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Space News
- SpaceX’s growth on the West Coast: The company is moving ahead with expansion plans at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, that will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California.
- FAA clears SpaceX for Starship Flight 9: The Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light for SpaceX to launch the next test flight of its Starship mega-rocket as soon as next week.
- Landspace launches upgraded methalox rocket: Another one of China’s privately funded launch companies achieved a milestone this week with the launch of an upgraded version of its Zhuque-2E rocket from the Jiuquan launch base in northwestern China.
China’s Space Program
- Unpacking China’s spaceflight patches: There’s a fascinating set of new patches Chinese officials released for a series of launches with top-secret satellites over the last two months.
- Tianwen-2 mission to target asteroid and comet: China is set to launch its second Tianwen deep space exploration mission late May, targeting both a near-Earth asteroid and a main belt comet.
Private Space Companies
- SpaceX’s expansion at Vandenberg: The company will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California with the transformation of SLC-6.
- Landspace launches Zhuque-2E rocket: The privately funded launch company achieved a milestone this week with the launch of an upgraded version of its Zhuque-2E rocket.
Government and Policy
- Space Force is fed up with Vulcan delays: Major General Stephen G. Purdy, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, blistered one of the country’s two primary rocket providers in recent written testimony.
- FAA clears SpaceX for Starship Flight 9: The Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light for SpaceX to launch the next test flight of its Starship mega-rocket as soon as next week.
Upcoming Launches
- Next three launches:
- May 23: Falcon 9 | Starlink 11-16 | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
- May 24: Falcon 9 | Starlink 12-22 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
- May 27: Falcon 9 | Starlink 17-1 | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California