SpaceX

The Artemis 2 crew, standing in from of their Artemis spacecraft, discusses their planned around-the-moon flight with reporters at the Kennedy Space Center. Left to right: commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. While assembly of the Space Launch System rocket continues at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA and its prime contractors supporting the Artemis program are arguing for the continuity of the program’s current architecture. The statements come as some in the space community are arguing that the U.S. should bypass the Moon and focus on Mars exploration instead. Speaking during a panel at the annual SpaceCom conference in Orlando in January, Kirk Shireman, the vice president of Human Space Explorat...

United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists its Centaur V upper stage atop the Vulcan first stage booster into the Government Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-G) at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida on Nov. 1, 2024. Image: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance is shifting its launch plans to begin 2025. On Friday, the company began de-stacking its Vulcan booster at its Government Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-G) in order to make room for an Atlas 5 rocket. Gary Wentz, vice president of Government and Commercial Programs at ULA, confirmed in an interview with Spaceflight Now that they de-stacked the Centaur upper stage and the interstage adapter last week. “The big thing with the [USSF-106] destack is it’s really demonstrating the flexibility that...

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as seen from Central Florida, making its ascent from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Onboard were two WorldView Legion Satellites that will be operated by Maxar Intelligence, a division of Maxar Technologies. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update 7:32 p.m. EST (0032 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of the fifth WorldView Legion satellite. Shrouded in a layer of thick fog Tuesday evening, SpaceX launched the latest pair of WorldView Legion satellites on behalf of Maxar Intelligence, a division of Maxar Technologies. The two satellites launched into a mid-inclination Earth orbit (MEO) following separation from the Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff of the mission, dubbed Maxar 3 by SpaceX, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center happened...

Officials from NASA, Boeing, United Launch Alliance and the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron participate in a prelaunch briefing for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dec. 17, 2019. From left are Kathy Lueders, NASA Commercial Crew Program; John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program; and John Elbon, chief operating officer, United Launch Alliance. Image: NASA/Kim Shiflett A familiar face is once again leading the Starliner development and mission execution work. On Thursday, a Boeing spokesperson confirmed that John Mulholland is back in the role of vice president of the company’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which manages work involving the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. He previously served in the r...

A artist’s rendering of the SpainSat New Generation 1 satellite. Graphic: Airbus Defense and Space SpaceX launched a secure communications satellite on behalf of Hisdesat, a Spanish communications company, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Wednesday night. The SpainSat New Generation 1 (SNG 1) satellite is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by Airbus Defense and Space. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A happened at 8:34 p.m. EST (0134 UTC), the opening of a two-hour window.  The 45th Weather Squadron forecast pretty idiic conditions for liftoff on Wednesday night, forecasting a 95 percent chance of acceptable weather with just thick clouds presenting a possible obstruction. “Overall, launch weather conditions look favorable as ridging aloft an...