Kiko Dontchev (@TurkeyBeaver) / X

Kiko Dontchev

1,164 posts

Kiko Dontchev

@TurkeyBeaver

VP of Launch @ SpaceX and father of Finn and Otie

Cocoa Beach, FL

Joined January 2018

Pinned
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Jul 9
The Cape Gigabay is getting closer to being ready for Starship! Teams recently installed the 420-ton crane – which we’ll use to break over and move Starships and Super Heavy boosters preparing for flight. One step closer to the Moon and Mars 🚀🚀🚀
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Jul 19, 2025
Today marks 15 years @SpaceX. I spent last week at HQ in Starbase and couldn’t help but get sentimental. Much has changed since my first day in the office, but a few key things are identical. The mission, the energy, the buzz in the building, and the awe of walking around a
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Sep 10, 2024
There are launches and then there are LAUNCHES!!! Hard to describe the blood, sweat and tears that got the @PolarisProgram crew to orbit today. Pictured below are just a few of the @SpaceX team members who made the mission happen with @elonmusk, shortly after launch All focus
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Sep 3, 2025
Launch #110 of 2025
John Kraus
@johnkrausphotos
Sep 3, 2025
Falcon 9 and some clouds transit the sun during this morning’s Starlink launch ☁️🚀☀️
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Nov 6, 2025
With today’s launch, @SpaceX has hit 170 launches on a rolling 365 day clock 🚀😍 This is made possible by a hardcore focus on safety and reliability!
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Nov 6, 2025
Falcon 9 launches 28 @Starlink satellites from California
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Oct 16, 2025
Falcon launch #130 for 2025. The rolling 365 launch total is 166 launches! Notable records from this morning: * Fastest launch to launch from the same American Launch Pad at 55 Hrs, 29 minutes and 9 seconds * Fastest TE roll in to hangar for booster integration to launch at 12
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Oct 16, 2025
Falcon 9 launches 28 @Starlink satellites from Florida
00:00
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Feb 18, 2025
Falcon 9 is vertical on the pad and the droneship is in position in the Exuma sound. Tracking no issues or constraints at this time to launch of Starlink 10-12 this evening… This launch is special as it will be the first time a rocket launches from one country and lands in
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Feb 15, 2025
Replying to @SpaceX and @Starlink
Up next: watch Falcon 9 land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship off the coast of The Bahamas for the first time → spacex.com/launches/missi…
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Jun 28, 2025
Proper way to end the first half of 2025 Both the east and west coast teams set records on these two missions: 🚀 New single pad launch to launch record: 56hr 31min 10sec. Additionally in a nod to rapid reuse, this was three launches in less than 5 days from the same pad: 118
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Jun 28, 2025
Falcon 9 launches back-to-back @Starlink missions from Florida and California, completing our 80th & 81st Falcon missions of the year
00:00
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Feb 19, 2025
The cosmos is within us - Carl Sagan Congrats to @SpaceX and @VisitTheBahamas for an epic Falcon launch, space jelly, and landing!
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
May 27, 2025
Watch a Falcon launch now as an appetizer for @elonmusk mars talk and starship later today!!! Go @SpaceX!!!
SpaceX
@SpaceX
May 27, 2025
Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
REPLAY
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Starlink Mission
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Mar 10, 2025
Gorgeous sunrise on the Crew-10 vehicle this morning. We are super excited for this mission and exercising extreme paranoia across systems to ensure the safety of the crew and vehicle. Nothing gets the heart pumping like human spaceflight 🚀!!!
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
May 6, 2025
10 years ago today, @SpaceX performed the first integrated test with Dragon 2, the pad abort test. It was a huge step in our human spaceflight program as it proved an integrated launch escape system was feasible and set the stage for development of the flight version of Dragon 2.
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Oct 7, 2024
The @SpaceX is unreal. Facing only a 15% chance of good weather this morning and an incoming major hurricane, we still went for (with a plan to roll the rocket back in the hangar for safety if we didn’t launch). Good launch, good orbit, and good payload deploy. Sayonara HERA and
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Oct 7, 2024
View from Falcon 9's second stage during the Hera mission
Kiko Dontchev
@TurkeyBeaver
Sep 27, 2024
With Hurricane Helene out of the way, Crew-9 is back outside at pad 40. Shown below are two of the critical teams that support launch at the Cape. Both the Safety and Pad teams work 24/7, 365 to keep the machine running and our team safe. A huge thank you to the men and women of