SpaceX
SpaceX fires up Falcon Heavy Block 5 for the first time, launch date announced
SpaceX has successfully ignited a Block 5 variant of its Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time ever, also marking the second-ever integrated static fire of the heavy-lift launch vehicle. According to SpaceX, the company will aim for an extraordinary four-day turnaround from static fire to launch, targeting liftoff as early as 6:36 pm EDT (22:36), April 9th.
Captured in a spectacular 4K video from a few miles away, it appears that the giant rocket managed to ignite all 27 Merlin 1D engines for no more than 3-4 seconds, an average length for Falcon 9 but quite a bit shorter than the 7-10 seconds Falcon Heavy fired for during its Flight 1 preparations.
During the Block 5 rocket’s first-ever integrated ignition test, all 27 Merlin 1D engines were (nominally) ignited in sequence, albeit just a handful of milliseconds apart from each other. During Falcon Heavy’s inaugural static fire and launch, CEO Elon Musk indicated that performance was capped at ~92% – 4.7 million pounds (~2115 metric tons) of thrust – for unspecified reasons. Assuming SpaceX has decided to uncap Falcon Heavy’s performance this time around, the rocket could have produced upwards of 5.6 million pounds (2550 metric tons) of thrust and will – again, according to Musk – have “way more performance than last year’s vehicle.” On top of the 8% increase from uncapping the rocket’s performance, Falcon 9 Block 5 introduced an additional 10% thrust increase for Merlin 1D engines, ultimately raising Falcon Heavy’s max thrust by a spectacular 20% in just one year.
With three times as many boosters as a single core Falcon 9 rocket, a Falcon Heavy static fire fundamentally produces as much as 100% more (2X as much) data as Falcon 9 during, requiring a fair bit more time to have engineers comb through it to verify vehicle health. The ultimate goal is for the vast majority of this work to be done by the rocket itself, which is actually what ends up shining through during what is known as the ‘quick-look review’ that shortly follows static fires, but Falcon Heavy is likely too new of a rocket for that just yet.
To temper expectations for this highly-anticipated launch, SpaceX took more than eight days to take Falcon Heavy Flight 1 from a planned static fire attempt to actual ignition, with an additional 13 days separating the successful static fire and the first official launch window. The consequences of sidestepping caution with Falcon Heavy could reach as high as the near-complete destruction of SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A pad facilities, an absolutely mission-critical foundation for the first attempted crew launch of Crew Dragon and future astronaut launches to the International Space Station (ISS). As such, any unnecessary risk itself risks raising the ire of NASA and the US government in general, as it would also fundamentally be a conscious decision to risk the stability of US access to the Space Station for the sake of shaving a few days or weeks off of a commercial launch schedule.
SpaceX typically provides an update via Twitter 15-60 minutes after a Falcon preflight static fire test to announce whether the data generally looks good or if additional time is needed to analyze the rocket’s performance. According to a since-deleted USAF 45th Space Wing tweet, a healthy-looking static fire from Falcon Heavy Flight 2 would pave the way for a launch attempt no earlier than 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC), April 9th.
This article will be updated with any additional information about Falcon Heavy’s health and launch date targets as soon as it becomes available.
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News
SpaceX to debut new Dragon capsule in Axiom Space launch
Ax-4’s launch marks the debut of SpaceX’s latest Crew Dragon and pushes Axiom closer to building its own space station.
Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission targets the International Space Station (ISS) with a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
The Axiom team will launch a new SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). The Ax-4 mission launch was initially set for Tuesday, June 10, but was delayed by one day due to expected high winds.
As Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to the ISS, Ax-4 marks the debut of an updated SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. “This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it’s carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We’ve upgraded storage, propulsion components, and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse,” said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability.
Axiom Space is a Houston-based private space infrastructure company. It has been launching private astronauts to the ISS for research and training since 2022, building expertise for its future station. With NASA planning to decommission the ISS by 2030, Axiom has laid the groundwork for the Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. The company has already begun construction on its ISS replacement.
The Ax-4 mission’s research, spanning biological, life, and material sciences and Earth observation, will support this ambitious goal. Contributions from 31 countries underscore the mission’s global scope. The four-person crew will launch from Launch Complex 39A, embarking on a 14-day mission to conduct approximately 60 scientific studies.
“The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor, and operational excellence,” said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space’s chief of mission services.
The Ax-4 mission highlights Axiom’s commitment to advancing commercial space exploration. By leveraging SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and conducting diverse scientific experiments, Axiom is paving the way for its Axiom Station. This mission not only strengthens international collaborations but also positions Axiom as a leader in the evolving landscape of private space infrastructure.
SpaceX
SpaceX Dragon to carry Axiom’s Ax-4 crew for ISS research
On June 10, Axiom’s Ax-4 mission heads to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. It’s a historic return to space for India, Poland & Hungary.
Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission, launched on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, will carry a historic international crew to the International Space Station (ISS) next Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule was recently photographed preparing for the Ax-4 launch. The Dragon will dock at the ISS on June 11 at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET for a 14-day mission focused on groundbreaking microgravity research.
The Ax-4 crew will be led by Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States. It includes Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and the European Space Agency and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. This mission marks a historic return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary as each nation sends its first government-sponsored astronauts in over 40 years.
“With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage, and with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars,” Whitson noted.
The Ax-4 mission’s research portfolio will be Axiom’s most extensive. It includes 60 scientific studies from 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and Europe. These studies will advance knowledge in human research, Earth observation, life, and biological and material sciences. Key investigations include supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes, examining microgravity’s impact on the brain, and studying cancer growth, particularly triple-negative breast cancer. Additional research will explore blood stem cells, joint health, blood flow, and astronaut readiness using wearable devices, iPhone software, and AWS Snowcone analytics.
Axiom Space’s partnerships with research organizations and academic institutions aim to deepen understanding of spaceflight’s effects on the human body, with potential applications for Earth-based healthcare. The Ax-4 mission underscores Axiom’s role in redefining access to low-Earth orbit, fostering global collaboration, and advancing microgravity research. As SpaceX’s Dragon enables this historic mission, it reinforces the company’s pivotal role in commercial spaceflight and scientific discovery.
Elon Musk
SpaceX to decommission Dragon spacecraft in response to Pres. Trump war of words with Elon Musk
Elon Musk says SpaceX will decommission Dragon as a result of President Trump’s threat to end his subsidies and government contracts.
SpaceX will decommission its Dragon spacecraft in response to the intense war of words that President Trump and CEO Elon Musk have entered on various social media platforms today.
President Trump and Musk, who was once considered a right-hand man to Trump, have entered a vicious war of words on Thursday. The issues stem from Musk’s disagreement with the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which will increase the U.S. federal deficit, the Tesla and SpaceX frontman says.
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The insults and threats have been brutal, as Trump has said he doesn’t know if he’ll respect Musk again, and Musk has even stated that the President would not have won the election in November if it were not for him.
President Trump then said later in the day that:
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Government Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Musk’s response was simple: he will decommission the SpaceX capsule responsible for transporting crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS): Dragon.
🚨 Elon says Dragon will be decommissioned immediately due to President Trump’s threats to terminate SpaceX’s government contracts https://t.co/XNB0LflZIy
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2025
Dragon has completed 51 missions, 46 of which have been to the ISS. It is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth’s orbit. It is the only spacecraft that is capable of returning vast amounts of cargo to Earth. It is also the first private spacecraft to take humans to the ISS.
The most notable mission Dragon completed is one of its most recent, as SpaceX brought NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth after being stranded at the ISS by a Boeing Starliner capsule.
SpaceX’s reluctance to participate in federally funded projects may put the government in a strange position. It will look to bring Boeing back in to take a majority of these projects, but there might be some reluctance based on the Starliner mishap with Wilmore and Williams.
SpaceX bails out Boeing and employees are reportedly ‘humiliated’
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