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SpaceX shows off first completed Crew Dragon spaceship with new Falcon 9

COO and President Gwynne Shotwell shows elected stakeholders SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

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New photos posted from an official tour of SpaceX’s Pad 39A launch facilities reveal that SpaceX has effectively completed integration and preflight preparations of the company’s first flightworthy Crew Dragon spacecraft, as well as the new Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket that will be tasked with launching it early next year.

Currently targeting launch no earlier than (NET) January 17th, this inaugural Crew Dragon launch – known as Demonstration Mission 1 (DM-1) – will be conducted without a crew aboard to ensure that the spacecraft’s performance and characteristics fit within design parameters, hopefully giving NASA the data it needs to certify Crew Dragon to launch astronauts as early as June 2019.

Aside from the wonderful fact that all (or nearly all) of the hardware needed for Crew Dragon’s launch debut can be seen in the four photos posted today, this is also the first time SpaceX has ever provided a real photo of the next-gen spacecraft’s trunk-based solar array. A dramatic departure from Cargo Dragon’s more traditional duo of multi-panel solar arrays, which deploy from disposable covers and fold out like wings, SpaceX decided from the start that Crew Dragon would take a much different approach. In a move that presumably cut the risk of solar array deployment, Crew Dragon’s panels are conformally attached (i.e. curved to fit) to the disposable trunk’s rear exterior.

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Rather than deploying its arrays like wings, Crew Dragon will always have its solar cells ready and waiting to generate power, simply requiring the spacecraft to face one half of its trunk towards the sun. According to a few individuals involved with the trunk, guaranteeing food fitment between individual cells and subsections and avoiding the problems caused by different thermal expansion coefficients (shrinking and expanding as the temperature changes) was no easy task and led to many, many headaches in the final weeks of integration and testing. From a less objective standpoint, Crew Dragon’s new conformal solar array is absolutely stunning, and it will be a shame to see each sculpture-like trunk relegated to a destructive atmospheric reentry after each launch.

Pragmatically speaking, it’s extremely satisfying to see all the hardware (both rocket and spacecraft) effectively under the same roof at the launch pad they will soon lift off from. Much like Falcon Heavy, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) has been beset with the better part of two years of delays from original launch targets in 2017 for both Boeing and SpaceX. Since then, a combination of NASA bureaucracy and technical/programmatic stumbles made by both companies have conspired to almost indefinitely delay the first uncrewed and crewed trips to orbit.

 

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SpaceX suffered catastrophic Falcon 9 failures in both 2015 and 2016 and has largely been working to ameliorate the technical and organizational flaws that allowed those anomalies to occur, while also having to convince NASA that they are ready to safeguard the lives of the space agency’s astronauts. Since SpaceX’s last known total vehicle failure in September 2016, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy have managed an extraordinary 37 successful launches in a row in a little more than 24 months.

SpaceX is targeting Crew Dragon’s first orbital launch sometime in January 2019, with the placeholded launch date currently sitting on January 17th, pending International Space Station (ISS) availability and NASA’s go-ahead. Given the presence of Falcon 9 B1051 in 39A’s integration hangar and the fact that SpaceX technicians already appear to be integrating the first and second stages, the company may well be ready to perform a full-up dress rehearsal – involving Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon rolling out and going vertical on Pad 39A – before 2018 is out.


For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!

Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Starship Flight 9 nears as SpaceX’s Starbase becomes a Texan City

SpaceX’s launch site is officially incorporated as Starbase, TX. Starship Flight 9 could launch on May 27, 2025. 

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(Credit: Jenny Hautmann/Wikimedia Commons)

SpaceX’s Starbase is officially incorporated as a city in Texas, aligning with preparations for Starship Flight 9. The newly formed city in Cameron County serves as the heart of SpaceX’s Starship program.

Starbase City spans 1.5 square miles, encompassing SpaceX’s launch facility and company-owned land. A near-unanimous vote by residents, who were mostly SpaceX employees, led to its incorporation. SpaceX’s Vice President of Test and Launch, Bobby Peden, was elected mayor of Starbase. The new Texas city also has two SpaceX employees as commissioners. All Starbase officials will serve two-year terms unless extended to four by voters.

As the new city takes shape, SpaceX is preparing for the Starship Flight 9 launch, which is tentatively scheduled for May 27, 2025, at 6:30 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.

SpaceX secured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for up to 25 annual Starship and Super Heavy launches from the site. However, the FAA emphasized that “there are other licensing requirements still to be completed,” including policy, safety, and environmental reviews.

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On May 15, the FAA noted SpaceX updated its launch license for Flight 9, but added: “SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination. The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14.”

Proposed Texas legislation could empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict Boca Chica Beach access during launches. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., opposes the Texas legislation, insisting beach access remain under county control. This tension highlights the balance between SpaceX’s ambitions and local interests.

Starbase’s incorporation strengthens SpaceX’s operational base as it gears up for Starship Flight 9, a critical step in its mission to revolutionize space travel. With growing infrastructure and regulatory hurdles in focus, Starbase is poised to become a cornerstone of SpaceX’s vision, blending community development with cutting-edge aerospace innovation.

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United Airlines debuts Starlink Wi-Fi on Detroit flight

United’s first passenger flight with Starlink Wi-Fi just landed in Detroit. Mainline flights to follow by year-end.

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(Credit: United Airlines)

United Airlines debuted Starlink Wi-Fi on its first passenger flight to Detroit, marking a milestone in in-flight connectivity with SpaceX’s satellite internet.

On Thursday, the morning flight from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport introduced high-speed, gate-to-gate Starlink internet for United Airlines passengers. The Starlink-equipped United Embraer E-175, tail number UA5717, departed at 7:35 a.m. for Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

United announced the rollout on X, stating, “That lightning-fast Wi-Fi we told you about? It’s here. Our first customers just found out what it’s like to break the Wi-Fi barrier and stream, scroll, shop, and game just like at home with Starlink. And it’s FREE for MileagePlus members. Rolling out across our fleet now.”

The service leverages Starlink’s 7,000+ low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver broadband globally, including in remote areas. United is the only major U.S. airline currently offering Starlink. The airline plans to expand the service across its two-cabin regional fleet and introduce it on mainline flights by year-end.

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Sean Cudahy from The Points Guy tested Starlink’s Wi-Fi pre-launch, praising its ease and reliability. “I ran a speed test, and it clocked the Wi-Fi at 217 Mbps of download speed, and 26.8 Mbps of upload speed,” Cudahy shared, noting its suitability for long flights.

Beyond aviation, SpaceX is pitching Starlink as a GPS alternative, emphasizing its potential for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services. This dual capability underscores Starlink’s versatility.

In a letter to the FCC, SpaceX wrote, “One opportunity stands out as a particularly ripe, low-hanging fruit: facilitating the rapid deployment of next-generation low-Earth orbit (‘LEO’) satellite constellations that can deliver PNT as a service alongside high-speed, low-latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity.”

As SpaceX expands Starlink’s applications, from aviation to navigation, United’s adoption signals a broader shift toward satellite-driven connectivity on long flights. With plans to equip more aircraft, United and Starlink are redefining in-flight internet, promising seamless digital access at 30,000 feet.

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SpaceX touts Starlink as GPS alternative in FCC PNT push

SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s potential to deliver PNT services alongside its broadband offerings.

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SpaceX is positioning its Starlink constellation as a viable GPS alternative. In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX stated that it could leverage Starlink satellites for next-generation Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions.

GPS has been run through a single provider in the United States, the Defense Department. The FCC intends to use Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions to complement GPS technologies. In its letter, SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s potential to deliver PNT services alongside its broadband offerings in its letter to the FCC.

“As the Commission identifies specific actions to contribute to the whole-of-government PNT system resilience effort, one opportunity stands out as a particularly ripe, low-hanging fruit: facilitating the rapid deployment of next-generation low-Earth orbit (‘LEO’) satellite constellations that can deliver PNT as a service alongside high-speed, low-latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity,” SpaceX wrote.

SpaceX also emphasized its ongoing work to integrate PNT into its cellular Starlink service, which is expected to be launched with T-Mobile in July. The private space provider also stated that Starlink satellites already operate independently of GPS. This lays the groundwork for resilient PNT delivery across authorized frequencies, SpaceX noted in its letter.

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“SpaceX has also been actively working to integrate PNT solutions into its direct-to-device commercial service offerings. In so doing, SpaceX can advance the Commission’s goal in this proceeding to maintain American leadership in next-generation PNT services both here at home and in over 130 countries it serves around the world.

“SpaceX looks forward to playing an integral role in creating a more robust, resilient, and secure PNT ecosystem for Americans and people around the world,” SpaceX noted.

SpaceX also advocated for a “technology-neutral approach” to GPS alternatives in its letter, while critiquing EchoStar’s unused 2GHz spectrum for mobile satellite services. Meanwhile, Globalstar, Apple’s satellite provider, also pitched its services as a GPS complement, stating that its services “can function as either an alternative or a complement to GPS.”

“Notably, Globalstar’s satellites transmit outside of the L-band, which provides PNT users with added immunity from GPS jamming and spoofing. In addition, Globalstar’s satellite transmissions at 2.4GHz are stronger than GPS signals, bolstering resilience, performance, and reliability,” GlobalStar noted.

SpaceX’s letter to the FCC can be viewed below.

Starlink GPS FCC by maria on Scribd

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