SpaceX's Starship program has resumed testing following a brief pause after the company experienced an upper stage malfunction during a recent launch. The issue occurred near the end of the Falcon 9 rocket's mission, causing it to experience an off-nominal condition.
The incident forced SpaceX to review data and determine the root cause of the problem before returning to flight. As a result, the company has put its next Starship flight on hold. However, ground teams at Starbase, Texas, have successfully completed a series of checkouts for the Super Heavy booster, paving the way for an upgraded "Block 3" Starship launch in March.
In other news, NASA is continuing to struggle with hydrogen leaks on its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The issue has caused delays and has led to criticism that the program is hardware-poor. SpaceX has also acquired xAi, a company founded by Elon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, which aims to compete in the AI market.
Amazon has booked 10 more launches with SpaceX as part of its efforts to accelerate deployment of its broadband satellite constellation. The deal comes after Amazon reserved three launches with SpaceX last year and has now added 10 more to its manifest.
China is set to test its next-generation crew capsule, Mengzhou, on February 11. The flight will include an in-flight test of the capsule's launch abort system, marking a significant milestone in China's lunar exploration program.
Firefly Aerospace is preparing to launch its Alpha rocket later this month from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission will be followed by an upgraded "Block II" version of the Alpha rocket on the subsequent launch.
Blue Origin has paused its New Shepard flights for the next two years, a move that likely signals a permanent end to the suborbital space tourism initiative. The company's chief executive, Dave Limp, wrote in an internal email that the decision was made due to the need to accelerate development of human lunar capabilities.
The incident forced SpaceX to review data and determine the root cause of the problem before returning to flight. As a result, the company has put its next Starship flight on hold. However, ground teams at Starbase, Texas, have successfully completed a series of checkouts for the Super Heavy booster, paving the way for an upgraded "Block 3" Starship launch in March.
In other news, NASA is continuing to struggle with hydrogen leaks on its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The issue has caused delays and has led to criticism that the program is hardware-poor. SpaceX has also acquired xAi, a company founded by Elon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, which aims to compete in the AI market.
Amazon has booked 10 more launches with SpaceX as part of its efforts to accelerate deployment of its broadband satellite constellation. The deal comes after Amazon reserved three launches with SpaceX last year and has now added 10 more to its manifest.
China is set to test its next-generation crew capsule, Mengzhou, on February 11. The flight will include an in-flight test of the capsule's launch abort system, marking a significant milestone in China's lunar exploration program.
Firefly Aerospace is preparing to launch its Alpha rocket later this month from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission will be followed by an upgraded "Block II" version of the Alpha rocket on the subsequent launch.
Blue Origin has paused its New Shepard flights for the next two years, a move that likely signals a permanent end to the suborbital space tourism initiative. The company's chief executive, Dave Limp, wrote in an internal email that the decision was made due to the need to accelerate development of human lunar capabilities.
I'm thinking, what's the hurry with all these launches? 
SpaceX, NASA, China, Blue Origin... everyone's racing to the moon! 
But don't they know, experience is key? 
We should be learning from each other instead of trying to outdo one another. I mean, I've seen some great progress in my day, but it feels like we're still playing catch-up. 
And what's with all these delays? 
Can't we just get this stuff done already? 
. Like, can't they just get it right for once?! SpaceX is resuming testing but with a bunch of delays already? And now NASA's struggling with hydrogen leaks... what a joke 
. Amazon booking more launches with SpaceX sounds like a no-brainer to me - who doesn't want that kind of convenience? 
Firefly Aerospace, I'm looking at you - get your Alpha rocket up there and show us what you're made of! 
And poor Blue Origin... maybe they should've thought of that before they jumped on the suborbital space tourism bandwagon 
. Anyway, can't wait to see some actual progress (or not) in 2025 
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. But on the other hand, it's good they're pushing forward because if they don't, someone else will be like "oh look, we'll just make Starship happen" 
. And what about this deal with Amazon? 10 more launches? That's a lot of space junk up there 
?
! I'm glad they're moving forward with those Block 3 upgrades - fingers crossed it'll be smooth sailing from now on 
. Meanwhile, NASA's SLS rocket woes are a real bummer... can't we just get to Mars already?! 
Amazon and SpaceX are teaming up for some sweet satellite launches tho - more broadband goodness coming our way 
! And China's getting ready to test its crew capsule... what's next, lunar travel?! 
Blue Origin's New Shepard flights are over though, but who knows about their human lunar plans? 
. I'm not surprised they paused testing for a bit, you can't rush safety and all that 
. It's awesome that the Super Heavy booster passed its checks 
, now we're looking forward to an upgraded Block 3 launch in March! 
. And then there's NASA struggling with hydrogen leaks... yeah, no surprises there 
. But let's be real, we'll all still be stuck on Earth while these billionaires are up in space living their best lives 
. Firefly Aerospace launching its rocket this month sounds kinda neat but it's not like anyone outside of space enthusiast circles is going to care 
. And Blue Origin shutting down their New Shepard thing? Yeah, that's about what I expected 
anyway, its good 2 c them moving forward but i think nasa's sls rocket issues r gettin old 
. Blue Origin's pause on New Shepard flights is a bummer, but it's cool they're shifting focus to lunar capabilities – the future of space tourism might look like something entirely different soon!
and meanwhile nasa is strugglin with hydrogen leaks... that's just crazy talk! 
& amazon bookin more launches with spacex... like, who's the real winner here?! 
.
I'm glad SpaceX is getting back on track with Starship testing! It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for them, but they're pushing forward and that's what matters 
. Meanwhile, I'm a bit worried about NASA's SLS rocket issues... all those delays can be costly, you know? 
!
meanwhile NASA is still dealing with SLS issues, like what's up with all these hydrogen leaks? 
. I hope they find new projects that make it worth reviving the space tourism thing.
. but China's crew capsule sounds like some cool tech 
and Firefly Aerospace getting ready to blast off later this month 
. It'll be interesting to see how SpaceX and Amazon team up on those satellite launches, Amazon wants that broadband internet in space ASAP 
. China's getting ready to test its next-gen crew capsule, that's some cool tech 
. And poor Blue Origin, it looks like New Shepard flights are coming to a halt for the next couple years 
! Meanwhile, NASA is struggling with hydrogen leaks on its SLS rocket - that's just not what you want when you're trying to get to Mars 
. And can we talk about Blue Origin's decision to pause New Shepard flights for two years? I feel like they were really close to making space tourism a thing, but now it looks like they're shifting their focus to human lunar capabilities 
. And it's not just about the tech, it's also about the possibilities – like being able to provide connectivity to remote areas of the world or even entire countries 
. It's like they want to be more than just a launch company, but a space tech powerhouse 
SpaceX is back on track with their Starship program after a brief pause! It's like they're trying to break the record for most launches this year 
. Did you know that in 2022, SpaceX launched 54 times? That's a lot of rockets going up, down, and all around the place 
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. But I guess it's all part of accelerating human lunar capabilities 
. SpaceX has got their sights set on March for an upgraded "Block 3" Starship launch