US Space Force’s not-so-secret X-37B spaceplane roars into orbit

The US Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane has launched successfully on its multi-year orbital mission. At 8:07 pm EST, the unmanned vehicle set atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Con… Continue reading US Space Force’s not-so-secret X-37B spaceplane roars into orbit

SpaceX’s all-powerful Falcon Heavy flies for the first time since 2019

SpaceX has today fired up its mighty Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful currently in operation, for the first time since 2019 to successfully lift a set of satellites into orbit for the US Space Force. The company also landed two of the rocket’s si… Continue reading SpaceX’s all-powerful Falcon Heavy flies for the first time since 2019

Europa Decision Delivers Crushing Blow to NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)

These days, NASA deciding to launch one of their future missions on a commercial rocket is hardly a surprise. After all, the agency is now willing to fly their astronauts on boosters and spacecraft built and operated by SpaceX. Increased …read more

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Hackaday Links: January 31, 2021

There are an awful lot of machines on the market these days that fall under the broad category of “cheap Chinese laser cutters”. You know the type — the K40s, the no-name benchtop CO2 cutters, the bigger floor-mount units. If …read more

Continue reading Hackaday Links: January 31, 2021

Falcon Heavy carries 24 satellites into orbit in SpaceX's "most difficult launch ever"

Falcon Heavy in flight during an earlier mission

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has lifted off again, this time embarking on what the company calls one of the most challenging launches in its history. With a slew of government satellites and important spacecraft onboard, the world’s most powerful operational vehicle took off into the night sky for the first time, on a mission to deliver payloads into three different orbits.

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Continue reading Falcon Heavy carries 24 satellites into orbit in SpaceX's "most difficult launch ever"

LightSail 2 CubeSat launches next week to test photon propulsion system that could take us interstellar

Like the seafarers of old, future spacecraft could be getting around under the power of sails. But of course, with no wind in space, these sails are catching another method of propulsion – photons from starlight. The tech is soon due to be de… Continue reading LightSail 2 CubeSat launches next week to test photon propulsion system that could take us interstellar

Could Orion Ride Falcon Heavy to the Moon?

Things aren’t looking good for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). Occasionally referred to as the “Senate Launch System”, or even less graciously, the “Rocket to Nowhere”, the super heavy-lift booster has long been a bone of contention for those in the industry. Designed as an evolution of core Space Shuttle …read more

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Meet the Amateur Rocketeer Building Self-Landing Replicas of SpaceX Rockets

Joe Barnard has spent the last three years pioneering DIY landing technologies for amateur rockets and now the aerospace industry is paying attention. Continue reading Meet the Amateur Rocketeer Building Self-Landing Replicas of SpaceX Rockets