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Keeping up with its rapid launch cadence in 2024, SpaceX launched yet another mission earlier today from Florida as part of a busy weekend with a Starlink launch due for tomorrow. Today's launch was a rare one for SpaceX since it saw the firm not only fly a Falcon 9 rocket booster for the 20th time but also discard the rocket due to mission requirements.
The Falcon 9 uses nine Merlin 1D engines to generate thrust, and missions that fly higher, faster or further downrange than typical missions sometimes see the rocket use all of its fuel to meet the added requirements. Today's launch was targeted to a medium earth orbit, and at stage separation, the Falcon 9 was flying higher than its altitude in a recent Starlink launch to low earth orbit.
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SpaceX Uses Falcon 9 Booster For 20th Time To Launch European Satellite To MEO
Today's mission marked SpaceX's 42nd mission for the year, and it came more than a year after the firm crashed a rocket into the ocean. SpaceX's Falcon 9 is the world's most reused rocket, and rapid turnaround times, coupled with robust refurbishment, have ensured a steady stream of quick flights that can take place quicker than it would have been the case had SpaceX chosen to make a new rocket for each mission.
Before meeting its end, the rocket launched 20 missions, most of which were for SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation. SpaceX chose to celebrate the rocket before its lift off, outlining that this booster had delivered 228 metric tons to space.
Apart from the 13 Starlink launches, other missions for the rocket include a ride share mission and a lunar lander for Intuitive Machines. As if this wasn't enough, the Falcon 9 booster for the Galileo L12 mission for the European Commission also broke the "world record for orbital flight turnaround, twice," according to SpaceX's presenter for today's broadcast.
SpaceX reuses not only its rocket boosters but also the fairings that protect the payload during flight. On the front, the latest Falcon 9 launch marked the 200th time that SpaceX reused the fairings. The Galileo satellites are part of the European Union's bid to develop its own global satellite navigation system, and today's launch also saw the European Commission request SpaceX to not broadcast the satellite deployment part of the mission.
Such blackouts are common for national security launches, particularly those by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the U.S., and they typically serve to preserve the secrecy of the satellite's
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Get ready to dive into a summer romance with Tears of Themis. HoYoverse is gearing up to beat the scorching heat with some more hotness! It’s through the limited-time event called ‘Summer Splash!’ which is set to drop next week. Let’s dive into the details of Tears of Themis Summer Splash!
Lord of the Rings fans are having a good day: First, there was news of the new Gollum film coming in 2026. Now, fans who want to return to Middle-earth in the interim can pick up special editions of the books for more than 50% off.
Stellar Blade was the best-selling physical game in the UK last week, with its launch sales on PS5 being enough to see it top sales charts in the region. Sony and Shift Up haven't shared any official sales data just yet, but this marks a good start for the title, which holds the potential to sell well long-term. TopSpin 2K25 was another new entry in the UK sales chart last week, debuting in third place.
Hasbro has already invested over $1 billion in its internal studios as part of an ambitious long-term strategy, according to Wizards of the Coast head of game studios and publishing Dan Ayoub.
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has issued a statement on recent changes to the way ricochet works in the game after members of the community pointed out one weapon in particular was killing players more than it should.
Bethesda Games Studios are thinking about how they can release games more frequently while still ensuring that they have a healthy audience for years, the Elder Scrolls company's king wizard Todd Howard has remarked in an interview with Kinda Funny, from which Alice B has already scientifically extracted some titbits about forthcoming Starfield expansion Shattered Space.
Unveiled last night at the IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase, Vampire Survivors has received a free new update called Laborratory (yes, with two 'r's). It includes one new character, one secret character, three weapons, one stage, and a bonus go-cart racing stage. But perhaps most importantly of all, Poncle say they'll answer the question that's been on everyone's lips: "Why is it called Santa Water?". This is something that's puzzled me since the game's inception, and therefore, I will be thrusting myself back into the game where there are, in fact, no vampires at all. I need to know.
The franchise features an incredible variety of antagonists, but one particularly strange detail regarding a group of villains has gone mostly unremarked upon for decades. Although recent titles have tended towards having more individual true villains, a trend that has produced some of ’s most terrifying characters, the traditional «Team» still has a role to play in any given region. However, while all Teams have their own unique aesthetic, one also has a much more subtle, and ironic, quirk visible on close examination.