SpaceX a Catalyst for Change to European Space Launch

Most of this site’s readers are somewhat familiar with the kerfuffle concerning SpaceX and the US government’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) contract. For those who aren’t, there are quite a few sources for the story, including this site. But the US government isn’t the only one on the defensive from SpaceX’s aggressive launch development program […]

Pictures of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy

One of the problems with the SpaceX booth at the 30th Space Symposium last week is they only displayed their Falcon 9 rocket (and the landing legs were the wrong color–black–instead of the white a real Falcon 9 booster is painted with). Of course, it’s the only rocket that SpaceX uses so far. The other problem, by the […]

On a Roll: One Small Step for Reusable Rockets

Updated information at the bottom regarding thrusters and fuel!! SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is on a roll. Not literally of course, that would be bad. More importantly, SpaceX noted on their Twitter feed that roll rate of the Falcon 9 first stage booster was close to zero. Why is that so important that SpaceX […]

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Gets Its Legs

“All four landing legs now mounted on Falcon 9…” Wait! What??! That was SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s tweet on 25 February, 2013. And there was a linked picture of it all, too. SpaceX is doing something NASA and the United States Air Force can’t do: adding legs to its Falcon 9 rocket. That’s right, the […]

SpaceX and SES: A Launch Story

SpaceX is accomplishing some very important work in the world of space launch, and meeting some very critical milestones. But for SpaceX to be successful, it’s helpful to have a willing and patient partner during their activities. That’s where SES comes in to play. This very good article on Via Satellite’s site tells the tale […]