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March 02, 2020

Airborne 03.02.20: Starship SN1 Explodes, Sharing Flt Expenses, April 1st Edition

Also: Aerospace Center Of Excellence, Airline Seating Petition, Boeing T-7A, MQ-9 Reaper Program Ended

It is not unusual for SpaceX to aggressively test new concepts to their limits... and sometimes far beyond. A new prototype of the Starship, SN1, imploded during a pressure test at the Boca Chica, TX, test facility. SpaceX is, admittedly a little more daring with its test programs and rarely sees this kind of thing as a true failure... but simply an obstacle to surmount... Still; the ensuing implosion was pretty spectacular. This was reportedly a liquid nitrogen pressure test. The pressurized tank suffered a structural failure and the resulting energy emitted by the force of the initial implosion, and subsequent explosion, scattered debris for several hundred yards -- in all di

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NGC Successfully Completes Historic First Docking Of Mission Extension Vehicle

Will Extend The Life Of An Intelsat 901 Satellite

Northrop Grumman Corporation and the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC, have successfully completed the first docking of the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) to the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) spacecraft in order to provide life-extension services. This historic accomplishment marks the first time two commercial satellites have docked in orbit and the first time that mission extension services will be offered to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.

First Of Two Airbus-Built Imaging Satellites Undergoing Testing

The first two Airbus-built Pléiades Neo imaging satellites have started comprehensive environmental testing, to ensure they are ready for in-orbit operation.