SpaceX

SPACETIDE 2021 Spring: Annual Conference
Concept
SPACETIDE works across industries paving the way to access new space business. The main conference, which has been held annually since 2015, has been an important platform where individual…

Falcon 9 launches Starlink satellites, lands booster
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a new set of Starlink satellites and landed the booster March 4, two and a half weeks after the landing failed on the previous launch.

SpaceX launches and lands Starship prototype, which later explodes
SpaceX launched a prototype of its Starship next-generation vehicle March 3, landing it safely only to have the vehicle explode minutes later.

Eastern Range looks for ways to support additional launches
As launch activity grows on the Eastern Range in Florida, companies and government agencies are looking at ways to add capacity, largely through incremental improvements.

Crew-2 on schedule for April launch while next Starliner flight delayed
NASA officials said March 1 that the next SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station remains on schedule for late April, but that a Boeing uncrewed test flight is facing further delays.

Engine shutdown led to failed Falcon 9 booster landing
A Falcon 9 first stage failed to land after a launch last month because one of its engines shut down during flight after hot gas breached a worn-out cover.

SpaceX wins Air Force manufacturing research contract for hypersonic vehicle thermal shields
The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded SpaceX an $8.5 million contract to investigate manufacturing techniques for heat shields that protect hypersonic vehicles in flight.

Op-ed | Representing the private astronaut is a new step for human spaceflight — and for space lawyers
In addition to adding a new dimension for space travel, several future missions create new challenges and opportunities for space lawyers — representing private astronauts.

Book excerpt | Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
"The seeds for everything SpaceX has grown into today were planted during the early days of the Falcon 1 program," journalist Eric Berger writes in his forthcoming book, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX.

SpaceX raises $850 million in latest round
SpaceX confirmed Feb. 23 it has raised $850 million in a new funding round as the company continues work on two capital-intensive but potentially lucrative projects.

SpaceX blames failed Falcon 9 booster landing on heat damage
A Falcon 9 booster failed to land after its most recent launch Feb. 15 because of “heat damage” it sustained, but a SpaceX official said he was confident that the boosters can be reused 10 or more times.

Contest for Crew Dragon seat well short of fundraising goal
A competition to raffle off a seat on an upcoming Crew Dragon mission has raised only a small fraction of its goal so far, but the contest organizers say that they will continue the fundraising effort even after the contest ends.

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites, but booster landing fails
SpaceX launched another set of Falcon 9 satellites Feb. 15, but suffered a rare failed landing of the rocket’s first stage during the mission.

NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch first Gateway elements
NASA awarded a contract to SpaceX Feb. 9 for the launch of the first two elements of its lunar Gateway on a Falcon Heavy in 2024.

Strong interest for SpaceX smallsat rideshare launch services
SpaceX is seeing strong demand for its dedicated smallsat rideshare missions, a program that is putting pricing pressure on small launch vehicle developers.