Latest news with #CommercialGTO1
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches mystery satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX launched a mystery satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) from Florida's Space Coast early Sunday morning (July 13). A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Sunday at 1:04 a.m. EDT (0504 GMT), on a mission SpaceX called Commercial GTO-1. The company didn't identify the payload, though it's believed to be an Israeli communications satellite called Dror-1 . "Dror-1 is a geostationary communication satellite built and developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)," wrote. "It is intended to meet the satellite communication needs of Israel for the next 15 years," the outlet added. "Dror-1 is comprised primarily of local Israeli technologies developed at IAI, including an advanced digital communication payload and 'smartphone in space' capabilities, to provide communication agility throughout the satellite's lifetime in space." Geostationary orbit lies 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth. At this altitude, orbital speed matches our planet's rotational speed, so spacecraft in this path "hover" over the same patch of Earth continuously. Booster 1083 missions Crew-8 | Polaris Dawn | CRS-31 | Astranis: From One to Many | IM-2 | 7 Starlink missions The Falcon 9's first stage, designated B1083, came back to Earth as planned on Sunday. It touched down about 8.5 minutes after liftoff on the SpaceX drone ship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 13th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. That description did not give an estimated time for the deployment of the Commercial GTO-1 satellite.
Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
SpaceX just achieved a landmark Falcon 9 rocket mission
SpaceX conducted its 500th successful Falcon 9 mission on Sunday, marking an impressive achievement for the company, which launched in 2002. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1:04 a.m. ET on Sunday, on the Commercial GTO-1 mission to deploy the Dror 1 geostationary communication satellite. Falcon 9 completes its 500th mission — SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 13, 2025 This was the 13th flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31, Astranis: From One to Many, IM-2, and seven Starlink missions. Recommended Videos After landing back on the Read the Instructions droneship stationed off the coast of Florida, the booster will now be checked over and refurbished ahead of its 14th flight. Falcon 9's first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship — SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 13, 2025 Reusing rockets is core to SpaceX's approach to spaceflight as it allows for more frequent launches and at much lower costs. Earlier this month, one of its Falcon 9 boosters launched and landed for a record 29th time. While many of the launches have deployed satellites for an array of private and commercial firms as well as government agencies around the world, most have been used to deploy small internet satellites for SpaceX's Starlink program. It also uses the Falcon 9 for crew and cargo flights to and from the International Space Station (ISS), with the next crewed mission to the ISS expected to take place in just a few weeks' time. The SpaceX team is now applying what it's learned from the Falcon 9 to its next-generation Starship rocket, which it's already launched and landed several times in tests at the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. However, an explosion last month involving the upper-stage spacecraft put a dent in its progress, and the company has yet to announce plans for the 10th launch of the rocket, the most powerful ever to fly. Once operational, the Starship, comprising the first-stage Super Heavy and upper-stage Starship, will be used for crew and cargo missions to the moon and possibly Mars, too.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Space Coast's 60th launch of year also Falcon 9's 500th successful SpaceX mission
An early Sunday morning SpaceX launch marked the 60th orbital mission from the Space Coast from all companies for the year, but also the 500th successful mission for the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:04 a.m. carrying an Israeli communications satellite on the Commercial GTO 1 mission. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. It was the 502nd launch of a Falcon 9 since its debut in 2010, with the company only losing the rocket on two missions - once in 2015 and then in July 2024. The company has also flown its larger Falcon Heavy 11 times since 2018, but not yet so far in 2025. SpaceX has launched all but three of the Space Coast missions in 2025, with Blue Origin's New Glenn making its debut flight in January and United Launch Alliance having flown two Atlas V rockets on missions for Amazon's Project Kuiper in April and June. ULA has its new Vulcan rocket lined up for its first national security launch, the USSF-106 mission for the Space Force, but its launch date has not been announced. Blue Origin this week announced the engines for its next New Glenn rocket are ready, but isn't expected to fly until at least fall. Meanwhile, SpaceX will continue to launch regularly from both Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. The next KSC launch from SpaceX is the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station no earlier than July 31. The Commercial Crew Program flight will take up two astronauts from NASA, one for Japan's JAXA and one cosmonaut for Roscosmos to relieve the Crew-10 crew that has been on the station since March. That flight will be the fourth human spaceflight for SpaceX this year including Crew-10 and the private polar orbital Fram2 mission and private Axiom Space Ax-4 mission, whose astronauts are currently on board the station, but scheduled to leave as soon as Monday morning. The Space Coast saw a record 93 launches in 2024 and is on pace to break 100 launches for 2025. SpaceX has flown 85 orbital missions among its Florida and California facilities this year, and is also on track to break its record of 134 missions that it flew in 2024. _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Science
- Roya News
'Israel' launches 'most advanced' satellite from Florida by SpaceX
'Israel' has successfully launched its new national communications satellite, Dror-1, from Elon Musk's SpaceX launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The advanced satellite, developed by 'Israel' Aerospace Industries (IAI), lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Sunday morning, ensuring its communication needs are met for the next 15 years. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40. SpaceX, which designated the mission "Commercial GTO 1" – a naming convention not previously used by the company – successfully landed the Falcon 9's first-stage booster on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Dror-1, weighing 4.5 tons and spanning 17.8 meters, is designed as the technological successor to 'Israel's' Amos satellite series. It incorporates the largest transmission and reception antennas ever built in 'Israel' and is touted by IAI as one of the most advanced communication satellites globally, built almost entirely with "blue-and-white" ('Israeli'-made) technology. In the coming days, Dror-1 will unfurl its solar panels and antennas before beginning a two-week process of maneuvering into its final geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000 kilometers above the equator.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
See photos: SpaceX launches Commercial GTO 1 mission from Cape Canaveral early Sunday
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Commercial GTO 1 mission at 1:04 a.m. Sunday, July 13 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Known as Dror-1, the payload was a geostationary communications satellite for Israel. No further details were released. The Falcon 9 booster saw its 13th launch and landing. Previous missions include seven Starlink missions, NASA's Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31, Astranis: From One to Many, and IM-2. When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Photos: SpaceX launches Commercial GTO 1 mission from Cape Canaveral
