Commercial Spaceflight

3 reports
Commercial Spaceflight research examines the missions, hardware, operations, policy, and engineering needed for science beyond Earth. Technical records and released data are judged through flight certification, private spacecraft, and reusable rockets, including failures, uncertainty, and operating constraints.

Crew transportation and space tourism are compared with commercial launch service. This record clarifies what risks passengers face and how vehicle safety is demonstrated, separating design goals from performance demonstrated in operation.

Starlink Satellites Face Near-Constant Collision Avoidance in Orbit

SpaceX's Starlink satellites have performed hundreds of thousands of collision avoidance maneuvers in the past year, highlighting the growing challenge of managing orbital traffic and the risks posed by increasing satellite numbers

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Portable X-ray Imaging System Demonstrates Diagnostic Quality in Space

A commercial portable X-ray device was operated aboard an orbital spacecraft, producing diagnostic-quality radiographs comparable to those acquired on Earth and highlighting the potential for in-flight medical imaging beyond ultrasound

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SpaceX Starship Flight 13 to Test Starlink V3 Deployment

SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 13 from Starbase, Texas, aiming to deploy 20 Starlink Version 3 satellites and test upgraded booster recovery systems in a mission scheduled for July 16

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