Rocket milestone: SpaceX conducts full ‘wet dress rehearsal’
The wet dress rehearsal entails a countdown without a launch, including completely filling the spaceship (Starship SN24) and booster (Super Heavy BN7) with propellant. “Starship completed its first full flight-like wet dress rehearsal at Starbase today,” SpaceX tweeted following the test. SpaceX is still waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a launch license for the flight. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues construction at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on an integration/launch tower nearly identical to the one at Boca Chica. SpaceX founder and CEO tweeted earlier on Jan. 7 that the first orbital flight could happen as early as next month.
myrgv.comMusk: March launch ‘highly likely’: SpaceX says 33-engine booster test is coming
Back in September, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said it seemed “highly likely” that the first orbital Starship launch would take place in November, though late October was also a possibility. But on Oct. 31, a senior official with NASA estimated that an early December launch was more likely, though that window closed with no launch as well. March launch attempt appears highly likely,” he tweeted on Jan. 7. Still, SpaceX has been busy at Boca Chica testing engines and stacking and unstacking (and restacking) Starship SN24 and Super Heavy booster BN7. Option B involves an upgraded version of the Starship HLS and includes a second crewed demonstration moon landing by SpaceX.
myrgv.comRussia to send replacement spacecraft to retrieve crew from space station
Officials have determined that a Soyuz vehicle that sprang a leak last month, probably because of an impact from a micrometeoroid, is too compomised to return two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to earth safely.
washingtonpost.comBlueWalker 3, an enormous and bright communications satellite, is genuinely alarming astronomers
The night sky is a shared wilderness. On a dark night, away from the city lights, you can see the stars in the same way as your ancestors did centuries ago. You can see the Milky Way and the constella
space.comUkraine envoy hopeful about fate of Musk's satellite network
A Ukrainian diplomat is expressing optimism about securing the money needed for the continued operation of a satellite network funded by billionaire Elon Musk that has provided key battlefield and humanitarian contacts in the war with Russia.
Officials: Musk seeks US funds for Ukraine satellite network
Senior U.S. officials say the Defense Department has gotten a request from SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to take over funding for his satellite network that has provided crucial battlefield communications for Ukrainian military forces during the war with Russia.
Musk to seek exemption from Iran sanctions for Web access
Elon Musk’s hopes to operate his satellite internet firm in Iran require permission from the Treasury Department, which said Tuesday it welcomes applications to support internet freedom in the country, which is largely isolated from western economies.
Elon Musk accused of breaking law while buying Twitter stock
Elon Musk’s huge Twitter investment took a new twist Tuesday with the filing of a lawsuit alleging that the colorful billionaire illegally delayed disclosing his big stake in the social media company so he could buy more shares at lower prices.