Category: SpaceX

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”

SPACEX LAUNCHED INTERNET SATELLITES FOR A COMPETITOR THURSDAY, STEPPING IN TO HELP AFTER THE LONDON-BASED ONEWEB COMPANY HALTED ITS FLIGHTS WITH RUSSIA OVER THE INVASION OF UKRAINE 

SpaceX launched internet satellites for a competitor Thursday, stepping in to help after the London-based OneWeb company halted its flights with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

The Falcon rocket blasted off at sunset with 40 mini satellites bound for polar orbit. They will expand OneWeb’s constellation to just over 500, nearly 80% of the planned total of about 630 satellites.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has more than 3,200 Starlink satellites in orbit, providing high-speed, broadband internet to remote corners of the world. Amazon plans to launch the first of its internet satellites early next year from Cape Canaveral.

With the market for global internet service growing exponentially, there’s room for everyone, said Massimiliano Ladovaz, OneWeb’s chief technology officer.

SpaceX agreed to launch satellites for OneWeb after the British company broke ties with Russia in March. Russian Soyuz rockets already had launched 13 batches of OneWeb satellites, beginning in 2019.

Continue reading… “SpaceX launches internet satellites for London-based rival company OneWeb”

Artist’s rendering of SpaceX Starship human lander design. (Photo: Nasa)

• SpaceX is developing the Starship and has recently conducted an engine test
• Nasa had in July 2021 given the first contract to SpaceX
• The objective of the contract is to develop and demonstrate a Starship lunar lander

By India Today Web Desk: Amid his chaotic management at Twitter, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has bagged another contract valued at $1.5 billion to develop its Starship human landing system to transport humans to the Moon. With Nasa launching the Artemis-1 mission that will return humans to the lunar world, Starship will be part of long-term lunar exploration plans.

SpaceX is developing the Starship and has recently conducted an engine test where it fired all 14 engines. The company is working to conduct the first orbital flight of Starship by either end of this year or the beginning of 2023. As part of the new contract, SpaceX will provide a second crewed landing demonstration mission in 2027 for the Artemis IV mission.

“Returning astronauts to the Moon to learn, live, and work is a bold endeavour. With multiple planned landers, from SpaceX and future partners, we will be better positioned to accomplish the missions of tomorrow: conducting more science on the surface of the Moon than ever before and preparing for crewed missions to Mars,” Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson, said in a statement.

Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s SpaceX bags $1.5 billion contract for Starship to take humans to Moon”

A vehicle with the new Starlink RV hardware attached.

By Chris Young

The newly-designed dish allows users to have a permanent high-performance Starlink installation on their vehicles.

SpaceX announced it is now accepting orders for its new “flat high-performance” Starlink dish for moving vehicles.

In a Tuesday tweet, the private space firm explained that the new offering allows customers to “enjoy high-speed, low-latency internet while on the move!”

The new type of dish is installed on top of the vehicle and its positioning makes it more streamlined and also means it can connect with more Starlink satellites at any given time, SpaceX explains on its website. 

The new hardware is essentially an add-on for the Starlink RV service, announced in May this year, which allows users to connect to the internet while on the move — the service has enabled several users to live an enviable off-grid lifestyle. 

SpaceX CEO added on Twitter that the new option “works on any moving land object.” The newly-announced flat high-performance hardware is part of SpaceX’s push to upgrade its Starlink service worldwide by bringing it to more countries — it is currently available in more than 30 countriesworldwide and will come to many more over the next year or two — and also to moving vehicles, including RVs, cruise ships, private jets, and passenger airliners.

Continue reading… “SpaceX announces a new ‘flat high performance’ Starlink dish for internet on moving vehicles”

SpaceX announced that its satellite internet service Starlink will be available on select airplanes beginning next year.Starlink Aviation will offer Internet speeds of up to 350 Mbps to each plane that is equipped with its Aero Terminal, which it says is fast enough for video calls, online gaming, “and other high data rate activities.”

“With Starlink, passengers will be able to access high-speed, low-latency internet from the moment they walk on their plane,” SpaceX said in a tweet.According to The Verge, most flights offer speeds that max out around 10 Mbps per flight. Some satellite systems offer between 30Mbps and 100Mbps.

According to Starlink Aviation’s website, the new service will have global coverage, with deliveries expected in mid-2023.”Since the satellites are moving in low-Earth orbit, there are always satellites overhead or nearby to provide a strong signal at high latitudes and in polar regions — unlike with geo-stationary satellites,” Starlink Aviation’s website said.

Continue reading… “SpaceX announces Starlink Internet service on airplanes”

A SpaceX Starship. Photo: SpaceX

By Miriam Kramer

Businessman Dennis Tito, the first-ever space tourist, has scored another trip to space — and this time he’s going around the Moon with SpaceX.

Why it matters: SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to make life multi-planetary by bringing about a future where humans are living on Mars and possibly deeper into the solar system.

• These types of private missions allow the company to test the technology they see as key to creating that future.

What’s happening: SpaceX announced today that Tito, 82, and his wife Akiko Tito will circle the Moon with 10 other, yet-to-be-named crewmembers on the third crewed flight of the company’s Starship, designed for deep space exploration. 

Continue reading… “World’s first space tourist set to fly around the Moon with SpaceX”

SpaceX must obtain a licence from US authorities before the rocket can take off

By Sarwat Nasir

A prototype of Elon Musk’s Mars rocket, known as Starship, was moved to its launch pad on Wednesday in preparation for an orbital test flight.

Images published by SpaceX showed Ship 24 being taken to a pad in Starbase, the launch site the company uses in Boca Chica, Texas.

Starship is set to be the world’s most powerful rocket and SpaceX plans to use it to send humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

“Ship 24 was transported to the pad at Starbase in preparation for the first orbital flight test of Starship,” SpaceX said on Twitter.

Starship has been in development for many years and has completed high-altitude tests, but it has not yet completed an orbital flight.

Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s Mars rocket Starship moves to launch pad as orbital test flight looms”

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule docks at the International Space Station in April. ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Claudia Assis

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, has pulled in another $1.7 billion in equity funding, according to a filing Monday.

Privately held SpaceX, led by Tesla Inc. TSLA, 12.25% Chief Executive Elon Musk, sold about $1.68 billion in new equity in a $1.72 billion offering, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The first sales occurred late last month, it said. 

The round brings the company’s valuation to about $125 billion, from about $100 billion late last year. 

Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s SpaceX pulls another $1.7 billion in funding”

SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket standing at its Texas launch pad. Elon Musk’s company is looking to attempt the first orbital test flight of the nearly 400-foot-tall Starship sometime this year.

While the US government has found “No Significant Impact”, it is placing some limitations on launches and conditions that need to be met to operate the futuristic base.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX cleared a major hurdle as the US government concluded an environmental review of its gigantic, futuristic Starship base in Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) saw no environmental concerns but laid down 75 conditions to reduce the impact on the region.

The environmental review was for the proposed SpaceX Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket program in Boca Chica located at the southernmost tip of Texas, about 1,000 miles west of Cape Canaveral where SpaceX launches astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station for Nasa.

Following the decision, SpaceX tweeted, “One step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship.”

However, there’s no guarantee a launch license will be issued, since other factors such as safety and financial responsibility requirements still must be met at the Boca Chica site, according to the FAA. The agency said as a result of the requirements there will be more advanced notice of launches to reduce a highway closure during launch operations.

Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s dream Mars rocket gets green light to launch, with conditions”