SpaceX

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 One of the biggest decision points for the space community, how to redesign the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, may be weeks away from an inflection point, according to outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. During a roundtable discussion with reporters on Dec. 18 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Nelson said the agency will announce the path forward on the U.S.-led initiative to return samples from the Red Planet “in the first part of January, before I leave.” “As a matter of fact, one of the major briefings is going to occur Friday morning (Dec. 20) here at KSC...

File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX Update 10:04 p.m. EST (0304 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 22 Starlink satellites. SpaceX completed its first of three planned Falcon 9 launches before the end of year. The trio began with a Starlink mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Starlink 11-3 mission added another 22 V2 Mini satellites to the megaconstellation in low Earth orbit. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) happened at 5:58:30 p.m. PST (8:58:30 p.m. EST, 0158:30 UTC).  The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1075 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a 16th time. It previously supported the launches of Transporter-11, SARah-2 and 12 Starlink missions. A little more than ...

File photo: A Falcon 9 booster stands ready for the Starlink 12-2 mission at launch complex 39A. Image: Spaceflight Now. Updated Dec. 29 at 6:25 p.m. EST (2325 UTC): SpaceX delayed the launch by a day. SpaceX is preparing to end its orbital launch year in the same way it began, by launching a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites including 13 featuring direct to cell phone capabilities. The Starlink 12-6 mission will launch onboard the company’s 132nd and final Falcon 9 flight of 2024. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is set for 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 UTC) on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Launch was original scheduled for 1:02 a.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 30, but appeared to slip to the end of the window because launch preparations were running behind schedule. As of 6:25 p.m. E...

A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) to begin the Astranis: From One to Many mission on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. Image: Pete Carstens/MaxQ Productions for Spaceflight Now Update 12:45 p.m. (0545 UTC): SpaceX deployed the four satellites. Following a rare pad abort on Dec. 21, SpaceX launched four satellites to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at midnight on Sunday morning. Prior to the mission moving forward, the company had to swap the first stage booster for another. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) happened at 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC) on Sunday, Dec. 29.  Coming into the launch attempt, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 85 percent chance of favorable weather at liftoff. The only conc...

Blue Origin fuels its fully integrated New Glenn rocket on its third day of tanking testing in December. Image: Spaceflight Now Update Dec. 27, 9:20 p.m. EST (0220 UTC): A 24-second static fire of the New Glenn first stage took place at 7:47 p.m. EST (0047 UTC). Update Dec. 27, 4:09 p.m. EST (2109 UTC): Adding some more detail from the launch license. Blue Origin is preparing to put on a display of fire and fury out at Launch Complex 36. The company is gearing up for a crucial hot fire test of its New Glenn rocket, which is one of the big, final steps needed before it can launch. It comes as the Federal Aviation Administration granted a Part 450 commercial launch license for the rocket, clearing way for it to operate for five years. “The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S....