Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX launched 24 Starlink internet satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from California’s central coast, continuing a surge of West Coast missions. The flight extends the company’s ongoing effort to expand its low-Earth-orbit constellation through frequent, repeatable launches.
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SpaceX launched 24 Starlink internet satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from California’s central coast, continuing a surge of West Coast missions. The flight extends the company’s ongoing effort to expand its low-Earth-orbit constellation through frequent, repeatable launches.
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Relativity Space has begun integrating engines with the first-stage thrust structure of its reusable Terran R launch vehicle, marking a further development milestone for the company’s next-generation rocket as it advances the vehicle toward flight readiness.
SpaceX plans to build factories on the Moon, with robots handling much of the heavy lifting, Elon Musk said during the company’s first-ever quarterly earnings call on Aug. 4. The comments outline a longer-term lunar industrialization concept, but provide no further detail on timing, scope or execution.
SpaceX’s Starship is likely to be lost at sea roughly two weeks after its 13th test flight, according to Elon Musk. Despite the expected loss, teams obtained close-up images of critical heat-shield and engine regions that could inform future vehicle upgrades.
The private LINK spacecraft, launched last month on a mission to save a NASA space telescope, has itself encountered trouble. Engineering teams report progress as they work to recover the spacecraft, adding a second layer of operational risk to an already complex in-space rescue effort.
Chinese commercial launch company Landspace is preparing for its second attempt to catch an orbital rocket, with liftoff and the recovery maneuver targeted for Aug. 10. The test will put both the company’s launch architecture and its recovery approach under scrutiny.
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SpaceX shares rose 12% after insider lock-up provisions expired, extending a nearly 19% weekly gain and bringing the stock close to its $135 IPO price. The rally followed the company’s first earnings report as a public company and a major release of previously restricted shares.
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