SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., founded in 2002, is an American space technology company and a dominant launch provider. It designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, including the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon spacecraft, and Starship. SpaceX partners with organizations like NASA and the United States Armed Forces and is known for its advancements in reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellation technology like Starlink. Key words: launch provider, reusable rockets, space exploration, Starlink, Falcon, Dragon, Starship, NASA.
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SpaceX typically deploys satellites to a geostationary transfer orbit and relies on the spacecraft’s own propulsion to reach geostationary orbit approximately 22,0 m above Earth.
USSF-44 was SpaceX’s first direct-to-GEO operational mission requiring the Falcon Heavy upper stage to perform a long-duration coast and engine restart.
Leidos worked as a subcontractor to SpaceX under a $149,000,000 contract that SpaceX won in 2020 to build four satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 0.
The FAA completed an environmental review in June that cleared the way for Starship launches from Boca Chica but required SpaceX to implement more than 75 measures to mitigate environmental effects.
ispace and SpaceX agreed to target no earlier than 2022-11-22 for launch of the HAKUTO-R M1.
NASA plans to use Starship to land astronauts on the Moon for Artemis 3 through its Human Landing System contract with SpaceX.
NASA exercised Option B in its Human Landing System contract with SpaceX in March 2022 to fund changes to the Starship lander and a second demonstration mission.
Russia has recently targeted SpaceX’s Starlink network, which has aided the Ukrainian military's communications.
SpaceX plans to land the Falcon Heavy side boosters at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Landing Zones 1 and 2.
NASA awarded SpaceX six post-certification missions originally and has twice added missions to SpaceX’s contract, bringing SpaceX’s total to 14 missions as of the end of August 2022.
SpaceX started taking pre-orders on 2022-10-25 for a flat panel antenna that enables land vehicles to use Starlink while in motion.
T-Mobile and SpaceX are launching Coverage Above and Beyond, a plan to provide satellite-based cell phone connectivity to most places in the United States.
Coverage Above and Beyond will launch a beta in select areas by the end of next year after SpaceX’s planned satellite launches.
SpaceX operates a Starlink satellite network of more than 3,500 satellites.
OneWeb signed a contract with SpaceX for three Falcon 9 launches to deploy the remainder of its first-generation satellite constellation.
Lynk Global expects SpaceX to launch three more satellites before the end of 2022 to provide initial services.
SpaceX plans to upgrade its Starlink broadband constellation to provide direct-to-smartphone connectivity starting in the United States next year in partnership with T-Mobile.
EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F was launched into Geostationary Transfer Orbit by SpaceX using a Falcon 9 rocket.
Jonathan McDowell's data show SpaceX has more than 3,100 working satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).
Momentus completed comprehensive ground testing of the solar arrays that will support its second demonstration mission scheduled to launch on SpaceX Transporter-6 in December 2022.