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SpaceX Falcon 9: World's First Reusable Space Rocket
July 12, 2024
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Manufactured by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, Falcon 9 is the first and currently the only reusable orbital class rocket capable of transporting payload to space. The world class space vehicle is 43 ft long with a diameter of 17.1 ft; weighs 1,207,920 lb, and can carry payload up to 50,265 lb. It generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.

Falcon 9 is made up of first and second(upper) stages connected by a composite structure, called the interstage, which houses the pneumatic pushers that allow stages to separate during flight. Four hypersonic grid fins positioned at the base of the interstage work to orient the rocket during reentry by moving the center of pressure.

The first stage has nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant. The second stage, powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, delivers Falcon 9’s payload to the desired orbit. The second stage engine can be restarted multiple times to place multiple payloads into different orbits.

The fairing, made of a carbon composite material, protects satellites on their way to orbit. The protective cover is jettisoned approximately 3 minutes into flight, and routinely recovered for reuse on future missions.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is composed of three reusable Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. It can lift nearly 141,000 lbs of payload to orbit.

During a typical Falcon Heavy mission, the core booster is usually not recovered; but its reusable side boosters usually began their landing burns about eight minutes after liftoff and separation, touching down at SpaceX’s two Landing Zones( LZ 1 and LZ 2, several miles downrange of Pad 39A, at Kennedy Space Center) and sending four successive sonic booms echoing for miles across the Space Coast. (Because of the boosters' length, the bottom of the rocket breaks the sound barrier before the top does, creating two separate sonic booms -- or, in this case, four, for the simultaneous return of two boosters.).

SpaceX launches both human flight and cargo space missions for governments and organizations around the world; including vital missions to the International Space Station(ISS) and classified national security missions for the United States military and others. SpaceX also launches its own Starlink Group missions to put satellites in orbit for its global internet service. The company has over 4,300 satellites in orbit, the largest constellation of any organization or government in the world. And it plans to put up to 10,000 within the decade.

SpaceX typically launches its rockets from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station located adjacent to Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Vandenberg Space Force Base along California's central coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Vandenberg is preferred for spacecraft requiring a north-south orbit. While Cape Canaveral is ideal for spacecraft requiring a west-east orbit.  The European Space Agency observatory, Euclid, was launched on its journey into deep space, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on July 1, from Space Launch Complex, SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral.

During a typical mission to orbit like the Starlink Group mission, after a 35-minute long propellant load sequence, Falcon 9 ignites its nine Merlin 1D engines on the first stage for a nearly 3 minute ascent. This is followed by their shutdown and the separation of the first and second stages: the stage separation.

After stage separation, the first stage flies back to earth within about eight minute after liftoff, landing on land or one of the company's drone ships like the Just Read The Instructions droneship.

Meanwhile on the second stage, the single Merlin 1D Vacuum (MVacD) engine ignites and burns for approximately six minutes to insert the Starlink satellites into a preliminary low-Earth parking orbit.

The fairing halves separate about 20 seconds into the MVacD’s first burn, and initiates their return back to Earth for recovery.

The second stage coasts for about 45 minutes, once in its initial parking orbit, to reach the orbit’s highest point or apogee. At apogee, the MVacD engine would briefly ignite for a second time to raise the altitude of the lowest point of the orbit or perigee. 

After that, the second stage initiates an end-over-end rotation to create the inertia needed to deploy the Starlink satellites riding on top of its payload adapter.

After deploying, the satellites use their krypton-fueled Hall Effect thrusters to raise their orbit, first to a 350-kilometer high orbit for checkouts and then into their operational 530-kilometer high orbit. The non-reusable second stage subsequently does an intentional deorbit in cases where it still has enough fuel reserves; or intentional decay within 2 to 6 months.

During missions to the space station, Falcon 9 carries SpaceX's crewed or uncrewed Dragon -- the first private spacecraft to take humans to the station; capable of carrying up to 7 passengers or significant amounts of cargo

SpaceX has also launched multiple Falcon Heavy missions carrying payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit. The second of these two launches featured the first fully expendable Falcon Heavy mission.

The company launched its Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, last April. It has plans for at least three more launches of the rockets this year, according to Musk.

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SpaceX Private Ax-4 Astronauts Arrive At The Space Station

The SpaceX Ax-4 Crew Dragon "Grace" docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 1031 UTC on June 26, and the hatches between the spacecraft and the station were opened at 1214 UTC. The station's current crew, including Exp. 73 commander JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, welcomed the Ax-4 astronauts abaord.

The spacecraft had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 0631 UTC on June 25 for Houston-based Axiom Space, completing a 28-hour orbital journey to the space station.

Welcoming the Ax-4 crew mission commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialists Sławosz Uznański (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), Onishi noted the presence of 11 astronauts from six countries on the ISS. He welcomed the crew, stating, “With your arrival right now, there are 11 astronauts from six countries, and all of us are here in order to advance human space exploration and scientific research, symbolizing international cooperation.”

The Ax-4 crew received their astronaut wings during the ceremony, with Whitson expressing appreciation for the support provided by the ISS crew and Kapu describing the Expedition 73 team as “the best crew” to join.

The Ax-4 crew will work alongside the Expedition 73 members, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA’s Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky.

"We're looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys, and I really appreciate all the support you provided for to us in advance of actually even getting here," Whitson said in response to Onishi.

"I'm very, very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research and working together," said Shukla, mentioning that the view so far had surpassed his expectations.

"This is an ultimate scientific laboratory where we come to do science, to test the technologies of our countries, to do technology demonstrations and science outreach that I can't wait to do for the for the next two weeks, and we will all try to do our best representing our countries," Uznański said as he was handed the microphone.

Finally, as his wings were clipped to his jumpsuit, "I really feel that this is the best crew that you could join. It really feels great to be part of Expedition 73," said Kapu. "I'm 100% sure that this is going to be awesome."

The Ax-4 mission, a private astronaut mission, will last approximately 14 days, during which the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by India, such as studying water bears (tardigrades) in microgravity and investigations in bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics.

==================

Falcon 9 rocket launched SpaceX's newest Dragon spacecraft, named "Grace," at 0631 UTC on June 25, 2025, from Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 mission for Houston-based Axiom Space, to the International Space Station (ISS) is carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is also Axiom's director of human spaceflight. Alongside her are mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster (B1094) touched down safely as planned about ~8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1(LZ 1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

About a minute later, the Falcon 9's second stage completed its orbital insertion and deployed Dragon to begin the final leg of Ax-4's journey to the space station.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the dorsal port of the space station's Harmony module at approximately 1100 UTC on June 26.

Grace is the fifth Crew Dragon in SpaceX's fleet, and was named by the Ax-4 crew, with its name symbolizing elegance and harmony in space exploration. Ax-4 is the Dragon's debut mission carrying the crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft featured upgraded life-support systems, touchscreen controls, and autonomous docking capabilities.

The crew shared images of their mission's zero-g indicator, a plush baby swan toy named Joy, symbolized cultural values—wisdom (India), resilience (Poland), and grace (Hungary)—and signaled the crew’s arrival in microgravity.

The Ax-4 crew will spend about two weeks aboard the ISS, living and working alongside the seven long-term occupants of ISS Expedition 73. They will conduct more than 60 science experiments and STEM outreach events, the highest number on any Axiom mission to date, representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, and others.

The experiments focuses on:

  • Human Research: Studies on muscle regeneration and the impact of isolation on mental health.

  • Life and Biological Sciences: Investigations into how sprouts, edible microalgae, and tiny aquatic organisms grow and survive in microgravity.

  • Earth Observation: Research to support environmental monitoring.

  • Material Sciences: Technology demonstrations for future space applications.

The crew trained extensively for ISS operations, with access to the U.S. segment of the station, including the Columbus and Kibō modules. Educational outreach included interactive events with schools and communities in the crew’s home countries.

This mission marks the first time people from India, Poland, and Hungary have flown together to the ISS and represents the return of these countries to human spaceflight for the first time in 40 years  It is also the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.

Whitson is a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. She is the most experienced American astronaut, with 675 days in space prior to this mission. This was her fifth spaceflight and second time commanding an Axiom mission. She holds records for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut (10) and the most cumulative time in space by a U.S. astronaut.

Shukla is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force and an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Shukla became the second Indian to reach space and the first to serve in a critical operational role on an ISS mission. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience, he trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and is part of India’s Gaganyaan program, set for 2027.

Uznański-Wiśniewski is a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from the 2022 Astronaut Reserve Class. Uznański-Wiśniewski was the second Polish astronaut to travel to space and the first since 1978. An engineer with experience at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, he trained extensively in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. for the mission, carrying the Polish flag from the 1978 mission.

Kapu is representing the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program. Kapu was the second Hungarian astronaut to reach space and the first to visit the ISS. A mechanical engineer with expertise in space radiation protection, he was selected from 247 applicants and trained at NASA facilities.

"It has been more than 40 years since the first person from India, Poland and Hungary has been to space, and through this commercial space opportunity we are accelerating the national space programs in each of these three countries and creating new pathways for technological advancements," Whitson said at the crew's January press conferece. "I'm sure this crew is going to be inspiring a whole new generation of young people."

This is the second Axiom astronaut mission to the ISS that has been sponsored in part by another national government or the European Space Agency (ESA). Of the 60 experiments to be carried out by the Ax-4 crew, 17 are being supported by ESA and Poland, and 25 through Hungary's orbital astronaut program HUNOR.

"Each country who comes brings something different than what we have in the normal suite of what we see for our research," said NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel during a May 20 Ax-4 press call. "It really expands the breadth of what we can do with research and the number of countries, institutions, academic organizations, etc., who participate."

Thursday's launch was initially scheduled for June 11 but was delayed due to high altitude winds and a leak aboard the ISS.

The space station's aftmost module, Zvezda, has experienced an ongoing leak for more than five years now, but has remained stable during that time. Last week, a change in the pressure data that monitors the leak prompted NASA to delay Ax-4 while they monitored the issue.

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NATO Summit: Trump Slams Far-left CNN, NYT Over Iran Stories On U.S. Strikes

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO summit in The Hague concluded with significant developments, including a commitment by member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, aimed at strengthening collective security and meeting NATO's capability targets.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized NATO's renewed focus on becoming "deadlier and fairer," and reaffirmed the UK's commitment to defense spending and support for Ukraine.

Starmer highlighted the UK's commitment to NATO and its efforts to strengthen defense capabilities. He also emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine and ensuring the stability of the region.

NATO leaders agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, with at least 3.5% allocated to core defense requirements and up to 1.5% for other security-related expenditures. This commitment is intended to ensure NATO's readiness and resilience against emerging threats.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte humorously referred to President Trump as "daddy" when discussing Trump's intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict. Rutte later clarified that the term was used metaphorically to describe Trump's role in mediating the dispute. Trump acknowledged it in a light-hearted manner, stating that Rutte "likes me."

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The leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment, reported by far-left anti-Trump outlets like CNN and The New York Times, suggested the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, with damage limited to aboveground structures and some enriched uranium possibly moved beforehand.

Trump said the airstrikes were a "spectacular military success" and stated that Iran's "key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. He maintained that the strikes were a success and that Iran's nuclear ambitions had been set back by "decades."

The President emphasized the strikes’ precision and the bravery of U.S. pilots, comparing the operation’s impact to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while insisting the conflict with Iran was over due to a ceasefire. He expressed frustration with the media, calling them “scum” for questioning the strikes’ effectiveness. He slammed "fake news" CNN and New York Times, accusing them of lying to demean the "brave" American pilots that carried out the bombing.

Trump later announced in a Truth Social post that Hegseth would hold a follow-up press conference with "military representatives" on June 26 to provide “irrefutable” proof of the mission’s success.

Read full Article
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SpaceX Private Ax-4 Astronauts Arrive At The Space Station

The SpaceX Ax-4 Crew Dragon "Grace" docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 1031 UTC on June 26, and the hatches between the spacecraft and the station were opened at 1214 UTC. The station's current crew, including Exp. 73 commander JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, welcomed the Ax-4 astronauts abaord.

The spacecraft had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 0631 UTC on June 25 for Houston-based Axiom Space, completing a 28-hour orbital journey to the space station.

Welcoming the Ax-4 crew mission commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialists Sławosz Uznański (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), Onishi noted the presence of 11 astronauts from six countries on the ISS. He welcomed the crew, stating, “With your arrival right now, there are 11 astronauts from six countries, and all of us are here in order to advance human space exploration and scientific research, symbolizing international cooperation.”

The Ax-4 crew received their astronaut wings during the ceremony, with Whitson expressing appreciation for the support provided by the ISS crew and Kapu describing the Expedition 73 team as “the best crew” to join.

The Ax-4 crew will work alongside the Expedition 73 members, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA’s Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky.

"We're looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys, and I really appreciate all the support you provided for to us in advance of actually even getting here," Whitson said in response to Onishi.

"I'm very, very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research and working together," said Shukla, mentioning that the view so far had surpassed his expectations.

"This is an ultimate scientific laboratory where we come to do science, to test the technologies of our countries, to do technology demonstrations and science outreach that I can't wait to do for the for the next two weeks, and we will all try to do our best representing our countries," Uznański said as he was handed the microphone.

Finally, as his wings were clipped to his jumpsuit, "I really feel that this is the best crew that you could join. It really feels great to be part of Expedition 73," said Kapu. "I'm 100% sure that this is going to be awesome."

The Ax-4 mission, a private astronaut mission, will last approximately 14 days, during which the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by India, such as studying water bears (tardigrades) in microgravity and investigations in bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics.

==================

Falcon 9 rocket launched SpaceX's newest Dragon spacecraft, named "Grace," at 0631 UTC on June 25, 2025, from Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 mission for Houston-based Axiom Space, to the International Space Station (ISS) is carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is also Axiom's director of human spaceflight. Alongside her are mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster (B1094) touched down safely as planned about ~8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1(LZ 1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

About a minute later, the Falcon 9's second stage completed its orbital insertion and deployed Dragon to begin the final leg of Ax-4's journey to the space station.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the dorsal port of the space station's Harmony module at approximately 1100 UTC on June 26.

Grace is the fifth Crew Dragon in SpaceX's fleet, and was named by the Ax-4 crew, with its name symbolizing elegance and harmony in space exploration. Ax-4 is the Dragon's debut mission carrying the crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft featured upgraded life-support systems, touchscreen controls, and autonomous docking capabilities.

The crew shared images of their mission's zero-g indicator, a plush baby swan toy named Joy, symbolized cultural values—wisdom (India), resilience (Poland), and grace (Hungary)—and signaled the crew’s arrival in microgravity.

The Ax-4 crew will spend about two weeks aboard the ISS, living and working alongside the seven long-term occupants of ISS Expedition 73. They will conduct more than 60 science experiments and STEM outreach events, the highest number on any Axiom mission to date, representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, and others.

The experiments focuses on:

  • Human Research: Studies on muscle regeneration and the impact of isolation on mental health.

  • Life and Biological Sciences: Investigations into how sprouts, edible microalgae, and tiny aquatic organisms grow and survive in microgravity.

  • Earth Observation: Research to support environmental monitoring.

  • Material Sciences: Technology demonstrations for future space applications.

The crew trained extensively for ISS operations, with access to the U.S. segment of the station, including the Columbus and Kibō modules. Educational outreach included interactive events with schools and communities in the crew’s home countries.

This mission marks the first time people from India, Poland, and Hungary have flown together to the ISS and represents the return of these countries to human spaceflight for the first time in 40 years  It is also the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.

Whitson is a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. She is the most experienced American astronaut, with 675 days in space prior to this mission. This was her fifth spaceflight and second time commanding an Axiom mission. She holds records for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut (10) and the most cumulative time in space by a U.S. astronaut.

Shukla is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force and an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Shukla became the second Indian to reach space and the first to serve in a critical operational role on an ISS mission. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience, he trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and is part of India’s Gaganyaan program, set for 2027.

Uznański-Wiśniewski is a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from the 2022 Astronaut Reserve Class. Uznański-Wiśniewski was the second Polish astronaut to travel to space and the first since 1978. An engineer with experience at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, he trained extensively in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. for the mission, carrying the Polish flag from the 1978 mission.

Kapu is representing the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program. Kapu was the second Hungarian astronaut to reach space and the first to visit the ISS. A mechanical engineer with expertise in space radiation protection, he was selected from 247 applicants and trained at NASA facilities.

"It has been more than 40 years since the first person from India, Poland and Hungary has been to space, and through this commercial space opportunity we are accelerating the national space programs in each of these three countries and creating new pathways for technological advancements," Whitson said at the crew's January press conferece. "I'm sure this crew is going to be inspiring a whole new generation of young people."

This is the second Axiom astronaut mission to the ISS that has been sponsored in part by another national government or the European Space Agency (ESA). Of the 60 experiments to be carried out by the Ax-4 crew, 17 are being supported by ESA and Poland, and 25 through Hungary's orbital astronaut program HUNOR.

"Each country who comes brings something different than what we have in the normal suite of what we see for our research," said NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel during a May 20 Ax-4 press call. "It really expands the breadth of what we can do with research and the number of countries, institutions, academic organizations, etc., who participate."

Thursday's launch was initially scheduled for June 11 but was delayed due to high altitude winds and a leak aboard the ISS.

The space station's aftmost module, Zvezda, has experienced an ongoing leak for more than five years now, but has remained stable during that time. Last week, a change in the pressure data that monitors the leak prompted NASA to delay Ax-4 while they monitored the issue.

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