Orbit

SpaceX wins approval for lower Starlink orbits, overcoming rival objections

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday granted SpaceX approval to operate 2,814 Starlink satellites in lower orbits than originally planned, handing a win to Elon Musk’s satellite internet project. The decision delivered a partial defeat over its competitors, like Amazon and OneWeb, which sought to thwart the tweak over concerns it would create harmful frequency… Read more

SpaceX capsule with four astronauts on board docks with the International Space Station

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft with four astronauts aboard successfully docked with the International Space Station early Saturday to start its six-month mission, NASA announced. Crew-2, as it’s been dubbed, is SpaceX’s third astronaut mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It brings NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency… Read more

SpaceX launches its third astronaut crew, the first on a used Crew Dragon capsule

SpaceX launched its third crew of astronauts to the International Space Station early Friday morning, reusing a Crew Dragon space capsule to fly humans for the first time. The mission, dubbed Crew-2, is the latest flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and will add four more astronauts to the orbital space station. A used Falcon… Read more

How to watch SpaceX’s third crewed mission to the ISS

SpaceX is slated to launch its third crew to the International Space Station early Friday morning, ferrying two astronauts from NASA, one from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the first European Space Agency astronaut to fly a private US spacecraft to orbit. The four-person crew will launch atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 5:49AM… Read more

A robotic spacecraft just latched onto an active satellite in orbit

A robotic spacecraft from Northrop Grumman latched onto an old communications satellite in deep orbit and extended its lifespan by five more years. The Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) marked Northrop’s second successful docking of an object in space. The mission is part of the company’s efforts to kickstart an industry of life-extension services for dead,… Read more

iPhone 12 Pro Space Collection featuring Elon Musk

Caviar launches 5 Limited Edition models of the iPhone 12 Pro (Max) dedicated to space conquerors. Each features a real fragment of a famous spacecraft. Today it is exactly 60 years ago that the first manned space flight took place. This memorable day has been renamed the Day of the Cosmonauts. In honor of this… Read more

OneWeb, SpaceX satellites dodged a potential collision in orbit

Two satellites from the fast-growing constellations of OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink dodged a dangerously close approach with one another in orbit last weekend, representatives from the US Space Force and OneWeb said. It’s the first known collision avoidance event for the two rival companies as they race to expand their new broadband-beaming networks in space…. Read more

SpaceX rocket debris lands on man’s farm in Washington

A pressure vessel from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage fell on a man’s farm in Washington State last week, leaving a “4-inch dent in the soil,” the local sheriff’s office said Friday. The black Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessel, or COPV, was a remnant from the alien invasion-looking breakup of a Falcon 9 second stage over… Read more

Best PC gaming headsets 2021: The best wired, wireless and surround sound headsets around

(Pocket-lint) – Setting out on a mission to find the very best gaming headsets was a daunting task. There are a multitude of options out there – wired, wireless, closed and open cup designs, stereo and surround sound headsets, oval and round earcups, leather and material finishes, the list goes on and on. A lot… Read more

Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine joins satellite internet firm Viasat’s board

Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining space-based broadband firm Viasat’s board of directors as his latest post-NASA gig, after joining a space-focused private equity firm in January. Wading into the world of satellite internet, he says he’s concerned about the digital divide and the future of humanity, and he wants to try something new…. Read more

SpaceX is adding a glass dome on Crew Dragon for 360 views of space

The Crew Dragon capsule poised to fly four civilian astronauts to space this year is getting an upgrade: a glass dome will be added at the top to give space tourists a 360-degree view of the cosmos. Plans for the window were announced on Tuesday as SpaceX and the team managing the tourist mission, Inspiration4,… Read more

SpaceX rocket debris creates a fantastic light show in the Pacific Northwest sky

Stargazers in Oregon and Washington were treated to an unexpected show last night: what looked like a meteor shower streaking lazily across the night’s sky that was very likely the remains of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, burning up as it travelled through the atmosphere. Although SpaceX has not yet claimed responsibility for the spectacle,… Read more

SpaceX lands Starship prototype for the first time — and then it blows up

SpaceX’s latest Starship prototype landed on Wednesday for the first time after carrying out a high-altitude test flight in Texas — but exploded minutes later on its landing pad. The rocket, an early test version called SN10, demonstrated a few complex dances in mid-air before clinching a soft touch down, aiming to nail a key… Read more

Watch 2020’s hurricane season unfold in a mesmerizing four-minute timelapse

This week, NASA released a grim four-minute timelapse of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, a mesmerizing display of last year’s record-breaking string of tropical commotion. 2020’s season “smashed records with an unprecedented 30 named storms, marking the fifth year in a row with above-average hurricane activity,” NASA said in a blog accompanying the video. The… Read more

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin delays New Glenn debut to late 2022

Blue Origin is delaying the debut launch of its massive, centerpiece rocket New Glenn to late 2022, the company announced Thursday, citing a key Pentagon contract it lost out on to rival firms SpaceX and United Launch Alliance as the reason for the delay. New Glenn is a massive, partially reusable heavy-lift rocket designed to… Read more