Is this a matter of freedom of speech?? … SpaceX responded quickly to the dispute, suing the California commission in federal court on Tuesday, Reuters reports. The company is seeking an order that would bar the agency from regulating the company's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket launch program in Vandenberg. The lawsuit alleges that the commission, which oversees land and water use within the state's 1,000 miles of coastline, improperly exercised regulatory powers. Musk's lawsuit called any consideration of his public statements inappropriate, violating the right to speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. (submitted by Brianrhurley)
SpaceX launches 100th rocket of the year. SpaceX launched its 100th rocket of the year early Tuesday morning and followed up with another launch just hours later, Space.com reports. SpaceX's centennial mission of the year took off from Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of the company's Starlink internet satellites.
Mostly Falcon 9s …The company followed that milestone with another launch two hours later from the opposite U.S. coast. SpaceX's 101st launch in 2024 saw another 20 Starlinks fly into space from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The company has already surpassed its previous record for annual launches, 98, set last year. The company's 2023 count included 91 Falcon 9s, five Falcon Heavys and two Starships. This year the mix is similar. (submitted by Ken de Bin)
Fifth launch of Starship a huge success. SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking technical feat on Sunday when it launched the fifth test flight of its giant Starship rocket and returned the booster to the launch pad in Texas with mechanical arms seven minutes later, Ars reports. This achievement is the first of its kind and is critical to SpaceX's vision to rapidly reuse the Starship rocket, enable human expeditions to the moon and Mars, routine access to space for mind-bogglingly large payloads, and new capabilities that no other company offers. or country – seems almost attainable.
Catching a rocket by its tail …High above the Gulf of Mexico, the Starship rocket's first stage used its engines to change course and return to the Texas coastline. After reaching a peak altitude of 60 miles (96 kilometers), the Super Heavy booster began a supersonic descent before reigniting 13 engines for a final brake burn. The rocket then switched back to just three engines for the fine maneuvering required to position the rocket in a hover over the launch pad. That's when the launch pad tower, called Mechazilla, ensnared the rocket in its two weight-bearing mechanical arms, colloquially known as 'chopsticks'. The engines shut down, leaving the booster hovering about 200 feet above the ground. The rocket's upper stage, Starship, performed an apparent vertical landing in the Indian Ocean as part of its test flight.
