Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is encapsulated in the payload fairing, or nose cone, of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on Nov. 21, 2023, at Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASA
2023 ended on a high note for NASA with the dual launches of a Falcon Heavy containing the X-37B space plane and a Falcon 9 Starlink mission less than three hours later. That’s a hard act to beat, but now all eyes are turning to another major launch set for January 8th.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy was the first of two launches from the space coast last night. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN
SpaceX marked the end of the year with a launch record on December 28th. The commercial spaceflight company ended the year with 98 launches, including 91 Falcon 9, 5 Falcon Heavy, and two Starship launches.
Artist depiction of China’s secretive Shenlong space plane.
China’s top-secret Shenlong space plane, on its third mission, has released six enigmatic objects into Earth’s orbit, stirring up curiosity and speculation in the global space community.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg from inside the International Space Station.
Not to be confused with the Crew Dragon scheduled to depart the ISS on Thursday night, NASA has issued a news release on the departure of Cygnus Friday morning.
SpaceX Dragon Approaches ISS after November Launch
UPDATED: Now set for 5:05PM Thursday due to bad weather in the recovery area.
Dragon to Return from ISS with Key Scientific Payload
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is set to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) tonight at 9:05 p.m. EST. NASA will provide coverage of the undocking beginning at 8:45PM EST on NASA TV, Youtube, and the agency’s website.
Innovation is foundational at SpaceX, the California-based company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Not only has the company written a veritable laundry list of firsts, bests and mosts, it has also served as a cradle for former employees to start their own high-tech firms. Several SpaceX alumni startups are prospering, while others are still developing products and preparing to enter the marketplace.
