Tag: McGregor

SpaceX Plans McGregor Expansion

SpaceX Plans McGregor Expansion

Image Credit SpaceX The Waco-Tribune reports that SpaceX is planning a significant expansion of its McGregor, Tx. rocket development facility near Waco. From the story: “SpaceX is proposing to invest $46.3 million in the site during the next five years. That will consist of about $32.4 million in real property improvements and $13.9 million in […]

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SpaceX Scrubs AsiaSat 6 Launch

SpaceX Scrubs AsiaSat 6 Launch

Back to the Hangar/ Image Credit SpaceX SpaceX has scrubbed the launch of AsiaSat 6, which had been scheduled for 12:50 AM EDT tonight.  Although no statement has been forthcoming as to the cause of the scrub,  the use of the word “indefinitely” to describe the delay suggests it may be tied last Friday’s Falcon […]

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22 Days After AsiaSat 8, SpaceX Prepares to Launch AsiaSat 6

22 Days After AsiaSat 8, SpaceX Prepares to Launch AsiaSat 6

AsiaSat 8 Counts on August 5: Image Credit SpaceX After slipping the launch of AsiaSat 6 by 24 hours to further examine data from Friday’s F-9R test mishap in Texas, SpaceX appears to be counting down to a liftoff scheduled to take place at 12:50 AM EDT on Wednesday. Assuming the schedule holds, this flight […]

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SpaceX Slips AsiaSat 6 Launch One Day Following Texas Mishap

SpaceX Slips AsiaSat 6 Launch One Day Following Texas Mishap

(Note: this article has been edited to correct a previous version which incorrectly identified the next NASA mission as CRS-5. It will be CRS-4.) SpaceX has moved the impending launch of the AsiaSat 6 satellite from Cape Canaveral back one day, from Tuesday to Wednesday. The precautionary move comes in the wake of Friday’s F9R […]

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SpaceX “Explosion” Video Suggests One Possible Cause

SpaceX “Explosion” Video Suggests One Possible Cause

Some details regarding yesterday’s mishap with a three engine F9R in Texas are beginning to emerge. Local news media posted a video to Youtube, which although shot at a distance, appears to show the F9-R make a normal ascent, begin a translation maneuver, and then pitch over to a clearly excessive degree prior to the […]

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SpaceX F9R Test Accident in Texas

SpaceX F9R Test Accident in Texas

Both SpaceX founder Elon Musk and president Gwynne Shotwell have at times chided testing efforts in Texas for not pushing the envelope far enough and creating a smoking hole in the ground. Tonight they got their wish. According to multiple reports as well as tweet from Elon Musk, a Falcon F9R test at McGregor went […]

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SpaceX Adds Steerable Fins to F9R for Flight Testing

SpaceX Adds Steerable Fins to F9R for Flight Testing

What a fascinating time.  SpaceX RLV testing is proceeding on two fronts, one at Cape Canaveral with orbital launches, and the other at its McGregor Rocket Development Facility.  Yesterday, SpaceX released this video showing the next step in its sequential program. Here is the official description: “Video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) during a 1000m […]

SpaceX Environmental Assessment Reveals a Sky Full of Dragons

SpaceX Environmental Assessment Reveals a Sky Full of Dragons

Map of proposed Dragonfly test area. Credit : FAA One week ahead of a scheduled unveiling of the Commercial Crew Dragon 2.0 spacecraft which is to take place on May 29, a draft environmental assessment published by the FAA sheds a wealth of information regarding the new testing program which will support it. In short […]

SpaceX Releases F9R Flight Test Video Hours Before Orbital Launch

SpaceX Releases F9R Flight Test Video Hours Before Orbital Launch

One perplexing item regarding today’s SpaceX CRS-3 launch to ISS, and subsequent first stage landing recovery attempt, was the fact that we had yet to see any flight test of the new F9R test vehicle, with the only released video having been a ground level static fire.  It seemed therefore, that even if first stage […]

SpaceX Grasshopper Climbs to 744 Meters

SpaceX Grasshopper Climbs to 744 Meters

SpaceX released this video today of its Grasshopper reusable test article climbing to 744 meters, and then descending safely back to the pad at its McGregor, Texas development facility. Although the company will not be attempting to recover the Falcon 9 first stage on its next two flights, that of the SES-8 and Thaicom-6 satellites […]

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