Latest news with #CommercialGTO-1
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SpaceX rocket to launch Amazon broadband satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
In a partnership between rivals, Elon Musk's SpaceX is slated to launch a payload of Jeff Bezos' Amazon broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit during a late-night liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take flight during a 1½-hour launch window extending from 2:10 a.m. to 3:38 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational advisory indicates. The Falcon 9 will deploy a batch of Project Kuiper satellites for Amazon's early stage satellite internet constellation, the Space Coast Office of Tourism reported. What's more, this mission represents the first of a three-launch contract. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team launch coverage updates will kick off about 90 minutes before the early morning launch window opens. When SpaceX's live webcast begins about five minutes before liftoff, look for it posted below next to our countdown clock. In total, Amazon has more than 80 future launches lined up with SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and Arianespace to create its $10 billion worldwide high-speed internet network, which should someday surpass 3,200 satellites. Amazon officials hope Project Kuiper will eventually compete with SpaceX's well-established Starlink constellation, which has nearly 8,000 satellites in orbit — and more than six million customers. But thus far, Amazon has only launched a combined 54 Project Kuiper satellites during two ULA missions — one on April 28, the second on June 23 — using Atlas V rockets from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Wednesday's SpaceX represents Project Kuiper's third launch of production satellites. On Sunday, July 13, SpaceX marked its 500 Falcon 9 mission by launching the Commercial GTO-1 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The liftoff sent Israel's first national communications satellite, Dror 1, up into orbit. "Built by Israel Aerospace Industries, this $200M 'smartphone in space' will power Israel's strategic and civilian communications for 15 years. A bold leap for Israeli innovation!" Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a tweet. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Internet rivals team up: SpaceX to launch Amazon satellites into orbit
UPI
2 days ago
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX launches highly secret Israeli communications satellite
1 of 3 | A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the "Commercial GTO-1" payload at 1:04 AM from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on Sunday. The payload contained the Israel Aerospace Industries' "Dror-1" communications satellite. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo July 13 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Sunday carrying an Israel Aerospace Industries communications satellite, a payload that had been kept largely secret until liftoff. "We at IAI are extremely proud of the development and successful launch into space of the State of Israel's 'Dror 1' national communications satellite, Boaz Levy, CEO and President of IAI said in a statement. "Dror 1 is the most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel, designed to preserve this national strategic capability in the country while providing Israel with essential satellite communications capabilities for years to come." The satellite, which weighs 4.5 tons and spans nearly 60 feet in diameter when its solar panels are fully deployed, is scheduled to reach its fixed point destination over Earth in about two weeks. SpaceX has only been involved in a handful of such secret missions. This was the 13th mission for the stage one 9 booster rocket that sent the Falcon 9 into low-Earth orbit. About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the rocket landed on the droneship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 128th time the droneship has been used to retrieve a returning craft, and was the 474th SpaceX booster rocket landing overall.
