FAA delays Starship environmental assessment another month – but it’s not why SpaceX hasn’t launched yet

The FAA has now officially delayed the issuing of its Programmatic Environmental Assessment until April 29, 2022 – the previous date was March 28. This is yet another delay in the environmental process necessary for Starship to take its orbital flight – though this environmental process is not what is holding SpaceX’s launch back.

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NASA announces second Artemis lander to compete with SpaceX

As part of its Artemis program, NASA announced plans to fund a second lunar lander alongside SpaceX’s Starship HLS.

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Omega and Swatch team up with a full solar system of watches, including Pluto

If you are looking for a cross between style and the ability to show off your love of space the new Speedmaster MoonSwatches by Omega and Swatch might be the right one for you.

SpaceX’s Crew-4 names their Dragon ‘Freedom,’ returning the historic name to flight

The commander of SpaceX’s next crewed flight to the International Space Station shared on Twitter the name of the SpaceX Dragon his crew will fly in this spring. Named “Freedom,” it obviously points towards Russia’s attack on Ukraine and calls back to NASA’s first-ever crewed spacecraft.

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Firefly aiming to launch its second Alpha rocket as soon as May from California

Firefly will attempt to launch its second Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base as soon as May. This comes after securing funding after one of its investors was forced to sell his stake.

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Costs of SpaceX rideshare missions, Starlink internet service increasing citing excessive inflation

SpaceX just increased the cost of its Starlink internet service. The already pricey service has had its hardware and software costs raised. The service will increase from $100 per month to $110 per month starting in May. This coincides with the company increasing the minimum cost to fly on one of its rideshare mission.

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NASA to test quantum experiment using the Nanoracks airlock on the ISS

NASA is set to launch a technology demonstrator payload that could have greater implications for quantum computing. Scheduled to launch in August, this technology demonstration will test two communications technologies that can pave the way for quantum computers to communicate with each other no matter where they’re located.

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How Elon Musk’s satellites are helping Ukrainian drones to destroy Russian tanks

Aerorozvidka, a dedicated drone unit within the Ukrainian army, is leveraging Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system to hunt and attack the Russian forces “as they sleep.”

SpaceX dumps partner Spaceflight Inc, which provides rideshare integration

SpaceX has had a long-time partner in Spaceflight Inc. While SpaceX is the actual launch provider, providing rockets and launching payloads into space, Spaceflight Inc. organizes and integrates rideshare missions so multiple payloads can launch on individual rockets. Now, according to SpaceNews.com, SpaceX has cut ties with Spaceflight Inc.

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In spite of worldwide tensions, Russia launches new crew to the ISS arriving in perfectly timed flight suit colors

Last week, Russia launched the newest three crew members to the ISS on top of its Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. While it probably wasn’t planned to be this way, the flight suit colors of yellow and blue were perfectly timed.

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How many people are in space right now?

The International Space Station is designed to always be crewed by cosmonauts and astronauts. For this reason, women and men have been living and working in space constantly since the first Expedition mission in the year 2000. So how many people are in space right now?

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SpaceX targeting May for Starship orbital flight, Booster 4 and Ship 20 won’t see space

After months and months of delays, and numerous rumors regarding the fate of SpaceX’s first Starship/Booster pair to be fully stacked, Elon Musk tweeted a wealth of new information about the company’s first orbital Starship flight.

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Gary Lai, Blue Origin’s Chief Architect of New Shepard, taking over Pete Davidson’s seat to space

NS-20, Blue Origin’s fourth human flight, is set to launch in just over a week. We’ve been waiting for the announcement of the sixth crew member after Pete Davidson left the crew. Now, that sixth crew member has been announced: Gary Lai, the senior director and chief architect of New Shepard, will be riding the vehicle he’s spent so long designing into space.

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After ditching Russia, OneWeb befriends SpaceX to launch satellites

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the world’s sanctions to the country, led the country to refuse to launch OneWeb satellites on a Soyuz rocket unless OneWeb agreed to almost unreachable terms. Thankfully, the company has now found a somewhat unlikely ally in SpaceX, which has its own Starlink satellites that compete with OneWeb.

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Starship full-stack undergoes testing, environmental assessment imminent

As progress continues to move at a rapid pace, a fully stacked Starship underwent its first cryogenic proof test this week followed by the first propellant loading test for the vehicle.

Hardware continues to be spotted in Florida with the construction of the tower segments as foundations are poured at Starship’s Florida launch site.

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Blue Angel 7 makes a rare appearance in New Orleans [Update: More trouble on Sunday]

In only their second show of the season, the US Navy Blue Angels were forced to make some changes on the first day of the 2022 New Orleans Air Show. No official word has been given as to why the swap was needed but speculation abounds because not one but two planes remained grounded for today’s performance.

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SpaceX flies Falcon 9 booster for record 12th time

Early Saturday morning, SpaceX launched yet another set of Starlink satellites. For Starlink Group 4-12, 53 more Starlink satellites were carried into low Earth orbit by B1051 on its record-breaking 12th flight.

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What is Starlink Business? SpaceX’s high-performance satellite internet tier

Starlink Business is SpaceX’s high-performance tier for the company’s Starlink satellite constellation internet service. Starlink Premium was first announced on February 1, 2022, with deliveries expected to begin in Q2, 2022. The company renamed Starlink Premium to the much more fitting Starlink Business on March 19, 2022.

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Launch Spotlight: Starlink Group 4-12 – SpaceX launches new batch of Starlink satellites

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on March 19, 2022, at 12:42 a.m. EDT. This launch will carry a new batch of 53 Starlink satellites to a 53.2° inclination orbit.

How to track NASA’s first rollout of its Space Launch System rocket

Over the next 24 hours, NASA teams will begin to move the agency’s fully stacked Space Launch System rocket to LC-39B for the very first time. After decades of redesigns and delays, the rocket has finally been assembled and will be at its launch site in a final testing stage before its inaugural launch. Follow below with our rollout tracker of SLS’s progress across NASA’s Crawlerway as it makes the slow journey.

Update: Reached LC-39B

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Pete Davidson no longer on Blue Origin’s NS-20 flight to space – 6th crew member to be announced ‘in the coming days’

Pete Davidson’s planned flight to space was rumored long before it was announced, then Blue Origin confirmed the rumor earlier this week, announcing that Davidson and five customers would be flying to space on NS-20. Now, a new member will be selected to take Davidson’s place, as he is “no longer able to join the NS-20 crew on this mission.”

ESA suspends ExoMars 2022 rover launch amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

The joint ESA and Russian Martian mission was expected to launch this year, but due to sanctions brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ESA has decided to suspend its cooperation.

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Netflix announces documentary on NASA and SpaceX’s historic Demo-2 mission

Today Netflix released the trailer of “Return To Space,” announcing a documentary on how NASA and SpaceX returned human spaceflight to the US after a nine-year hiatus.

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Elon Musk says humans will be on Mars in 2029

In his latest prediction, SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that he expects humans to land on Mars in 2029.

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James Webb Space Telescope brings star into focused image for first time

At the beginning of February, James Webb Space Telescope captured its very first images. Now the 18 mirrors have been aligned, bringing the star to a single, in focus point.

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Launch Spotlight: Roscosmos launches all Russian crew to ISS amidst Russia-Ukraine war

Roscosmos launched the Soyuz MS-21 mission to the ISS this Friday at 15:55 UTC. Following spacecraft separation, the Soyuz Capsule docked with the ISS’s Prichal module around three hours later to begin a six-month mission.

How to watch NASA roll out Artemis 1’s SLS Moon rocket to the launch pad

After years of delays and cost overruns, the much-anticipated Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are set to roll out to Launch Complex 39B on Thursday, March 17 at the Kennedy Space Center.

Update: Stream time changed to 5:45 p.m. EDT (delayed 45 minutes)

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Astra launches its own apparel store, benefiting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

In correlation with its eighth launch, Astra released its long-awaited apparel store. For the first two weeks of being open, Astra will donate all profits to charities supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Astra returns to space with second successful launch to orbit

Astra launched its LV0009 Rocket 3 from Kodiak, Alaska, with three payloads from launch services company Spaceflight Inc. While there seemed to be some hiccup during deployment, Astra announced that all payloads are communicating with its customers.

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Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Surpasses Record for Longest US Spaceflight

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei has broken Scott Kelly’s previous record of 340 days set back in 2016 for the longest US single spaceflight record.

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Launch Spotlight: Spaceflight Astra-1 – Astra set to attempt to launch payloads to space

Astra is set to launch their Rocket 3.3 LV0009 to space on March 15, 2022, at 12:22 p.m. EDT (9:22 a.m. PDT) from Pad LP-3B at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. This mission is carrying satellites from a variety of companies.

NASA set to roll SLS to launch pad for first time March 17

Today NASA confirmed that it is prepared to support the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 17 at 5 p.m. EDT. The roll is expected to take around 11 hours from start to hard down at the pad. After years of waiting and delays, we are about to see this beast of a vehicle roll for the first time.

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No, Russia will not leave an American astronaut on the space station, but things might get awkward

Rumors circulated Monday after Dmitry Rogozin, Roscosmos’ Directer-General, posted on his Telegram channel that the Russians would not bring NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei back down from the space station. However, cooperation continues between the two agencies behind the scenes to ensure the partnership does not cease.

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX celebrates 20th anniversary

Elon Musk founded SpaceX on March 14, 2002, paving the way for two remarkable decades transforming the aerospace industry in ways never thought possible.

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SNL star Pete Davidson on crew of 6 headed to space with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin

Blue Origin is preparing for its fourth human flight, and as previously rumored, SNL star Pete Davidson will take the flight this time around.

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New images of SpaceX’s Starship HLS plans, Booster 7 stacked, Environmental Assessment looming

Starship HLS work is underway, booster stacking continued, and a potential payload dispenser was installed as another busy week at Starbase comes to a close.

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Video shows how to keep Starlink terminals running in Ukraine w/ mobile Tesla Powerwall

On March 9, we learned that in addition to the Starlink terminals SpaceX has been sending to help keep Ukraine online, another Elon Musk company, Tesla, has been fabricating cables and shipping out Tesla Powerwall units to help keep the terminals powered. Now, a video sent to our sister-site Electrek shows how the units can be set up to provide a more mobile power solution.

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Spaceport Camden gets the boot from voters

Spaceport Camden took a significant setback in a referendum as Camden County voters overwhelmingly voted against a deal to purchase land for the project. So now the Board of Commission will have to find a new way to get the spaceport built.

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Elon Musk sends second batch of Starlink terminals to Ukraine, with Tesla Powerwalls and off-the-grid power solutions

Upon request, SpaceX quickly took action to help Ukraine stay online during Russia’s invasion. In late February, SpaceX sent the first batch of Starlink user terminals to help keep the country online through infrastructure outages. The terminals have already helped keep the country connected and emergency services online, but Elon Musk’s company is not done helping in ways that governments around the world cannot.

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SpaceX Launch Director pokes fun at Rogozin’s ‘broomstick’ taunt before launching the company’s 143rd mission

This may seem repetitive, but SpaceX launched its newest batch of Starlink satellites from Florida in the early mornings of March 9. During the count down, SpaceX poked fun at being called a “broomstick” by Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin.

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Two separate failures doomed Astra’s ELaNa 41 launch from the start; Rocket 3 to launch again this month

In a press release on March 7, Astra released preliminary information about what happened during its ELaNa 41 mission last month. In it, Astra’s LV0008 Rocket 3 suffered from one anomaly, but two.

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Launch Spotlight: Starlink Group 4-10 – SpaceX launches a new batch of Starlink satellites

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on March 9, 2022, at 8:45 a.m. EST. This launch will carry a new batch of 48 Starlink satellites to a 53.2° inclination orbit.

New Crew Dream Chaser render shows it might not have any windows; how it may work

In a new render of DC200, the Crew version of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser Vehicle appears without any external windows. While the lack of external windows isn’t significant for the vehicle while in space, it is particularly notable due to the vehicle’s runway-based landing. Astronauts returning to Earth won’t have any direct view of the runway they are landing on.

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NASA celebrates women in space on International Women’s Day

During the start of the space race, women were excluded from being Astronauts. The first American woman in space, Sally Ride, wouldn’t fly until 1983, 20 years after the Soviets flew the first woman in space. But even as policies kept women out of the coveted role of Astronaut, Women have always played a vital role in the space program.

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Apple is using powerful NASA software to show Mac Studio performance

On March 8, Apple announced its newest Mac family member, the Mac Studio. Using the company’s latest System on a Chip called the M1 Ultra, Apple used NASA‘s TetrUSS software to see just how powerful it is.

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Falcon 9 inspired ‘American Broomstick’ is the new ‘space trampoline,’ purchases benefit Ukrainian relief funds

A new era of space travel is among us. No, it’s not a shiny rocket down on the border of Mexico or a 3D printed engine; it’s what Russia likes to call the “American Broomstick.” And you can get your own!

SpaceX enabling mobile roaming and reducing peak power for Starlink dishes in Ukraine

SpaceX quickly jumped into action when Ukraine’s vice prime minister asked for help keeping internet connectivity in the country during Russia’s invasion. Now, SpaceX is continuing to assist, pushing updates to improve connectivity options and versatility through continued attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

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OneWeb pulls out of Baikonur after Russia’s space director held its satellites hostage

Over the past few days, the director of Russia’s space agency, Dimitry Rogozin, took to Twitter to make demands before launching OneWeb‘s next group of satellites. Then on March 3, the company decided to pull out entirely of its Baikonur-based Soyuz launches.

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