Rocket Report: SpaceX completes launch triple-header; Rocket Lab nets big contract
Blue Origin seeks FAA approval for up to 50 New Glenn launches and 50 booster landings per year.
Blue Origin seeks FAA approval for up to 50 New Glenn launches and 50 booster landings per year.
The short version
- What was most notable for SpaceX with this Starship flight was that it unlocked a massive growth potential for Starlink, with the first 26 of the network’s new-generation Starlink V3 satellites successfully deployed Monday.
- It looks like Orbex’s Prime rocket, which never ventured near a launch pad, is still dead.
- A four-person crew rocketed into orbit Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, heading for a six-month expedition on the International Space Station, Ars reports .
What happened
Riding a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, the four crew members departed from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral at 11:10 am EDT. Nine minutes later, they were in orbit to begin closing in on the space station for docking Thursday evening.
Why it matters
Some notes … This mission is nothing particularly new for SpaceX (it’s the company’s 21st human spaceflight launch).
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.