Tag: Falcon 9 V1.1

A Rocket on the Edge of Forever

A Rocket on the Edge of Forever

It is after all, just a test launch.  But what a test launch it is. Whenever the Falcon 9 v1.1 finally lifts off from Vandenberg, Ca. it will carry much more than a 700 lb. satellite, (as well as a couple of cubesats) which got a bargain basement price for accepting an elevated level of […]

SpaceX Launch Begins on Sunday

SpaceX Launch Begins on Sunday

According to a twitter update from Elon Musk, SpaceX is aiming for a two day launch window for the new Falcon 9 V1.1,  beginning this Sunday, contingent on good weather at the Vandenberg, Ca. launch site.  At the moment, the  weather forecast appears to be quite favorable for the launch, , with clear skies and […]

Posted in: SpaceX
A Six Pack from SpaceX

A Six Pack from SpaceX

SpaceX has released a new update, dated September 25th, which highlights the increased pace of production for both Dragon capsules,  as well as Falcon 9 cores. In the above collage of Dragon craft, four are for CRS missions, and two are for  Commercial Crew testing. Interestingly, the company highlights its Hawthorne factory’s capacity to produce […]

SpaceX Conducts 2nd Static Fire, Launch Window Opens in 10 Days

SpaceX Conducts 2nd Static Fire, Launch Window Opens in 10 Days

According to a tweet from Elon Musk Thursday evening,  after a  fully successful second static fire of the Falcon 9 v1.1,  SpaceX is ready to begin launch preparations for a window at Vandenberg which opens “in 10 days.” If that holds, the launch could occur as early as Sunday, September 29th. Space.com reported earlier this week […]

SpaceX Launch Update

SpaceX Launch Update

The maiden launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 v.1, to be conducted out of Vandenberg AFB in California, has been pushed back  from September 10th to the 14th, and if a recent tweet from company founder Elon Musk is any indication, further delays are  possible, as the company attempts to cover every contingency for one […]

Zenit Return to Flight Via Land Launch Launch Kicks Off a September to Remember

Zenit Return to Flight Via Land Launch Launch Kicks Off a September to Remember

A busy, and unusually significant September launch schedule got underway Saturday at 4:05 p.m. EDT  with the liftoff of a Land Launch Zenit-3SLB booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.    Carrying the 9,500 lb. AMOS-4 communications satellite, Israel’s largest Comsat so far, to a GTO, the successful launch marked a return to flight for […]

Latest Grasshopper Test

Latest Grasshopper Test

From the SpaceX Channel: “On August 13th, the Falcon 9 test rig (code name Grasshopper) completed a divert test, flying to a 250m altitude with a 100m lateral maneuver before returning to the center of the pad. The test demonstrated the vehicle’s ability to perform more aggressive steering maneuvers than have been attempted in previous […]

SpaceX Completes Full Length Test

SpaceX Completes Full Length Test

SpaceX has completed a full length mission test burn of the Falcon 9 V1.1 first stage at its rocket development facility in McGregor, Tx.  This most recent test, which according to the Waco Trib took  place at approximately 7:41 p.m.  Sunday evening, was confirmed by twitter post from Elon Musk, who congratulated his team for overcoming a number of difficulties.  […]

A 4th of July Shot from SpaceX

A 4th of July Shot from SpaceX

SpaceX tweeted this picture of an Amercan flag flying on top of its new transporter /  erector at Vandenberg, Ca.  Note the substantial structure designed to support the Falcon Heavy’s triple core configuration.

Posted in: SpaceX
Proton Disaster

Proton Disaster

After a difficult two-year span which had seen a surprising number of failures in the Russian launch  industry, things appeared to be getting back on track in 2013.  Until today.  Within a few seconds of liftoff at 8:38 a.m. local time,  (10:38 p.m. EDT Monday July 1)  a  Russian Proton-M  booster carrying 3 Glonass (GPS) satellites began oscillating, exhibiting a loss of […]

Posted in: Russian Space
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