Mediaboss Marketing

WASHINGTON SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk says a propellant dump caused the destruction of the Starship upper stage on a November test flight, giving him confidence that the vehicle can reach orbit on its next launch.

On that Nov. 18 launch, the Starship upper stage, or ship, was nearing the end of its burn to place it on a long suborbital trajectory when contact was lost. Hosts of the SpaceX webcast said it appeared the automated flight termination system was activated, but did not give a reason why, and the company provided few details since.

At a recent event at SpaceXs Starbase test site in Boca Chica, Texas, video of which SpaceX posted on social media Jan. 12, Musk said the failure was linked to venting liquid oxygen propellant near the end of the burn. That venting, he said, was needed only because the vehicle was not carrying any payload.

Flight 2 actually almost made it to orbit, he said. If it had a payload, it would have made it to orbit because the reason that it actually didnt quite make it to orbit was we vented the liquid oxygen, and the liquid oxygen ultimately led to a fire and an explosion.

That venting, he said, would have been unnecessary if the ship had a payload, presumably because it would have been consumed by the Raptor engines on the vehicle in order to reach orbit. He didnt elaborate on how the venting triggered the fire, or discuss the explosion of the Super Heavy stage shortly after stage separation.

Musk said that failure mode gave him confidence for the next Starship test flight. I think weve got a really good shot of reaching orbit with Flight 3, he said.

That third flight is currently projected for February, SpaceXs Jessica Jensen during a Jan. 9 NASA briefing, pending receipt of an updated launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Musk described a more ambitious flight plan for the mission with additional tests of Starship.

We want to get to orbit and we want to do an in-space engine burn from the header tank at the top of the vehicle, he said. Doing so would prove that we can reliably deorbit.

The flight would also test transferring propellant from that header tank to the main propellant tank, a demonstration that is part of a NASA Tipping Point award as a milestone towards transferring propellant from one Starship vehicle to another. The first ship-to-ship propellant transfer test is planned, he said, hopefully by the end of this year, but certainly by next year.

Musk said SpaceX will test the Pez dispenser payload door that will be used on later flights to deploy the full-sized Starlink V2 satellites, significant larger than the V2 mini satellites currently being launched on Falcon 9. We do hope to do this by the end of this year, he said of launching Starlink V2 satellites.

Those Starship tests will take place as SpaceX continues to increase the launch rate of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. The company performed 96 Falcon launches in 2023 and Musk said the company was planning 150 flights or thereabouts in 2024. Company executives previously set a goal of 144 launches, or 12 per month, for 2024.

That flight rate will include a planned turnaround of less than 24 hours between launches from the same pad by the end of the year. Musk added SpaceX was working to qualify Falcon 9 boosters to perform 40 flights. The company has, to date, flown the same booster up to 19 times.

See the original post here:

SpaceX says propellant venting caused loss of second Starship - SpaceNews

Tags:

Associated Press

Japan landed a spacecraft on the moon Saturday, an attempt at the world's first pinpoint lunar landing." The milestone puts Japan in a club previously occupied by only the United States, the Soviet Union, India and China. A raft of countries and companies are also plotting moon missions. Just this week, however, a U.S. company, Astrobotic Technology, said its lunar lander will soon burn up in Earths atmosphere after a failed moonshot.

Here is the original post:

SpaceX flight successfully docks at International Space Station - Yahoo News Canada

Tags:

Image: SpaceX

SpaceX is aiming for 144 launches in 2024, once again another increase over the 98 it completed the year before. This cadence would mean the company would have to launch once every two and a half days. Keep track below of all of SpaceXs 2024 launches.

So far, SpaceX has launched five rockets in 2024, six Falcon 9, no Falcon Heavies, and no Starships.

Starship not included in success and launch rates.

Number of launches: 6 (Falcon 9: 6, Falcon Heavy: 0, Starship 0)

Non-Starlink missions: 2

Resued boosters: 5

Launch success rate: 100%

Launch rate: 3 days (Needed for 144 launches: 2.53 days or lower)

East Coast launches: 4 (LC-39A: 1, SLC-41: 3)

Gulf Coast launches: 0 (Starbase)

West Coast launches: 2 (SLC-4E)

Total payload mass: ~54,600 kg (Not including classified and rideshare missions or crew)

Total crew: 4 (Government: 3, Commercial: 1)

Starship not included

Number of landings: 6

Landing success rate: 100%

Ground landings: 2 (LZ-1: 2, LZ-2: 0, LZ-4: 0)

Droneship landings: 4 (OCISLY: 2, JRTI: 0, ASOG: 2)

Join our Discord Server: Join the community with forums and chatrooms about space! Also, directly support us via a Server Subscription!

In 2023 Starship finally made its long awaited debut, in its fully integrated form. For 2024, Starship launches will obviously play another big role in keeping SpaceX in the headlines (good and bad).

We dont know exactly how many test flights SpaceX will get off but if the company wants to have any chance of meeting NASAs Artemis timelines it should be in the double digits. By the end of they year NASA really needs to see some serious progress towards Starship being a viable rocket and in space refueling being perfected.

If SpaceX could get past regular and lengthy (in SpaceX standards) FAA investigations, we could see Starship launches happen weeks or less apart. That amount of flight data and experience could turn Starship into a much more viable commercial rocket and build confidence for Artemis 3s 2026 timeline.

At the beginning of 2023 it looked like SpaceX was going to also increase its record for most human spaceflight launches in one year. Sadly, delays to the Polaris Dawn mission meant that the company matched its current record at three.

Something that is, and should still be, an amazing accomplishment for SpaceX.

In 2024, if all schedules hold or dont delay too much, SpaceX could launch as many as five crewed missions to space. At least three have little to none scheduling concerns like the two Commercial Crew missions for NASA and Axiom-3.

Two other missions that are set to liftoff this year are Axiom-4 in the fall and the Polaris Dawn mission. The debut Polaris launch this year is the most exciting as it will feature the first private space walk. This sort of ability will be valuable if SpaceX and Polaris get the go ahead from NASA to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

Vandenberg, the spaceport that has been around for as long as missiles were being launch by the US, has been neglected in recent years with high launch rates. SpaceX has been changing that in recent months. Soon the West Coast will start to see as much action that Florida has been seeing for years.

SpaceX hopes to launch as much as once a week from Vandenberg in 2024. With the increased business from Florida, the ability to launch more Starlink missions from California will favor improvements in bandwidth. In future years, SpaceX could launch as much as it has in Florida, circa 2023.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue reading here:

List of SpaceX launches 2024 - Space Explored

Tags:

SpaceX continues to come under fire from environmentalists who say the companys actions are putting South Texas wildlife and the environment at risk.

The aerospace company has conducted several launches of its Starship in Boca Chica, Texas. April 2023 marked the first near-orbital test of the spacecraft, which is being called the most powerful rocket ever built.

However, the rocket exploded apparently a planned occurrence and its launch kicked up a cloud of debris that settled on a town six miles away and caused forces similar to an earthquake.

It was truly terrifying, one local resident told The New York Times.

The rockets engines also tore up part of the concrete launch pad, and chunks of concrete from the pad flew through the air, damaging a parked car in a nearby town.

SpaceX appeared to recognize it had to do better and made adjustments to its launchpad and added a wall for Starships November 2023 launch, which shows improvement, though it still resulted in similar but fortunately reduced debris and evidence of chemical waste, as reported by WANE and My San Antonio.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER Good news, green hacks, and the latest cool clean tech straight to your inbox every week!

These launches affected the local environment, as the launch pad is located near a beach and surrounding tidal flats. The first launch even caused a 3.5-acre fire and a 385-acre debris field, causing experts to question why the launchpad did not include a flame diverter, trench, or water deluge system.

The Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, a local environmental group, told MySA that the area is an important habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species like the ocelot, aplomado falcon, piping plover, red knot, snowy plover, and black rail. It is also an important site for spring and fall bird migrations. And the Kemps Ridley sea turtle nests only a quarter of a mile from the launch site, MySA reported.

Though the total impact on wildlife is unknown, the April explosion incinerated a group of blue land crabs and seven bobwhite quail eggs within a local state park. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists were left in disbelief over the environmental damage that the launch caused.

SpaceX also has received backlash for its plans to dispose of contaminated water that degrades wetlands. The company recently asked to dump more than 200,000 gallons of wastewater into the South Bay, and more than 1,100 people submitted comments in opposition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to MySA.

Jim Chapman, president of FOWC, told the outlet that though the local environment might not look like much, It is an extremely important area for lots of shorebirds and is a critical habitat for many endangered animals. There arent a lot of places like that; it is a unique area.

Meanwhile, SpaceX cofounder and CEO Elon Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say more tests are coming: Starship Flight 3 hardware should be ready to fly in 3 to 4 weeks. There are three ships in final production in the high bay (as can be seen from the highway).

Editors note: A previous version of this article characterized the post-launch explosion of Starship as causing damage on the ground in addition to the launch blast, but it has been updated to correct that damage to the local area in Texas has only been attributed to the launch process of each rocket.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.

Continued here:

Environmental experts express concern about SpaceX after company's second test flight results in further damage to ... - The Cool Down

Tags:

After one days delay, SpaceX on Thursday, January 18 launched Falcon 9sAxiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:49 p.m. ET.

Wednesdays launch was delayed due to concerns Axiom had.

The Axiom statement said some of the needed analysis was with the parachute system energy modulator. It sounds like there are some concerns still to make sure that the parachutes are ready to safely return the capsule to the Earth at the end of the mission.

SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Thursday, January 18 for Falcon 9s launch of Axiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:49 p.m. ET. If needed, an additional opportunity is available on Saturday, January 20 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about two hours prior to launch. Watch live.

Safety is a big concern on any launch, and even more so with astronauts onboard, according to Dr. Don Platt of Florida Tech.

Certainly, for a human mission, they are going to want to make sure that every i is dotted and t is crossed. So, if theres some technical data that has not been closed out here, they definitely want to make sure that they are good to go before they put people on a rocket, Platt said.

The Axiom statement said some of the needed analysis was with the parachute system energy modulator. It sounds like there are some concerns still to make sure that the parachutes are ready to safely return the capsule to the Earth at the end of the mission, added Dr. Platt.

The additional time allows teams to complete pre-launch checkouts and data analysis on the vehicle, SpaceX officials announced in a tweet.

Weather should remain favorable at the Cape. The Space Forces 45th Weather Squadron has pegged the odds of go for launch weather for this backup chance at 80%.

Primary concerns include cumulus clouds, precipitation and weather conditions along the rockets ascent corridor in case the Dragon crew capsule has to abort and eject from the second stage.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-4 and Ax-2 to and from the space station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human physiology and technological industrial advancements.

SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Wednesday, January 17 for Falcon 9s launch of Axiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 5:11 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, January 18 at 4:49 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about two hours prior to launch. Watch live.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-4 and Ax-2 to and from the space station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human physiology and technological industrial advancements.

Mission patches are a symbolic expression of the mission objectives and a time-honored tradition dating back to the 1960s with the NASA Gemini program. They are designed and worn by the astronauts and people affiliated with each mission. Axiom Space continues the tradition with its commercial astronaut missions.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.

The Ax-3 crew is included at the forefront of the mission patch. The names of each crew member are seen in alphabetical order with flags of the countries they represent. The four stars next to the names represent the four European nations on the Ax-3 missionSpain (Commander Lpez-Alegra as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Spain), Trkiye, Italy, and Sweden.

The tiled Earth is shown with longitude and latitude lines to highlight the new frontier that the crew will explore and celebrate the power of bridging cultural divides to advance human knowledge and prosperity.

Located on the tiled Earth, toward the base of the patch, the number 100 denotes centennial milestones for Trkiye and Italy. Ax-3 will be a symbolic mission for Trkiye as the nation reflects on changes and progress made in the past century to advance economic development, education and technology, and the countrys global influence, now in space. This year, on March 28, 2023, the Italian Air Force celebrated its centennial anniversary as one of the oldest air forces in the world. This mission will serve as an opportunity to celebrate the Italian Air Forces contribution to global security and stability.

The number 500 represents ajubilee year for Sweden as the countrycelebratedfive centuriesas anindependentnation on June 6, 2023. The second Swedish ESA astronaut in history will fly to the space station during the Ax-3 mission, embodying opportunity and freedom to explore the unknown.

Located around the bottom edges of the patch, the missions moto Further, Beyond is written in Latin (PLVS VLTRA).

Ax-3 is the third commercial astronaut mission to the ISS and will carry the first crew of all-European national astronauts. With this crew, Europe is taking a visionary, leadership role in the future of commercial space.

More here:

UPDATE 2: Success as SpaceX transports first humans for 2024 with Axiom's first all European commercial astronauts ... - SatNews

Tags: