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8 hours ago
- Business
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SpaceX adds 27 Starlink satellites to constellation after successful launch from California (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX's broadband internet constellation grew again today (May 31), with the launch of 27 satellites into Earth orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the additions to the Starlink network lifted off at 1:10 p.m. PDT (4:10 p.m. EDT or 2010 GMT) on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Station in southern California. About 8 minutes later, the Falcon's first stage returned to Earth, landing vertically on the ocean-based droneship "Of Course I Still Love You." This was the 25th flight for this booster, including 14 previous Starlink launches, according to SpaceX's website for Saturday's mission. The 27 satellites were on course to be deployed at just under an hour after they left the ground. According to SpaceX's billionaire founder Elon Musk, the Starlink network is not only a needed solution for people outside the reach of other broadband options, but a key to the company's plans for the future. "Starlink internet is what is being used to pay for humanity going to Mars," Musk said during a recent update delivered to employees at SpaceX's Starship facility in Starbase, Texas. "I would like to thank everyone out there who has bought Starlink because you are helping to secure the future of civilization and helping make life interplanetary." Starlink is now the largest satellite constellation ever launched into Earth orbit. According to satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, there are currently more than 7,600 active Starlink spacecraft out of the nearly 8,790 total units deployed to date.
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12 hours ago
- Business
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SpaceX deploys 27 Starlink satellites from the West Coast
May 31 (UPI) -- SpaceX ended May with another successful launch of its Falcon 9 rocket Saturday afternoon at its West Coast launch facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch occurred at 1:10 p.m. PDT with a payload of 27 Starlink satellites bound for low-Earth orbit, SpaceflightNow reported. It was the Falcon 9's 16th successful launch and the 25th for its first-stage booster rocket. The booster rocket successfully landed on the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. The successful landing marked the 133rd successful booster rocket landing and 455th overall on the droneship. Anne Mason, director of National Security Space Launch for SpaceX, said at least 170 more Falcon launches are planned this year. "This demonstrates how Falcon's reusability and reliability ... have been critical to supporting assured access to space," Mason told media before the afternoon launch. SpaceX is producing a second-stage rocket every 2.5 days to meet the demand for the large number of planned launches. Officials for the Elon Musk-owned space company also are looking to buy Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base to support the ambitious launch schedule.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
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SpaceX rocket launch may be visible in Phoenix, other Arizona cities after California liftoff
Update: The launch is now scheduled for 1:36 p.m. PT (4:36 p.m. ET) Friday, May 23, the Vandenberg Space Force Base said in an updated launch alert. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Saturday, May 24 starting at 1:14 p.m. PT. People in Arizona may have an opportunity to witness a SpaceX rocket soaring overheard after launching from neighboring California. For the fourth time in May, Elon Musk's commercial spaceflight company is preparing to send a Falcon 9 to deploy a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit following liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. SpaceX's famous two-stage rocket will likely get off the ground Thursday, May 22, to deliver more of the internet-beaming satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. Because of the launch site's proximity, Arizona residents across a large swath of the state may be able to witness the rocket soaring overhead. A photo gallery with this story Here's what to know about the launch, as well as when and where to watch it: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is slated to get off the ground as early as 3:03 p.m. PT (6:03 p.m. ET ) Thursday, with backup opportunities available until 5:51 p.m. PT, according to a launch alert from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. If SpaceX opts to scrub the launch, additional liftoff opportunities are available beginning at 1:36 p.m. PT Friday, May 23. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. SpaceX said it will provide a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning. Here's a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by the Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication. Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 South Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona Fountain Hills, a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, which in 2018 was designated a Dark Sky Community with little light pollution Superstition Mountains, located 40 miles from the Greater Phoenix area in Arizona Cave Creek, a town in Maricopa County about 30 miles north of Fountain Hills, Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 Sky Harbor Blvd., Arizona, which has a parking garage that is popular for plane-watching Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona Any mountain park in Arizona , 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, Arizona , 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye, Arizona , 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, Arizona , 6533 W. Phillips Road, Queen Creek, Arizona Monument Hill, a 150-foot slope located on 115th Avenue, in Arizona Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man. The commercial spaceflight company is contracted with NASA and the Department of Defense to use many of its spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches – most using its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – including for private crewed missions and to deliver communication satellites to orbit. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 6,700 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX, a commercial spaceflight company, has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. (This article has been updated to add new information.) Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch: How to watch in Arizona after California liftoff
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
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SpaceX rocket launch: When, where to see Starlink satellite mission from Arizona
Arizonans should have yet another chance to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soaring high in the sky following the latest upcoming launch from neighboring California. For the fifth time in May, Elon Musk's spaceflight company is preparing to deploy another batch of Starlink satellites following liftoff from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. The next launch could potentially take place as early as Tuesday, May 27 – the same day SpaceX is planning to fly its massive Starship rocket from the company's Starbase in South Texas. The mission would be the latest to deliver internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. However, it's common for launch windows to be postponed and rescheduled days later for a variety of reasons. Check back for the latest updates on the next SpaceX launch from California. Because of the launch site's proximity, Arizona residents across a large swath of the state may be able to witness the rocket soaring overhead. Here's what to know about the launch, as well as when and where to watch it: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket could get off the ground as early as Tuesday, May 27 with backup opportunities on Wednesday, May 28 according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory. Liftoff could happen at 9:14 a.m. PT (12:14 p.m. ET) Tuesday, according to SpaceX. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning. Here's a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by the Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication. Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 South Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona Fountain Hills, a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, which in 2018 was designated a Dark Sky Community with little light pollution Superstition Mountains, located 40 miles from the Greater Phoenix area in Arizona Cave Creek, a town in Maricopa County about 30 miles north of Fountain Hills, Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 Sky Harbor Blvd., Arizona, which has a parking garage that is popular for plane-watching Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona Any mountain park in Arizona , 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, Arizona , 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye, Arizona , 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, Arizona , 6533 W. Phillips Road, Queen Creek, Arizona Monument Hill, a 150-foot slope located on 115th Avenue, in Arizona Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man. The commercial spaceflight company is contracted with NASA and the Department of Defense to use many of its spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches – most using its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – including for private crewed missions and to deliver communication satellites to orbit. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 6,700 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX, a commercial spaceflight company, has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch: When, where to see Falcon 9 liftoff from Arizona
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
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California rocket launch: How to see SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off on Starlink mission
Californians should have yet another chance to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soaring high in the sky following the latest upcoming launch from the state. For the fifth time in May, Elon Musk's spaceflight company is preparing to deploy another batch of Starlink satellites following liftoff from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. The next launch could potentially take place as early as Tuesday, May 27 – the same day SpaceX is planning to fly its massive Starship rocket from the company's Starbase in South Texas. The mission would be the latest to deliver internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. However, it's common for launch windows to be postponed and rescheduled days later for a variety of reasons. Check back for the latest updates on the next SpaceX launch from California. Here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as well as when and where to watch it: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket could get off the ground as early as Tuesday, May 27 with backup opportunities on Wednesday, May 28 according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory. Liftoff could happen at 9:14 a.m. PT (12:14 p.m. ET) Tuesday, according to SpaceX. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to an alert from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Sonic booms are brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches. But if conditions are clear, rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Vandenberg, California, can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Space Launch Schedule, a website dedicated to tracking upcoming rocket launches, provided a list of places in California to catch the launch in person: 13th Street and Arguello Boulevard, the public site with the closest views of SpaceX launches Floradale Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, officially designated as the 'viewing site for SLC-6' (space launch complex-6) Renwick Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, another intersection close to the base where spectators can park Santa Lucia Canyon Road and Victory Road, provides a partial view of Complex 4 Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, the only location where the public can view the ignition and liftoff of rockets from Complex 4. Public access is at the Amtrak Surf Station parking area, but the area is closed in the case of back-to-back launches. The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, has this list with additional viewing locations: , 6851 Ocean Park Road, which, while it doesn't have a view of the launch pad itself, is located only four miles from the launch site and provides a good vantage to see rockets get off the ground. Parking is limited, and law enforcement will close the road to the beach once parking is full. , 1 Hancock Drive, a community college located nine miles from the launch site where both the launch pad and rocket's tip can be seen before liftoff. , N A Street and McLaughlin Road, located within 10 miles of the launch site, is filled with large fields for activities or for spectators to set up chairs. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man. The commercial spaceflight company is contracted with NASA and the Department of Defense to use many of its spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches – most using its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – including for private crewed missions and to deliver communication satellites to orbit. Established in 1941, the Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a site for both military, civil and commercial space launches. Agencies like NASA and companies like SpaceX routinely launch spacecraft from Vandenberg, a site where where missile testing also takes place. Just recently, for instance, Texas spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace attempted to launch prototype satellites into orbit for Lockheed Martin from the base. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 6,700 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX, a commercial spaceflight company, has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Is there a rocket launch? SpaceX Falcon 9 to lift off from California
