by ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno rocketed away from the pad at the start of the launch window, carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

In the final four minutes prior to liftoff last go around, there were two issues that cropped up, according to Bruno. The first was a violation of ground wind limits, which forced the initial hold. That was coupled with an issue that came up with a gaseous nitrogen pump.

The pipeline system that services active launchpads both at the Kennedy Space Center as well as at CCSFS is owned by NASA and is managed by prime contractor, Air Liquide. 

In response to questions from Spaceflight Now regarding the extent of the issue and the measures taken to resolve it, Air Liquide provided the following statement:

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A on the Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission on April 7, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein

SpaceX launched the first in a new series of rideshare missions that it dubbed “Bandwagon.” The 11 satellites rode onboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Liftoff occurred at 7:16 p.m. EDT (2316 UTC). A day before the mission, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast better than 95 percent odds of favorable conditions at launch time.

Like the “Transporter” rideshare flights, the Falcon 9 rocket for the Bandwagon-1 mission launched with a batch of satellites, which were deployed over a period of time. However, SpaceX did not disclose the timing of the deployments as it typically does with Transporter missions.

This was likely due to the presence of the South Korean Project 425 SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites on board. A SpaceX commentator said during the broadcast that they were ending their stream early and without views of the payload “at the request of our customer.” The last time SpaceX launched a batch of these satellites, it also withheld timing information on spacecraft deployment.

In addition to the 425Sat payload, the 10 other spacecraft included the following:

A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at sunset from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Starlink 8-1 mission on April 6, 2024. Image: SpaceX

For a second time this year, SpaceX is preparing to launch another batch of Starlink satellites that support its Direct to Cell capability. The six spacecraft are among the 21 total satellites which launched on Saturday, April 6, from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) happened at 7:25 p.m. PDT (10:25 EDT, 0225 UTC).

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1081 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a sixth time. It previously supported the launches of NASA’s PACE spacecraft, the Crew-7 astronauts, CRS-29, Transporter-10 and Starlink Group 6-34.

A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This marked the 88th landing on OCISLY and the 293rd booster landing to date.

Following January’s launch of the first DTC Starlink satellites in January, SpaceX conducted a number of tests using the budding service. Those included sending text messages, making phone calls and posting to social media.

The opportunity to see a total solar eclipse is capturing the attention of millions across the country, spacecraft are going through key environmental testing and a Florida resident is dealing with an out-of-this-world garbage problem.

These are just some of the topics on deck for this week’s edition of News from the Press Site. The hour-long, live show begins at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 UTC) on the Spaceflight Now YouTube channel.

This week, we’re joined by Emilee Speck, space journalist with FOX Weather, and Stephen Clark, space reporter with Ars Technica. Join the conversation by using the Superchat feature while the video is live.

A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-47 mission on Friday, April 5, 2024. Image: Spaceflight Now

Update 5:12 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-47 mission.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Friday morning to kick off a weekend that could see three missions for the company.

The Starlink 6-47 mission lifted off at 5:12 a.m. EDT (0912 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), just minutes before moonrise over the Cape.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1069 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a 14th time. It previously supported the launches of the CRS-24 and OneWeb-1 missions, along with nine Starlink flights.

B1069 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. This was the 64th booster landing on ASOG and the 292nd booster landing to date.

NASA awarded contracts for three companies and their teams to move into the feasibility phase of developing options for a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). Renderings: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, Astrolab

NASA selected three companies to move forward with developing crewed, unpressurized rovers capable of operating on the Moon’s South Pole on Wednesday.

Intuitive Machine’s Moon RACER (Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover), Lunar Outpost’s Lunar Dawn and Venturi Astrolab’s FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) rovers were selected by NASA as part of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Service (LTVS) contract. The maximum potential value of the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, milestone-based contract is $4.6 billion, according to NASA.

Those three principles are each leading multi-company teams in this competition:

“Science is our toolbox for learning and enhanced mobility is one of the most important tools in that science toolbox,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s Chief Exploration Scientist, during the announcement at the Johnson Space Center on Wednesday.

“The diversity of Apollo samples increased when the Lunar Roving Vehicle enabled exploration of more surface area per-mission. That diversity of lunar knowledge is what we seek now,” he added.

SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini satellites inside a payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral. Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX hopes to follow the successful launch of a European television satellite with a pair of its own Starlink missions from both Florida and California. The first Falcon 9 flight is scheduled to depart from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at pad 40.

Liftoff of the Starlink 6-45 mission is set for 9:02 p.m. EDT (0102 UTC). This would be the 20th Starlink mission of 2024.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about one hour prior to liftoff.

Launch weather for the mission is about as ideal as it gets. The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a greater than 95 percent chance of favorable launch conditions, with the Thick Cloud Layers rule as the main watch item.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1067 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launching for an 18th time. It previously supported missions like the Crew-3 and Crew-4 flights to the International Space Station; the 22nd and 25th Commercial Resupply Services flights to the ISS; and eight Starlink missions.

A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch the Eutelsat 36D mission at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on March 30, 2024. Image: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX is aiming for an ambitious launch cadence on Saturday evening with potentially three launches on tap in fewer than five hours. The first two Falcon 9 rockets are set to depart from Florida’s Space Coast with the last mission taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

First up to the plate is the Eutelsat 36D mission, which is set to liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:52 p.m. EDT (2152 UTC). This is the opening of a launch window that lasts three hours and 52 minutes.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about one hour prior to launch.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1076 in the SpaceX fleet, will be making its 12 launch attempt. It previously supported missions like the 26th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-26) Dragon flight to the International Space Station, Intelsat IS-40e and Ovzon-3.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1076 aims to land on the SpaceX droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ in the Atlantic Ocean. This would be the 76th landing on JRTI and the 289th booster landing to date.

File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX

As the month of March winds down, SpaceX hopes to squeeze in one more launch from California with a batch of 22 of its Starlink satellites on board.

Liftoff of the Starlink 7-18 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base is set for 7:30 p.m. PT (10:30 p.m. ET, 0230 UTC).

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the mission beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff.

This will be the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1071 in the SpaceX fleet. It previously launched two SmallSat Transporter rideshare mission, a pair of missions for the National Reconnaissance Office and NASA’s ocean-observing SWOT payload among others.

Following liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), B1071 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ a little more than eight minutes into flight. This will mark the 87th landing on OCISLY and the 289th booster landing to date.

The final Delta 4 Heavy pictured on the eve of its final mission inside the Mobile Service Tower at Cape Canaveral’s pad 37. Photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.United Launch Alliance is preparing to bid a fond farewell to what its CEO calls “the most metal of all rockets.” The last Delta rocket, flying in its three-core heavy configuration, is preparing to launch on a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), dubbed NROL-70.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) is set for 1:40 p.m. EDT (1740 UTC). This mission carries a classified payload and signals the end of the Delta chapter for ULA as its new Vulcan rocket prepares to really take over.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the mission starting about 90 minutes ahead of launch.

The 45th Weather Squadron forecasts only 30 percent odds of favorable weather for launch on Thursday, March 28, with ground winds and cumulus clouds being the primary concerns. Weather improves to 60 percent favorable on Friday with ground winds being the primary concern in this 24-hour backup scenario.

“Winds at ground level at the pad, especially on a Delta 4, which is a three-core rocket, lots of surface area, the concern is being blown back towards the launch tower,” said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno during a prelaunch press conference. “We have a very well-understood criteria. It depends on the angle of the wind and we know what to do. We can launch through a pretty narrow moment in time. So, if the winds calm down, even for just a few minutes, so that we’re confident that that’s where they’re going to be, then we’ll launch through that opportunity.”

NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) pose in front of a graphic of the mission patch for the Starliner Crew Flight Test. Image: Will Robinson-Smith/Spaceflight Now

NASA is five weeks away from putting astronauts aboard a new commercial crew capsule. May 1 is the target launch date for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on the Crew Flight Test-1 (CFT-1) mission the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams on board.

The capsule will launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff on May 1 would be at 12:55 a.m. ET (1655 UTC) with docking taking place on May 2.

“This is a thrill for me and our entire Boeing Starliner program team, working with our NASA partners,” said LeRoy Cain, the deputy Starliner program manager. “I would say we are steeped in spaceflight experience in every element and aspect of human spaceflight experience.”

On Thursday, members of the flight control team gave members of the press an overview of the mission at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and discussed some of the their preparations for the mission alongside the crew.

“This is the first flight of a new, crewed spacecraft. You gotta figure out how to fly it. And it started with here’s a simulator and here’s a rocket, and let’s put a crew in the cockpit and figure out how to do this,” said Mike Lammers, the CFT lead flight director who focuses on pre-launch and ascent. “We’ve been doing that for a few years. Now we’re kind of in the final phases where we train with the crew.”

A Falcon 9 stands ready for the Starlink 6-46 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.

SpaceX is preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Monday evening with 23 Starlink satellites on board. This mission will mark the 175th launch for SpaceX from its workhorse pad to date.

Liftoff of the Starlink 6-46 mission is set for 7:42 p.m. EDT (2342 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40). This will also be the 20th mission launching from Florida in 2024.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about one hour prior to liftoff.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1078 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launching for an eighth time. It previously launched NASA’s Crew-6 mission, SES’ O3b mPOWER 3 &4 satellites, the USSF-124 mission and four Starlink flights.

About eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, B1078 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ This will be the 62nd landing on ASOG and the 228th booster landing to date.