Safe spalshdown for SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

It was all smiles early on Sunday morning when the SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew splashed down successfully after five days in orbit and what is believed to be the world's first commercial spacewalk.

The Dragon capsule came down in the sea off the coast of Florida at around 03:37 local time, in a well-planned procedure and was streamed live on Youtube and the SpaceX website.

The mission has been considered "a giant leap forward" for the commercial space industry, according to NASA.  

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United signs deal with Musk's SpaceX Starlink to provide connectivity in the sky - for free

The U.S. mega-carrier United has signed a special deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's fast, reliable, monitored Wi-Fi service to the airline's mainline and regional aircraft fleet, for free.

That means that United customers will soon enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground. The new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlock game-changing experiences in the sky at a scale that no other major U.S. airline provides like access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.

United expects to have Starlink on all United aircraft – more than 1,000 planes – over the next several years. Testing begins in early 2025 with the first passenger flights expected later that year.

Starlink service on United aircraft will be free.

Leveraging advanced satellites with its deep experience in both spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink is engineered by SpaceX and delivers internet access around the world, including over oceans, polar regions and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals. United is the largest airline across both the Atlantic and Pacific and will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale.

"Everything you can do on the ground, you'll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that's more personalized. United's culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers."

"We're excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience," said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. "With Starlink onboard your United flight, you'll have access to the world's most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between."

Polaris Dawn mission blasts off

There were more than a few storm clouds early this morning which could have caused a postponement of the launch of the Polaris Dawn mission.  However,  the clouds cleared and the launch went ahead, with everything seeming to go rather smoothly and with little cause for concern. 

Rather than crewed by professional astronauts with thousands of hours of training, this mission is staffed by a billionaire entrepreneur, a retired military pilot and two SpaceX employees in stylish spacesuits that seemed more like the ones seen in 70s sci-fi shows than reality. 

The risky mission will see two of those onboard doing at least one spacewalk,  an activity that's been fraught with danger, in fact, it is so risky, it is a wonder they ever got insurance for it.  Although, it is not 100% clear that SpaceX actually has full coverage for the whole mission and not just the launch and landing phases of the mission. 

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Musk claims first Mars flight to take off in two years.....

Elon Musk wearing his CEO of SpaceX hat has said the company will be launching uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens. The first mission will be to see if they can land a craft on Mars, then if that mission is a success, the first crewed operation will take place in four years. 

However, you don't need to wait that long for the next SpaceX launch,  the firm is hoping to launch of Polaris Dawn to low-Earth orbit. tomorrow, Tuesday, 10th September at 03:38 U.S. Eastern time.

The event will take place from launch complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, bit if the weather conditions are not favourable, there are two additional launch opportunities within the four-hour window at 05:23 and 07:09 If needed. There will also be another chance, on 11th September at the same time. 

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-1 to and from the International Space Station, and Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit. This will be the fourth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-8 and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on the 'Just Read the Instructions' droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX says the multi-day mission to orbit, Dragon and the crew will endeavour to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown since the Apollo program and participate in the first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA) by commercial astronauts wearing SpaceX-developed EVA suits. They will also conduct 36 research studies and experiments from 31 partner institutions designed to advance both human health on Earth and during long-duration spaceflight, and test Starlink laser-based communications in space.

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NASA picks SpaceX to bring down the International Space Station

SpaceX has been selected from very few other options to take the International Space Station out of its orbit and crash it into the sea at the end of its life during the early 2030s.

Elon Musk's California-based SpaceX is set to build a spacecraft capable of pushing the 430-tonne ageing space station from its position and directing it to an area of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo.

Point Nemo is approximately 2,500km from land and is considered a safe place for the space platform to splash down. Its name was derived from the famous captain in Jules Verne's book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 

It is understood the contract is up to $843m which is around £668m for SpaceX who will create a sort of tug to bring down the station when it reaches the end of its working life. The details of the designs have not yet been released by either NASA or SpaceX.  

Ken Bowersox, NASA's director of space operations said: "Selecting a US De-orbit Vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS) will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA's plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth." 

Latest SpaceX launch goes further than before.

The latest starship from SpaceX launched today, becoming the heaviest manmade object in space, at least for a while.  Elon Musk claimed it would be the starship that takes humanity to Mars. The two-stage vehicle made what appeared to be a perfect getaway from its Texas launch site, to send its upper portion around the globe to a re-entry over the Indian Ocean.

Radio contact was lost towards the end but the firm said it was "incredible to see how far we got this time around".  They lost contact with it, presumably because it had broken up and according to some, the fact the craft didn't survive re-entry to splashdown would be a disappointment, it still represents a major step forward in the development of the world's most powerful rocket. 

The FAA said, a mishap occurred during the SpaceX Starship OFT-3 mission that launched from Boca Chica, Texas, on 14th March. The mishap involved both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship vehicle.

No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is overseeing the SpaceX-led mishap investigation to ensure the company complies with its FAA-approved mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements. 

  

A mishap investigation is designed to further enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again. 

  

SpaceX will not need to worry though, the FAA is taking a back seat in the investigation process allowing Musk's space firm to say what went wrong and what went right and the regulator would then rubber stamp whatever SpaceX’s final report says, including any corrective actions. 

A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. In addition, SpaceX may need to modify its license to incorporate any corrective actions and meet all other licensing requirements. 

Another SpaceX test fails.....

SpaceX's uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, failed in space shortly after lifting off on Saturday, cutting short its second test but making it further than an earlier attempt that ended in an explosion.

The two-stage rocketship blasted off from the Elon Musk-owned company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica in Texas, helping boost the Starship spacecraft as high as 90 miles (148 km) above ground on a planned 90-minute test mission to space and back.

But the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster, though it achieved a crucial maneuver to separate with its core Starship stage, exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after detaching, a SpaceX webcast showed.

Meanwhile, the core Starship stage boosted further toward space, but a few minutes later a company broadcaster said that SpaceX mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle.

"We have lost the data from the second stage... we think we may have lost the second stage," SpaceX engineer and livestream host John Insprucker said. He added that engineers believe an automated flight termination command was triggered to destroy the rocket, though the reason was unclear.

SpaceX's next-generation Starship exploded minutes after lift-off.....

The latest launch of a SpaceX rocket ended in disaster after it exploded minutes after lift off in an uncrewed test flight from South Texas on Thursday.  Reuters reported that the flight test was the first for Starship mounted atop the company's new Super Heavy rocket, and the first launch ever for that lower-stage booster, which SpaceX claims is the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth.

Executives from SpaceX are spinning the event as a success as the craft made it halfway to the edge of space, nearly 25 miles up before it failed.  The original plan was for the craft to climb to around 90 miles or so before re-entering the earth's atmosphere near Hawaii.

Polaris Program Will Undertake a Series of Pioneering SpaceX Dragon Missions, Demonstrating New Technologies and Culminating in the First Human Spaceflight on Starship

Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4, announced the Polaris Program, a first-of-its-kind effort to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities while continuing to raise funds and awareness for important causes here on Earth. The program will consist of up to three human spaceflight missions that will demonstrate new technologies, conduct extensive research, and ultimately culminate in the first flight of SpaceX’s Starship with humans on board.

The first mission, Polaris Dawn, is targeted for no earlier than the fourth quarter of this year and will be commanded by Isaacman, an accomplished pilot and astronaut who led Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit that helped raise over $240 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“The Polaris Program is an important step in advancing human space exploration while helping to solve problems through the use of innovative technology here on Earth,” said Isaacman. “On Polaris Dawn, we endeavour to achieve the highest Earth orbit ever flown in addition to conducting the world’s first commercial spacewalk and testing of Starlink laser-based communication. Alongside these important objectives, we will be supporting scientific research to advance both human health interests on Earth and our understanding of human health during future long-duration spaceflights.”

Building upon the Inspiration4 mission, Polaris Dawn will continue to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

The Polaris Dawn Mission

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Polaris Dawn mission from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew will spend up to five days in orbit, flying higher than any Dragon mission to date and endeavouring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown.

While in orbit, SpaceX mission control will carefully monitor Dragon and the crew as they:

Attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk with SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, upgraded from the current intravehicular (IVA) suit. The development of this suit and the execution of the EVA will be important steps toward a scalable design for spacesuits on future long-duration missions.

Become the first crew to test Starlink laser-based communications in space, providing valuable data for future space communications systems necessary for human spaceflight to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Conduct scientific research designed to advance both human health on Earth and our understanding of human health during future long-duration spaceflights. This includes, but is not limited to:

Using ultrasound to monitor, detect, and quantify venous gas emboli (VGE), contributing to studies on human prevalence to decompression sickness;

Gathering data on the radiation environment to better understand how space radiation affects human biological systems;

Providing biological samples towards multi-omics analyses for a long-term Biobank; and

Research related to Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), which is a key risk to human health in long-duration spaceflight.

SpaceX and Polaris Dawn will also collaborate with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder, Space Technologies Lab at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Spaceflight deploys 16 payloads on SpaceX Transporter-1 mission

Spaceflight Inc., a global launch services provider, successfully launched and deployed 16 payloads, including 15 from its next-generation orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), Sherpa-FX1, aboard the SpaceX Transporter-1 mission. Dubbed SXRS-3 by Spaceflight, the mission launched January 24 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It delivered Spaceflight’s Sherpa-FX1 to Sun-Synchronous Low Earth Orbit (525 km alt), where it deployed payloads for more than 10 organizations.