Tag: spacecraft
SpaceX successfully launches 60 more Starlink satellites as it continues towards 2020 service debut
SpaceX has launched another big batch of Starlink satellites, the low Earth orbit spacecraft that will provide connectivity for its globe-spanning high-bandwidth broadband internet network. This brings the total number of Starlink satellites on orbit to 422, though the company plans to de-orbit two of those (the first two prototypes…
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Elon Musk details some SpaceX efforts to reduce nighttime visibility of Starlink satellites
It’s launch day for yet another batch of Starlink satellites, which will bring the total launched by SpaceX to 422. With each launch, there’s renewed discussion around the impact the growing constellation of low Earth orbit small satellites has on night-sky visibility and scientific research, and SpaceX has said it’s…
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Watch SpaceX launch its next batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites live
[embedded content] SpaceX is launching another batch of 60 of its broadband internet satellites today – its fourth Starlink launch of 2020, and its seventh launch of a large batch of the satellites in total. This will put its total operational constellation size at 418, extending its lead as the…
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NASA and SpaceX’s first crewed flight is set for May 27th
Today, NASA announced that its crewed SpaceX flight will launch on May 27th, The Washington Post reports. The flight will mark the first astronaut launch from US soil since 2011, and it will be the first SpaceX flight carrying passengers, not just ca… Source
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In-space satellite servicing proves successful in record-breaking orbital spacecraft operation
A demonstration mission of Northrop Grumman’s first-ever Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-1) has proven successful, extending the life of an Intelsat satellite by five years. The mission involved Northrop’s MEV docking with Intelsat’s IS-901 satellite in orbit on February 25, after which it altered the orbit of the Intelsat spacecraft to…
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Rocket Lab catches an Electron stage in mid-air, demonstrating a key part of its rocket recovery plan
[embedded content] Rocket Lab is in the process of developing a way to recover the rockets it launches, despite their originally being designed as fully expendable launch vehicles. The company had a surprise announcement on Wednesday: It has already managed to successfully catch an Electron in mid-air, during a test…
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