Monday, September 8

SpaceX

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Launches to International Space Station
SpaceX

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Launches to International Space Station

Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission launched at 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 3 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2. “Thanks to the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump, NASA is back! The agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the space station is the first step toward our permanent presence on the Moon. NASA, in conjuncti...
NASA, SpaceX ‘thread the clouds’ to launch Crew-11 to the International Space Station – Spaceflight Now
SpaceX

NASA, SpaceX ‘thread the clouds’ to launch Crew-11 to the International Space Station – Spaceflight Now

Falcon 9 carrying Crew Dragon Endeavour, dodged storm clouds to launch a new crew to the International Space Station on Aug. 1, 2025. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. Weather threatened to delay the Crew-11 mission for a second time, but the launch team was able to “thread the clouds” and a four-person crew lifted off on a journey to the International Space Station. Nine Merlin engines roared to life at 11:43 a.m. EDT (1543 UTC) and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sped away through the cloudy skies above Florida’s Space Coast. Less than 10 minutes after liftoff, the Crew Dragon spacecraft, named ‘Endeavour’, flew free from the rocket’s second stage. “I have no emotions, but joy right now. That was absolutely transcendent, the ride of a lifetime,” said NASA astronaut and Crew-11 commander ...
Boost Commercial Space Tech Development
SpaceX

Boost Commercial Space Tech Development

NASA has released a new proposal opportunity for industry to tap into agency know-how, resources, and expertise. The Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO), managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate, enables valuable collaboration without financial exchanges between NASA and industry partners. Instead, companies leverage NASA subject matter experts, facilities, software, and hardware to accelerate their technologies and prepare them for future commercial and government use.  On Wednesday, NASA issued a standing ACO announcement for partnership proposals which will be available for five years and will serve as the umbrella opportunity for topic-specific appendix releases. NASA intends to issue appendices every six to 12 months to address evolving space technology needs. ...
Former members of Crew-9, Starliner-1 missions unite to fly to the Space Station – Spaceflight Now
SpaceX

Former members of Crew-9, Starliner-1 missions unite to fly to the Space Station – Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with Crew Dragon Endeavour, stands at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rocket will launch the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now A group of astronauts and a cosmonaut originally slated to fly on other missions are finally getting their ticket to ride. The quartet, led by NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, will head to the International Space Station beginning with a launch scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The SpaceX Crew-11 mission will launch onboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 UTC). Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about four hours prior ...
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now
SpaceX

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

A stack of 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites is pictured in low Earth orbit before being deployed from the upper stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Image: SpaceX Update July 26, 7 a.m. EDT: SpaceX confirms deployment of the 28 Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the predawn hours of Saturday with its latest batch of Starlink satellites. The flight came about a day and a half after the internet constellation experienced a global outage for more than two hours. The Starlink 10-26 mission will place another 28 satellites into low Earth orbit. According to expert orbital tracker and astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are currently more than 8,000 Starlink satellites on orbit. SpaceX executed liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:0...