Category: SpaceX

SpaceX is gearing up for a significant milestone in its Starship program as it prepares to roll the spacecraft to the launchpad for its third trial later this year. The focus of this upcoming trial is to test Starship’s capability to transfer super-chilled rocket fuel in space, a crucial step in NASA’s plans for lunar exploration under a $4.2 billion contract with Elon Musk’s rocket company.

The ambitious concept of “cryogenic propellant transfer” will be a first in microgravity, presenting challenges that SpaceX is keen on overcoming to master the refueling process in low-Earth orbit. NASA envisions a collaborative effort involving its own Orion spacecraft and SpaceX’s Starship for the Artemis III and IV moon missions. The intricate plan involves a space relay, where Orion transports the crew to lunar orbit, and Starship completes the final leg, meeting astronauts in space and landing them on the lunar surface.

Continue reading… “SpaceX’s Starship Prepares for Orbital Fueling Trials, Aiming to Reshape Lunar Exploration”

Introduction: SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, is advancing its commitment to global internet accessibility with the introduction of the 3rd Generation Starlink Wi-Fi Device. As part of the Starlink satellite constellation, this latest innovation promises notable enhancements in both performance and user experience.

Features of the 3rd Gen Starlink Wi-Fi Device: The 3rd Gen Starlink Wi-Fi Device brings significant improvements to its predecessors. Key features include higher data throughput, enabling faster download and upload speeds, a more robust Wi-Fi signal for extended coverage with improved penetration through obstacles, and enhanced durability to withstand diverse weather conditions. These advancements aim to provide a superior internet experience across various environments.

Continue reading… “SpaceX Unveils 3rd Generation Starlink Wi-Fi Device: Elevating Global Internet Connectivity”

Starlink’s website update sheds light on its ambitious plans for a satellite-based mobile phone service. The newly unveiled “Starlink Direct to Cell” page promises “ubiquitous coverage” through “cellphone towers in space,” operating seamlessly over standard LTE networks. According to the current roadmap, text services are slated to begin in 2024, followed by voice and data services in 2025, with IoT (Internet of Things) service also expected in 2025.

Traditionally, satellite phone connectivity has required large, purpose-built hardware, exemplified by the older Iridium network phones. For limited emergency texting, Apple introduced a connectivity paradigm that necessitated being within a connectivity window, holding up a phone, and following a signal-targeting app. Starlink aims to revolutionize this by enabling full-fledged space connectivity on regular smartphone hardware.

Continue reading… “Starlink’s Vision for Satellite-Powered Mobile Service Revealed”

The Mongolian government announced on Friday that it has granted two licenses to SpaceX, Elon Musk’s pioneering aerospace company, allowing them to operate as an internet service provider using their innovative low-orbit satellites. With this move, millions of internet users in Mongolia will soon gain access to high-speed connectivity through Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite communications service.

Starlink has rapidly expanded its network, comprising more than 3,500 satellites in low-Earth orbit, enabling seamless connectivity even in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Although Mongolia already benefits from a wide-reaching network of fiber optic cables providing high-speed internet access, the addition of Starlink’s technology is expected to extend connectivity further into distant regions.

Continue reading… “Mongolia Embraces Starlink: SpaceX Granted Licenses for Internet Service Operations”

The race is on to develop a successor to the aging International Space Station (ISS), and a relatively unknown player has emerged with ambitious plans. Vast, a California-based start-up backed by a billionaire entrepreneur, aims to beat industry giants like Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin by launching its own space station into orbit as early as late 2025, with the capability to accommodate up to four people for a month-long stay. Partnering with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Vast intends to expedite its mission by aiming for a launch as soon as August 2025.

While the timeline may be challenging and subject to delays, Vast’s plans surpass the development of other commercial stations vying to succeed the ISS. If successful, this would mark a significant milestone in the commercialization of space, as it would be the first time a commercial rocket company launches humans to a commercial space station.

Continue reading… “Breaking Boundaries: Start-Up Collaborates with SpaceX to Launch World’s First Commercial Space Station into Orbit”

Startup Sateliot plans to launch 256 satellites by 2025 to enable text messaging even when you’re beyond the reach of ground-based antennas.

SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, has launched a new batch of satellites into orbit as part of its Starlink initiative. Starlink aims to provide global satellite internet coverage by deploying a network of thousands of small satellites into low Earth orbit.

While the primary goal of Starlink is to provide high-speed internet access to underserved communities around the world, the initiative has also sparked interest from a number of startups who see an opportunity to build cell towers in space.

According to reports, several startups are exploring the possibility of using SpaceX’s Starlink satellites as a platform for deploying cell towers into space. These companies believe that by placing cell towers in space, they can provide cellular coverage to remote areas of the world that are currently underserved by terrestrial cell towers.

Continue reading… “SpaceX Launch Begins Startup’s Plan for ‘Cell Towers in Space’”

The Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover will be transported by SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft 

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning to take a semi-autonomous rover to the moon as part of NASA’s upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The rover, named “Astrobiotic Peregrine,” is being developed by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobiotic Technology.

According to Astrobiotic CEO John Thornton, the company aims to provide a reliable and cost-effective solution for delivering payloads to the moon. “Our goal is to create a transportation network to the moon that is sustainable, affordable, and accessible to all,” Thornton said in a statement.

The Peregrine rover will be able to carry up to 90 kilograms of payload and will use its own power source to navigate the lunar surface. It will also be equipped with a suite of sensors and cameras to collect data and images.

Continue reading… “Musk’s SpaceX to Take Semi-Autonomous Rover to the Moon”

The Super Heavy booster will attempt a landing in Texas near its launch site.

SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, is set to conduct the maiden orbital flight of its Starship vehicle, which it hopes will one day carry humans to Mars. This will be a significant milestone for the company, which has been developing the spacecraft for several years.

The Starship is a reusable spacecraft designed to carry up to 100 people and large amounts of cargo to deep space destinations such as Mars. It consists of two parts: the Super Heavy rocket, which will provide the initial thrust needed to reach orbit, and the Starship spacecraft, which will travel to its destination and then return to Earth.

According to SpaceX, the maiden orbital flight of the Starship is scheduled to take place later this year, although the exact date has not been announced. The flight will be an unmanned test flight, which will allow the company to test the vehicle’s performance and gather data to inform future flights.

Continue reading… “Musk’s SpaceX to conduct maiden orbital flight of its future Mars vehicle Starship”

SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, is set to begin testing its satellite-based cellular service called Starlink. The company aims to provide low-latency, high-speed internet to people living in remote areas where traditional broadband is unavailable or unreliable. The testing is expected to begin later this year, with a public beta launch already available in certain areas.

According to Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink and Commercial Sales, the company’s goal is to provide high-speed internet to those who previously lacked access. “We are targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021,” Hofeller said at a recent industry event.

The Starlink system consists of a network of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that will communicate with user terminals on the ground. The company has already launched more than 1,000 satellites into orbit and plans to launch thousands more in the coming years. With this extensive network of satellites, Starlink aims to offer internet speeds that are comparable to traditional broadband services.

Continue reading… “SpaceX will start testing its satellite cellular service this year”

Rendering of Starship conducting Starlink deployment — SpaceX

Elon’s Starshield programme is a game-changer.

Elon Musk hates Putin with a passion. One of the primary motivators for developing and expanding SpaceX was to topple Putin’s monopoly on crewed space launches. Musk’s Starlink is also a crucial technology in empowering the Ukrainian forces to annihilate Putin’s pathetic ones. But Elon’s latest program, Starshield, promises to impact Russia far more than anything else he has done.

In March 2018, the US Space Development Agency (SDA) was formed. One of its missions was to develop missile defence systems that use low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In October 2020, the SDA awarded SpaceX $150 million for a dual-use contract to develop a particular military version of the Starlink satellite to become a part of their new system known as the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA). The NDSA will have seven layers: data transport, battle management, missile tracking, weapons targeting, navigation, deterrence, and ground support. SpaceX could, in theory, service all of these layers thanks to this dual-use contract.

This militarised version of Starlink, dubbed “Starshield” by Elon Musk, can function as a high-speed space-based communications system as well as carry additional payloads, allowing it to function as a highly flexible, highly detailed, and global earth observatory. Starshield satellites are based on V1.5 and V2.0 Starlink satellites, but they are larger and more powerful (with twice the solar cell area), which enables them to carry and power additional payloads. One such payload will be military imaging technology that will enable Starshield to identify and track objects of interest on the surface of Earth. So far, this is the only confirmed additional payload, though it is likely that the NDSA has other technologies in the works for these incredible missions.

Continue reading… “SpaceX’s New Project Is A Middle Finger To Putin”