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Blue Origin NG-1 Liftoff

In a milestone for space exploration and commercial spaceflight, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. 

At 2:03 a.m. EST, the 320-foot-tall New Glenn finally roared to life after two holds and was propelled by seven Blue Origin BE-4 engines fueled by liquid oxygen and methane.

Spectators crowded the beaches and riverfront to witness the spectacle, as the rocket ascended gracefully into a cloudy sky obscuring a nearly full moon.

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SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the SXM-9 satellite for Sirius-XM today. Liftoff was at 11:10 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and into hazy but blue skies over Florida.

Around 8.25 minutes later, Falcon 9 booster B1076 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, successfully concluding its 19th mission. ‘Just Read The Instructions’ had been pre-positioned offshore downrange and will now return to Port Canaveral where B1076 will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its 20th flight.

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November 18, 2024, Cape Canaveral SpaceX kept up their torrid pace of launches this afternoon when it launched the GSAT-20 for New Space India Ltd. (NSIL) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 1:31 PM ET under a nearly completely overcast sky.

This is a very busy time SpaceX. It has launched three Falcon 9 missions over the past two days, and also plans to launch Starship Heavy on its sixth test flight from Texas tomorrow.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, Booster B1073 successfully touched down on the SpaceX droneship ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, completing its part of the mission. At roughly the same time as the first stage touchdown, Falcon 9’s second stage achieved orbit.

At 2:06 PM ET, SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of the payload, concluding another successful Falcon 9 mission for the company. Today marked the 114th successful Falcon 9 mission in 2024.

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SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-69 mission to low-Earth orbit late this afternoon, and by so doing completed its second launch from the Eastern Range (Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center) in less than five hours. Starlink 6-69 launched aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:28 PM EST, a mere four hours and six minutes after SpaceX launched Koreasat 6A from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Both launches were successes.

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SpaceX launched the latest resupply mission for the International Space Station this evening from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff was at 9:29 PM EDT into skies that cleared just in time for the launch.

Around eight minutes and a half minutes after launching roughly ten miles away, Falcon 9 Booster B1083 completed its fifth mission successfully when it touched down at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This marked the 46th landing at LZ-1 and the 365th Falcon booster landing all-time.

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