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If SpaceX manages to recover Falcon Heavy center core B1055, it will be the second rocket to return to port as boat. (Tom Cross) If SpaceX manages to recover Falcon Heavy center core B1055, it will be the second rocket to return to port as boat. (Tom Cross)

SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy center core goes overboard, Elon Musk still hopeful

Pictured here is B1050 in late 2018. If SpaceX manages to recover Falcon Heavy center core B1055, it will be the second rocket to return to port as boat. (Tom Cross)

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SpaceX has confirmed that bad weather and an unfortunate lack of hardware has caused the second-ever Falcon Heavy center core to slide off the deck of drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, although CEO Elon Musk suggests that the rocket’s engine section could be recoverable.

Despite the fact that all three Falcon Heavy Block 5 boosters did successfully land after the rocket’s commercial launch debut, the accidental post-landing loss of center core B1055 takes a bit of the wind out of the sails of the whole recovery endeavor. Preventable hardware destruction aside, this should not detract from the critical fact that side boosters B1052 and B1053 are safe and sound at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Landing Zone (LZ), and should still be able to support Falcon Heavy Flight 3 without delay. This anomaly also serves as a bit of an abrupt reminder of just how hard the safe landing and recovery of giant, orbital-class rocket boosters really are.

According to Musk, the loss of Falcon Heavy B1055 was caused by a combination of bad weather and the surprising fact that SpaceX’s robotic rocket grabber had yet to be modified to support Falcon Heavy center cores. Octagrabber is used to secure Falcon boosters after drone ship landings in order to better ensure the safety of SpaceX’s recovery crew. In anything short of quiet seas, massive, emptied Falcon boosters frequently end up sliding around the drone ship deck – ironically, one of the flight-proven side boosters that flew on Falcon Heavy’s launch debut was almost lost to (apparently) the same failure mode that has now effected B1055.

Musk suggested that the Falcon Heavy booster’s Merlin 1D engines could potentially be recovered and reused “pending inspection”, indicating that B1055 may still be partially sitting on OCISLY’s deck. A similar event happened during the 2016 launch of Eutelsat 117 West B, when a Falcon 9 booster aggressively impacted OCISLY’s deck after running out of propellant but left behind its battered octaweb. In B1055’s case, the booster was almost certainly safed, detanked, and depressurized, meaning that it probably didn’t explode when it tipped over and impacted the water and drone ship guardrail. SpaceX may even be able to recover the booster’s four valuable titanium grid fins and salvage additional hardware, depending on how much of the rocket remained intact and attached to OCISLY.

In December 2018, Falcon 9 B1050 suffered a grid fin hydraulic pump failure that caused the Block 5 booster to lose control authority. Despite the struggle, it managed a soft landing and SpaceX may even attempt to reuse the booster in the future.

The sad loss of another Falcon Heavy center booster has once again preventing SpaceX recovery engineers from being able to fully analyze the unique rocket’s custom side booster attachment and separation hardware. Still, the fact that major sections (including the entire octaweb) may be recoverable means that B1055 will at least be able to produce more valuable data than center core #1, which smashed into the Atlantic at ~300 mph after its 2018 debut.

A step further, the US Air Force recently indicated that Falcon Heavy Flight 3 – carrying its Space Test Program 2 (STP-2) rideshare mission – would reuse both of this launch’s side boosters but feature a brand new center core. This was announced well before B1055’s anomaly, indicating that SpaceX and the USAF had planned for some time to use new center cores on Falcon Heavy Flights 2 and 3. This means that B1055’s untimely demise should have little to no impact on SpaceX’s launch manifest, including the imminent STP-2 mission.

Falcon Heavy Flight 2 has been completed successfully after marking SpaceX's first ever triple booster recovery. (SpaceX)
Despite a flawless landing, Falcon Heavy center core B1055 was reportedly lost at sea due to high waves. (SpaceX)
Mission complete! Taken by Airmen Alex Preisser, this photo shows B1052 and B1053 shortly after coming to a rest at SpaceX's Landing Zones.
Despite the struggles of the center core, side boosters B1052 (right) and B1053 (left) are safe and sound, awaiting their next launch. (USAF – Alex Preisser)

Falcon Heavy Flight 3 is currently scheduled to launch the USAF STP-2 mission no earlier than late June – a major customer with satellites aboard has suggested NET June 22. Of course, SpaceX has only had a handful of days with its recovered Block 5 side boosters, the refurbishment of which will now be the critical path for the next launch. If B1052 and B1053 are in exceptionally good shape, a distinct possibility thanks to their relatively gentle return-to-launch-site (RTLS) recoveries, then that late June date may very well hold.

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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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SpaceX set to launch Axiom’s mission for diabetes research on the ISS

Axiom’s Ax-4 will test CGMs & insulin stability in microgravity—potentially reshaping diabetes care for Earth & future astronauts.

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(Credit: SpaceX)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Ax-4 will advance diabetes research in microgravity, marking a milestone for astronaut health.

Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission is scheduled to launch with SpaceX on May 29 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ax-4 mission will carry a diverse crew and a record-breaking scientific payload to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Ax-4 crew is led by Axiom’s Peggy Whitson and includes Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański from the European Space Agency, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission represents firsts for India, Hungary, and Poland, with Uznański being Poland’s first astronaut in over 40 years.

Ax-4 will conduct nearly 60 science investigations from 31 countries during its two-week ISS stay. A key focus is the “Suite Ride” initiative, a collaboration with Burjeel Holdings to study diabetes management in microgravity.

“The effort marks a significant milestone in the long-term goal of supporting future astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), a condition historically deemed disqualifying for spaceflight,” Axiom noted. The mission will test Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) and insulin stability to assess their performance in space.

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Axiom explained that testing the behavior of CGMs and insulin delivery technologies in microgravity and observing circadian rhythm disruption could help diabetes experts understand how CGMs and insulin pens can improve diabetes monitoring and care in remote or underserved areas on Earth. The research could benefit diabetes management in isolated regions like oil rigs or rural areas.

The mission’s findings on insulin exposure and CGM performance could pave the way for astronauts with diabetes to safely participate in spaceflight. As Axiom and SpaceX push boundaries, Ax-4’s diabetes research underscores the potential for space-based innovations to transform healthcare on Earth and beyond.

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EU considers SES to augment Starlink services

The EU considers funding SES to support Starlink. With MEO satellites already serving NATO, SES could be key in Europe’s space autonomy push.

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(Credit: SES)

European satellite company SES is negotiating with the European Union (EU) and other governments to complement SpaceX’s Starlink, as Europe seeks home-grown space-based communication solutions. The talks aim to bolster regional resilience amid growing concerns over reliance on foreign providers.

In March, the European Commission contacted SES and France’s Eutelsat to assess their potential role if American-based Starlink access for Ukraine was disrupted. The European Commission proposed funding EU-based satellite operators to support Kyiv. Ukraine is considering alternatives to Starlink over concerns about Elon Musk’s reliability.

Arthur De Liedekerke of Rasmussen Global warned, “Elon Musk is, in fact, the guardian of Ukraine’s connectivity on the battlefield. And that’s a strategic vulnerability.” However, SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is leagues ahead of any competition in the EU.

“Now the discussions are much more strategic in nature. They’re much more mid-term, long-term. And what we’re seeing is all of the European governments are serious about increasing their defense spending. There are alternatives, not to completely replace Starlink, that’s not possible, but to augment and complement Starlink,” SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh told Reuters.

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SES operates about 70 satellites, including over 20 medium Earth orbit (MEO) units at 8,000 km. The company provides high-speed internet for government, military, and underserved areas. It plans to expand its MEO fleet to 100, enhancing secure communications for NATO and the Pentagon.

“The most significant demand (for us) is European nations investing in space, much more than what they did before,” Al-Saleh said.

Competition from Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper, and China’s SpaceSail, with their extensive low-Earth orbit constellations, underscores Europe’s push for independence.

“It is not right to say they just want to avoid Starlink or the Chinese. They want to avoid being dependent on one or two providers. They want to have flexibility,” Al-Saleh noted.

SES’s discussions reflect Europe’s strategic shift toward diversified satellite networks, balancing reliance on Starlink with regional capabilities. As governments ramp up defense spending, SES aims to play a pivotal role in complementing global providers, ensuring robust connectivity for military and civilian needs across the continent.

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Amazon launches Kuiper satellites; Can it rival Starlink?

With 27 satellites in orbit, Amazon kicks off its $10B plan to deliver global broadband. Can Bezos’ Kuiper take on Musk’s Starlink?

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(Credit: Amazon)

Amazon’s Project Kuiper launched its first 27 satellites on Monday, marking the start of a $10 billion effort that could compete with SpaceX’s Starlink with a global broadband internet network.

Amazon’s Kuiper satellites launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Project Kuiper’s recent launch is the initial step toward deploying Amazon’s 3,236 satellites for low-Earth orbit connectivity. Amazon’s satellite launch was initially set for April 9 but was delayed due to bad weather.  

Now that the Kuiper satellites have been launched, Amazon is expected to publicly confirm contact with the satellites from its mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. The company aims to start offering Kuiper services to customers later this year. Project Kuiper was unveiled in 2019 and targets consumers, businesses, and governments who need reliable internet service, similar to Starlink.

Amazon has a deadline from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy 1,618 satellites by mid-2026. Analysts suggest the company may require an extension to its Kuiper satellite deployment deadline due to the project’s year-long delay from its planned 2024 start.

United Launch Alliance could conduct up to five more Kuiper missions this year, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. Amazon noted in a 2020 FCC filing that Kuiper services could begin with 578 satellites, initially covering northern and southern regions.

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Kuiper’s launch pits Amazon against SpaceX’s Starlink and telecom giants like AT&T and T-Mobile, with a focus on underserved rural areas.

“There’s an insatiable demand for the internet,” Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos told Reuters in January. “There’s room for lots of winners there. I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well.”

Global interest in satellite alternatives is rising. Ukraine is exploring Starlink alternatives with the European Union (EU), driven by concerns over Elon Musk. Germany’s military, Bundeswehr, also plans its own constellation to ensure independent communications. However, like Amazon’s Kuiper Project, EU options lag behind Starlink.

Amazon’s consumer expertise and cloud computing infrastructure give Kuiper a competitive edge despite Starlink’s market lead. As Kuiper ramps up launches, its success could reshape broadband access while challenging SpaceX’s dominance in the satellite internet race.

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