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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OQ Technology’s Tiger-3 is slated to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-4 rideshare mission no earlier than April 2022.
COMSPOC predicts that SpaceX’s Starlink constellation could perform as many as 80 automated collision-avoidance maneuvers per day due to Cosmos 1408 debris, given a maneuver threshold of a 1-in-100,000 collision probability.
A member of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel indicated that SpaceX was planning for 52 launches in 2022, most of which would launch from Florida.
SpaceX launched 28 of Florida’s 31 orbital missions in 2021.
SpaceX began building a launch pad in Florida for its Starship rocket in December 2021.
SpaceX is developing and launching rockets in Texas and maintains its headquarters in California.
The FAA’s new licensing rule was applied when SpaceX launched the Transporter-3 rideshare mission carrying 105 small satellites.
SpaceX provides information to the U.S. State Department to support notifications intended for China about potential close approaches.
The first Spire satellites deployed under the MLA are manifested on SpaceX’s Transporter missions 2022 under Exolaunch’s long-term launch arrangements with SpaceX.
The Starlink team worked with the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron and LeoLabs to provide updates on the satellites using ground radars.
Deploying Starlink satellites to lower orbits requires more capable satellites at a considerable cost to SpaceX.
SpaceX is building a factory at Kennedy Space Center to produce Starship vehicles for long-term use as a major launch site.
SpaceX plans to use Starship for Starlink satellite launches and the dearMoon circumlunar mission organized by Yusaku Maezawa.
SpaceX estimates a worst-case six- to eight-month delay to build a Cape launch tower and launch Starship from Kennedy Space Center if required.
SpaceX previously obtained environmental approvals for Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center and has restarted work on a Starship launch site at Launch Complex 39A adjacent to the existing pad used by Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.
SpaceX expects Raptor engine production capacity to reach at least seven engines per week by March 2022.
The first Spire satellites deployed under the MLA are manifested on SpaceX Transporter missions 2022 under Exolaunch’s long-term launch arrangements with SpaceX.
United Launch Alliance was awarded roughly 60% of the approximately 30 to 34 missions projected under NSSL Phase 2 and SpaceX was awarded roughly 40%.
Up to 80% of the Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX on 2022-02-03 will soon reenter or have already reentered because a geomagnetic storm kept them from raising their orbits.
Geomagnetic storms can increase the density of the upper atmosphere, including at the initial low orbit SpaceX uses to check out Starlink satellites before raising them to higher operational orbits.