SpaceX

File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is preparing to launch its latest batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base late Friday morning. It comes as the U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) works to ensure resiliency from one of two primary spaceports that’s seeing far more orbital launches than it has historically experienced. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 11-2 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) is set for 11:28 a.m. PST (2:28 p.m. EST, 1928 UTC). This will be the 87th Starlink launch so far this year. Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the mission beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff.  The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1082 ...

Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur with two commercial spaceflights to his credit and strong ties to Elon Musk and SpaceX, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as NASA’s next administrator. Image: John Kraus/Inspiration4 Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, a veteran private astronaut with strong ties to Elon Musk and his rocket company SpaceX, has been nominated by the incoming Trump administration to serve as NASA’s next administrator, the president-elect said in a statement Wednesday. If confirmed, Isaacman, 41, would be the fifth NASA administrator with spaceflight experience, replacing former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who flew into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia in early 1986. “I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished bu...

File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX SpaceX aims notched another milestone in spaceflight reusability Wednesday night when it not only launched a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket booster for the 350th time in program history, but also performed its 300th successful booster landing. The Starlink 9-14 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:05 p.m. PST (10:05 p.m. EST, 0305 UTC). However, in announcing the mission on its website though, SpaceX just broadly said, “The four-hour launch window opens at 4:06 p.m. PT.” For the third time in as many launches from California, SpaceX left the public in the dark as to whether or not the launch will be viewable via livestream. When it published details of...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station prior to the launch of the Starlink 6-70 mission. Image: Spaceflight Now Update 8:00 p.m. EST (0100 UTC): Adding information about the Falcon 9 booster and updating the T-0 liftoff time. SpaceX is preparing for the first of three planned Falcon 9 rocket launches over the next two days, which include two Starlink flights and a customer mission. Notably, the first mission in the trio, Starlink 6-70, will see the launch of a first stage booster making its 24th flight, a new launch record. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for no earlier than 5:13 a.m. EST (1013 UTC) on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Spaceflight Now will have live coverage begin...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the pad at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) to begin the Starlink 6-65 mission. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update 12:29 a.m. EST (0529 UTC): SpaceX landed the first stage booster on its droneship. SpaceX completed the first of its two final Falcon 9 launches of November, using launch pads in both Florida and California. The Starlink 6-65 mission, which will add another 24 Starlink satellites to the company’s rapidly growing mega-constellation, lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at midnight (0500 UTC) on Nov. 30.  Heading into the midnight mission, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 85 percent chance for favorable weather at liftoff, citing thick clouds along with gusty winds as potential concerns. “[Precipitat...