Starship
Falcon 9 busier than ever as Starship reviews delayed again
SpaceX had its busiest month yet in April in terms of launches as the company emphasizes the value of a high flight rate.
FAA again delays completion of Starship environmental review
The FAA has again delayed completion of an environmental assessment for orbital launches of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle from Texas, although it may have no effect on near-term launch plans.
SpaceX worked for weeks to begin Starlink service in Ukraine
SpaceX’s president says the company had been working for weeks to secure approval for Starlink services in Ukraine before a government minister tweeted a request to Elon Musk.
Starship lookalike among China’s new human spaceflight concepts
China is researching and developing new vehicles for various human spaceflight missions, including a new methane-fueled launcher apparently inspired by SpaceX.
SpaceX and Isaacman to partner on series of crewed Dragon and Starship flights
The billionaire who paid for and commanded the first private Crew Dragon mission last year announced Feb. 14 a program of additional missions that will culminate in the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle.
SpaceX considers shifting Starship testing to Florida
SpaceX is prepared to shift testing of its Starship next-generation launch vehicle from Texas to Florida if there are extended delays in an ongoing environmental review, company founder and chief executive Elon Musk said Feb. 10.
NASA foresees gap in lunar landings after Artemis 3
After landing astronauts on the moon in the mid-2020s for the first time in more than a half-century, NASA will wait at least two more years before making a second crewed lunar landing as part of the Artemis program.
FAA delays completion of Starship environmental review
The Federal Aviation Administration says it needs at least two more months to complete an environmental review of SpaceX Starship orbital launches from its Boca Chica, Texas, facility.
KSC to study potential new Starship launch pad
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is starting an environmental review of a proposed new launch facility there that would be used by SpaceX’s Starship launch system.
SpaceX grapples with Raptor production problems
Problems increasing production of the Raptor engines that power SpaceX’s Starship vehicle have led to personnel shakeups at the company and a warning from founder Elon Musk that the company risked “bankruptcy” if the company could not resolve them.
Musk predicts first Starship orbital launch in early 2022
SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said he expects this first orbital flight of his company’s Starship vehicle to take place as soon as January, pending regulatory approvals.
SpaceX Boca Chica environmental review draws strong public support and criticism
SpaceX performed a static-fire test of a Starship vehicle Oct. 21 as debate continues about an environmental assessment of the company’s proposed launch operations in Texas.
FAA releases draft environmental report on SpaceX Starship orbital launches
A draft environmental assessment released by the Federal Aviation Administration suggests that SpaceX will be able to proceed with orbital Starship launches from Texas, but with a number of mitigations required.
SpaceX surges Starship work despite FAA environmental review uncertainty
The unstoppable force of SpaceX’s recent surge in development of its Starship vehicle for its first orbital flight is in danger of colliding with an immovable object: an ongoing environment review that has no clear end date.
SpaceX aiming for July for Starship orbital launch despite regulatory reviews
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell says the company is “shooting for July” for the first orbital launch of the company’s Starship vehicle despite lacking the regulatory approvals needed for such a launch.
House hearing rehashes longstanding commercial space transportation issues
A House aviation subcommittee hearing on commercial space transportation June 16 plowed familiar ground, revisiting a wide range of issues that have yet to be resolved.
SpaceX outlines first orbital Starship test flight
SpaceX has disclosed details for the first orbital test flight of its next-generation Starship launch system, but the company is still far short of the regulatory approvals needed for the mission.
Starship survives test flight
A SpaceX Starship prototype successfully carried out a brief suborbital flight May 5 after four previous vehicles were destroyed during or shortly after landing.
NASA selects SpaceX to develop crewed lunar lander
NASA has selected SpaceX as the sole company to win a contract to develop and demonstrate a crewed lunar lander, while keeping the door open for others to compete for future missions.
SpaceX adds to latest funding round
SpaceX has added more than $300 million to a fundraising round announced earlier this year to support continued work on its Starship launch system and Starlink satellite constellation.
