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Launchpad

All articles tagged with #launchpad

Pad rebuild, Mars mission, and trademark shake-ups headline this Rocket Report
space22 days ago

Pad rebuild, Mars mission, and trademark shake-ups headline this Rocket Report

Blue Origin has begun rebuilding its Florida launch pad after a New Glenn explosion and plans to fly again by year-end, while Relativity Space unveils an Interplanetary Sciences Program aiming for a 2028 Mars orbiter on Terran R; Latitude changes the Zephyr name due to trademark risk, Zhuque-2E upper stage breaks up in orbit, Japan’s H3 returns to flight, AST SpaceMobile’s satellites ride a SpaceX Falcon 9, and Ariane 6 advances for Amazon’s launcher needs.

via Ars Technica|
#blue-origin#launchpad#mars
Blue Origin launchpad repair could span to 2028, NASA chief says
technology1 month ago

Blue Origin launchpad repair could span to 2028, NASA chief says

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said it may take until 2028 to repair Blue Origin’s Cape Canaveral launchpad after a New Glenn explosion during a hot-fire test, a timeline he called plausible and requiring thorough root-cause analysis. The setback comes as NASA relies on Blue Origin for Artemis missions, including the uncrewed Blue Moon lander, and Blue Origin has begun outlining a rebuild plan after regaining some pad access. The delay could ripple into mission schedules and affect Blue Origin’s commercial customers such as Amazon.

via CNBC|
#artemis#blue-origin#launchpad
SpaceX Pushes Starship V3 Toward First Flight After Booster 19 Static Fire
technology2 months ago

SpaceX Pushes Starship V3 Toward First Flight After Booster 19 Static Fire

SpaceX moved Starship V3 closer to its first full-stack flight by rolling Ship 39 to the launch pad while Booster 19 completed a roughly 14-second static fire on the new orbital launch mount, signaling readiness for Flight 12 and the first integrated Starship V3 with Raptor 3 engines and larger tanks, pending final stacking and regulatory clearance.

via Not a Tesla App|
#booster19#launchpad#ship39
technology5 months ago

SpaceX moves Dragon launches to Cape as Starship prep accelerates

SpaceX will shift all Dragon missions from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A to Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40, freeing 39A for Falcon Heavy work and potential early Starship flights. NASA says 39A could still be used for crewed launches if needed. The FAA has approved infrastructure plans at Cape Canaveral to support Starship, allowing up to 44 launches and 88 landings per year and detailing environmental and water-use requirements, with a Florida Starship launch window that could arrive in the second half of 2026.

via Spaceflight Now|
#dragon#launchpad#nasa
Florida Ramps Up Starship Launch Preparations
space1 year ago

Florida Ramps Up Starship Launch Preparations

SpaceX is ramping up preparations for Starship launches at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A, with significant construction activity observed, including a new orbital launch mount design. The Roberts Road facility is expanding, potentially becoming a new Starship production site. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Falcon 9 continues its high launch cadence, and other companies like Stoke Space and Relativity are advancing their launch site developments in Florida, aiming for future launches.

via NASASpaceflight.com|
#kennedyspacecenter#launchpad#space
Artemis II: NASA's EV Takes Crew Partway to the Moon
space2 years ago

Artemis II: NASA's EV Takes Crew Partway to the Moon

NASA and Canoo Technologies have showcased the electric vehicle (EV) that will transport the Artemis II astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center for their lunar mission. The EVs will transport the astronauts from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to Launch Pad 39B, where the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will be waiting. The Artemis II mission is a flyby mission that will last 10 days and confirm the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft's crew support system, paving the way for Artemis III, which aims to put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface in 2025.

via Digital Trends|
#artemis-ii#electric-vehicle#launchpad
SpaceX's Starship launch hinges on launchpad repairs and upgrades.
space3 years ago

SpaceX's Starship launch hinges on launchpad repairs and upgrades.

SpaceX needs to repair and renovate its damaged launch site in Texas before attempting to send its Starship rocket into orbit again. The company is planning to add a pair of massive steel plates with pressurized water to dampen the effects of as many as 33 Raptor engines igniting during takeoff. However, industry experts are unsure if this will be enough to prevent another "rock tornado" like the one that destroyed the launchpad during the last attempt. The gold standard in the launch industry has been to build a flame trench, which SpaceX did not use. SpaceX has not yet applied for any modifications to its permit to add a steel plate structure or a flame trench.

via Los Angeles Times|
#flame-trench#launchpad#rocket-launch
FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship Indefinitely After Disastrous Launch and Debris Rains Down on Homes and Beaches
space3 years ago

FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship Indefinitely After Disastrous Launch and Debris Rains Down on Homes and Beaches

The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship program after the recent explosion that caused extensive damage to the launchpad and surrounding areas. The lack of a flame diverter underneath the launchpad caused chunks of concrete to fly into nearby buildings and infrastructure, as well as a car parked nearby. The explosion also caused debris and particulate matter to fly into the ocean and a nearby wildlife sanctuary, dredging up tensions with SpaceX and environmental activists. SpaceX's move-fast-and-break-things ethos might now do them more harm than good as they seek to take more people into space and run missions at a vastly increased pace.

via The Daily Beast|
#environmental-impact#faa#launchpad