SPACEX LAUNCHES 500TH STARLINK SATELLITE IN 2026 DURING WEDNESDAY FALCON 9 FLIGHT - SpaceX launched its 500th Starlink satellite of the year during a flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday morning. The Starlink 17-26 mission added 25 broadband satellites to the growing constellation that’s nearing 10,000 spacecraft in low Earth orbit. SpaceX confirmed a successful payload deployment an hour after liftoff. With this launch, SpaceX has flown 512 Starlink satellites to orbit in 2026.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 26)

SPACEX’S TUESDAY TWILIGHT FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCH SENDS 29 STARLINK SATELLITES INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket late Tuesday afternoon with a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites onboard. The twilight flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was the company’s 18th launch of the year supporting its broadband internet satellite constellation. The Starlink 6-110 mission sent another 29 satellites into low Earth orbit. Prior to liftoff, SpaceX had more than 9,700 Starlink satellites in space, according to stats maintained by expert orbital tracker and astronomer, Jonathan McDowell.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 25)

'SOME OF THE CRACKS HAD PENETRATED THROUGH': CHINESE ASTRONAUTS REVEAL NEW DETAILS ABOUT SPACECRAFT THAT 'STRANDED' THEM IN SPACE LAST YEAR - Crew members of China's Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions upon finding cracks in their spacecraft's viewport during the nation's first spaceflight emergency. It has been billed as China's first emergency operation in the country's human spaceflight program. The three astronauts (or taikonauts) of China's Shenzhou-20 mission were originally slated to return to Earth last Nov. 5, but after discovering cracks in the viewport of their spacecraft, their landing was postponed.   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 25)

NASA TO COVER 33RD SPACEX RESUPPLY MISSION STATION DEPARTURE - NASA and its international partners will receive scientific research samples and hardware when a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft departs the International Space Station on Thursday, Feb. 26, and returns to Earth. Watch NASA’s live coverage of the undocking and departure of the agency’s 33rd SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services mission starting at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content on a variety of online platforms, including social media.   More
(Source: NASA - Feb 24)

SPACEX’S MOST-FLOWN FALCON BOOSTER LAUNCHES ON RECORD 33RD FLIGHT - SpaceX’s most flown Falcon 9 rocket booster launched once again Saturday night, making its 33rd mission to space and back as the company works to certify its boosters for up to 40 flights each. The Starlink 6-104 mission added another 28 broadband internet satellites to SpaceX’s growing low Earth orbit constellation of more than 9,700 satellites. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 10:47 p.m. EST (0347 UTC). The Falcon 9 rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving the pad   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 23)

WHAT'S THE POINT OF A SPACE STATION AROUND THE MOON? - The Lunar Gateway is planned space station that will orbit the moon. It is part of the NASA‑led Artemis program. Artemis aims to return humans to the moon, establishing a sustainable presence there for scientific and commercial purposes, and eventually reach Mars. However, the modular space station now faces delays, cost concerns and potential US funding cuts. This raises a fundamental question: is an orbiting space station necessary to achieve lunar objectives, including scientific ones?   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 23)

FALCON 9 LAUNCHES 25 STARLINK SATELLITES AFTER WEATHER DELAYS - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 25 Starlink satellites from California early Saturday, after days of delay. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 1:04:19 a.m. PST (4:04:19 a.m. EST / 0904:19 UTC). The company had originally planned to launch the Starlink 17-25 mission Feb. 18 but it was delayed three times due to severe weather in central California. The rocket took a southerly trajectory on departure from the launch pad.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 22)

SPACEX LAUNCHES SECOND FALCON 9 ROCKET TO RETURN TO A LANDING IN THE BAHAMAS - For just the second time, a Falcon 9 booster returned to Earth on a drone ship stationed among the islands of the Bahamas during a mission to deploy 29 Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s satellite internet service. Liftoff of the Starlink 10-34 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 8:41:40 p.m. EST (0141:40 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 20)

NASA CHIEF BLASTS BOEING, SPACE AGENCY FOR FAILED STARLINER ASTRONAUT MISSION - NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is blaming Boeing and his own agency for botching a test flight of the Starliner spacecraft, designed to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station. A 311-page report details the issues that led to the failure of Starliner's first crewed test flight, which in June 2024 launched NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Florida.   More
(Source: NPR - Feb 20)

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