Important Innovations Collection

Second Launch This Week of Fleets of Satellites Today                                                       Source: SpaceX Promise of Inexpensive, High Speed Internet SpaceX today successfully launched into orbit another fleet of 60 internet satellites.  It was the second Starlink launch this week as SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk continue to build their growing mega-constellation of satellites to deliver inexpensive, high speed internet from space.  Musk now has in orbit more than 800 Starlink satellites. Remarkable Technology The technology that Musk has developed at SpaceX is remarkable.  Today, nine minutes after launch, the Falcon 9 rocket's 1st stage booster that boosted the satellites into space returned to Earth and successfully landed on one of SpaceX's drone ships, known as Just Read the Instructions,  in ...

Grows to 835 Satellite System                                                                      Source:  SpaceX Starlink Launch Moderate Coverage for North America SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit on Sunday with another batch ready to launch on Wednesday.  The Sunday launch to build an inexpensive global internet service brings the total sats deployed to 835 satellites.  That is enough to reach CEO Elon Musk's target of 800 deployed satellites in low Earth orbit to start testing for moderate internet coverage for parts of North America.  This was Space X's 14th launch of Starlink satellites.  To achieve global broadband coverage, Musk says he plans to launch 120 new Starlink satellites per week. Incredible Technology Not just t...

US Space Force & USAF X-37B Space Plane Mission Source:  MIT Technology Review Launch Date Sunday May 17, 2020 The US Space Force & USAF's next top secret mission of its unmanned, robotic, long duration, X-37B space plane is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida tomorrow.  It will hurtle into space onboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for what is now being called the US Space Force's OTV-6/USSF-7 mission. This is another secret mission for one of the most fascinating space planes in the universe. Green, Solar Powered, Space Plane The X-37B is an unpiloted, long distance, long duration flight spacecraft.  It flies classified missions that can last months and even years for the US military.  It is a green machine that's powered by a solar array that's the size of a pickup truck and embedded inside the space plane. Tremendous Technology The technology is incredible. There are 2, X-37B space planes built by Boeing.  The winged a...

Launches Next-G Spacecraft Exploring Space for Signs of Life China just launched its largest rocket, carrying a next generation spacecraft onboard.  The Long March-5B rocket carrier took off this morning from the Wenchang Space Center in the southern island province of Hainan.  The rocket is massive:  54 meters long and has a takeoff weight of 849 tons. Life in Outer Space China has big space ambitions and plans. It wants to equal the US and Russia as a space power by 2030.  The experimental spacecraft is part of China's efforts to shuttle astronauts to its future space station for manned space exploration.  A big component of the exploration is searching for life in outer space.  Chinese space officials have explicitly stated that they are deploying massive technologies to find what they call "new civilizations with superior technology" in space.  China expects to have a multi-module space station for astronauts/space explorers by 2022. To take a...

Starlink Internet Satellites Launched into Orbit Source:  SpaceX Promise of Cheap, High Speed Internet Connectivity Most of the world is at a standstill from the pandemic. But, SpaceX appears to be operating business as usual as it launched another batch of  Starlink internet satellites into space. 60 broadband satellites were lifted into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center yesterday. The launch was on schedule and flawless. The satellites are climbing into a low Earth orbit of 340 miles above the ground. This brings the total number of Starlink satellites now in orbit to 400. Multi-Billion Dollar Communications Business SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has a vision. He wants to place 40,000 Starlink satellites in space in order to provide the entire globe with cheap, high speed internet connectivity.  His vision has the potential of generating billions of dollars in revenue.  With the current batch of 400 ...

Space X Will Rocket NASA Telescopes to Detail The Most "Exotic Objects" in Space Source:  NASA IXPE Mission Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Pulsars Space X keeps scoring big contract wins.  It just was awarded its sixth launch contract by NASA.  This latest one is to launch NASA's $50.3 million IXPE mission - the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer with three of the most advanced telescopes in the world. IXPE Mission This is a big win for Space X.  It also will prove to be very exciting astronomy.  NASA says this mission will allow astronomers to discover details on some of the "most exotic astronomical objects in our universe".  The IXPE mission will measure polarized X-rays from objects like black holes, neutron stars and pulsars. Falcon 9 Rocket The Space X Falcon 9 rocket will deliver the NASA spacecraft with the telescopes onboard into orbit over the Equator 335 miles above the Earth.  The launch will happen in April 2021.  And, the...

Successful Launch of World's Most Powerful Rocket Source:  Falcon Heavy Lift-Off Took Off With the Force of 18 Passenger Jets SpaceX, owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, sent the world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, on its first commercial mission. The launch took place late this week in Florida.  It served as an important demonstration of SpaceX's capabilities in the crowded field of competitors chasing lucrative military launch contracts. Perfect Mission Accomplished The rocket took off with the force of 18 passenger jets.  All 27 of its engines fired up at liftoff - 9 engines per booster.  The rocket delivered a communications satellite into orbit for a paying customer, Arabsat of Saudi Arabia.  Remarkably, all three rocket boosters landed safety back on earth.