Falcon 9

GHGSat to launch three spacecraft on Falcon 9
GHGSat, a Canadian company planning a constellation of satellites to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, announced Dec. 8 it will launch its next three satellites on a Falcon 9 in mid-2022.

Falcon 9 launches DART
A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched a NASA mission that will deliberately collide with a near Earth asteroid to test a technique that could be used to deflect the trajectory of any future asteroid on a collision course with the Earth.

SpaceX launches Crew-3 commercial crew mission for NASA
Four NASA astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station after SpaceX’s fifth crewed launch in less than 18 months Nov. 10.

Weather delays Crew-3 launch
Poor weather at locations in the Atlantic that could be used for Crew Dragon aborts will delay the launch of the next commercial crew mission to the International Space Station by three days.


Varda Space selects SpaceX for launch of first space manufacturing satellite
Space manufacturing startup Varda Space will launch its first spacecraft on a Falcon 9 in early 2023 to demonstrate the ability to produce a wide range of materials in microgravity.

SpaceX to launch Turksat 6A
Turksat will launch its first domestically built communications satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9, the Turkish government announced Sept. 17.

SpaceX launches Crew Dragon on first private mission
SpaceX successfully launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four nonprofessional astronauts on its first private crewed mission Sept. 15, a long-awaited milestone in the commercialization of spaceflight.

SpaceX launches first dedicated polar Starlink mission
SpaceX launched its first dedicated polar Starlink mission Sept. 13 as the company moves into the next phase of deployment of its broadband satellite constellation.

Inspiration4 private crewed mission nears launch
SpaceX is gearing up for its first purely commercial human spaceflight, but many details about the mission remain unclear.

SpaceX wins contract to launch Yahsat’s Thuraya 4-NGS satellite
Yahsat has selected SpaceX to launch its next-generation Thuraya mobile connectivity satellite in 2023, the companies announced Sept. 8.


Intuitive Machines selects SpaceX for launch of third lunar lander mission
Commercial lunar lander developer Intuitive Machines will launch its third lunar lander mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9, the same vehicle the company selected for its first two lander missions.

SpaceX launches second dedicated rideshare mission
SpaceX launched 88 satellites on a Falcon 9 June 30 on the company’s second dedicated smallsat rideshare mission.

Falcon 9 launch scrub highlights airspace integration problems
A SpaceX launch scrubbed in the final seconds of its countdown when an aircraft violated restricted airspace June 29 has aligned both the launch industry and the airline industry in their criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Launcher to develop orbital transfer vehicle
Small launch vehicle company Launcher announced June 15 that it is also working on an orbital transfer vehicle for small satellites that it plans to use on both its own rocket as well as SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

SpaceX launches SiriusXM satellite
SpaceX successfully placed into orbit a Maxar-built satellite for SiriusXM Satellite Radio June 6, six months after the launch of a similar satellite that later malfunctioned in orbit.

Falcon 9 launches cargo Dragon mission to ISS
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft June 3, carrying experiments and a new set of solar panels for the International Space Station.

SpaceX sets Falcon 9 fairing reuse mark with Starlink launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched another set of Starlink satellites May 26 on a launch that highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of the company’s reusability efforts.

Firefly selects SpaceX to launch its lunar lander
Firefly Aerospace announced May 20 it selected SpaceX to launch its first lunar lander mission for NASA, the latest in a series of contract wins by SpaceX for lunar missions.