RUSSIAN SATELLITE PLAYS 'CAT-AND-MOUSE' WITH A COMMERCIAL US SPACECRAFT LIKELY USED BY UKRAINE. BUT WHY THE RISKY CLOSE ENCOUNTER? - A Russian satellite just took a very close look at an American spacecraft in low Earth orbit. A few days ago, the snooping satellite Kosmos 2612 rendezvoused with ICEYE-X36, a commercial craft that observes our planet using synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The close encounter, which occurred be... More (Source: Space.com - Oct 22)
SPACEX SCRUBS LAUNCH OF 27 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SFB - SpaceX was set to launch a batch of 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Tuesday afternoon, but ran into what appears to have been a technical issue that wasn’t surmountable during their launch window. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from the West Coast is now sc... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 22)
THE COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION COMPETITION FINALLY BEGINS - In procurement notices over the summer, after NASA released a draft request for proposals for the next phase of its Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, it promised companies that the long-awaited final version of the RFP would be out by the end of September. Yet by late in the day on Septembe... More (Source: The Space Review - Oct 22)
COULD A $200K BOND FOR SATELLITES PAID BEFORE LAUNCH PREVENT A SPACE JUNK DISASTER IN ORBIT? HERE'S WHY SOME SCIENTISTS THINK SO - The space around Earth is turning into a junkyard. Researchers think a refundable deposit scheme could force satellite operators to clean up their act before a tipping point is reached. For years, space sustainability experts have warned that the growing number of satellites in orbit and the quan... More (Source: Space.com - Oct 21)
POOR WEATHER FORCES SCRUB OF MONDAY LAUNCH ATTEMPT OF BANDWAGON-5, SPACEX NOW TARGETING TUESDAY - SpaceX will fly its uncrewed reentry Starfall capsule aboard the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, scheduled for launch before dawn on Tuesday. The 32 payloads onboard the Falcon 9 rocket will take flight from Space Launch Complex 40 during an hour-long window... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 20)
HOW MANY STARLINK SATELLITES ARE IN ORBIT TODAY? - Look into the night sky at the right time, and you'll spot a glowing constellation of Starlink satellites steadily moving through low Earth orbit. If you didn't know any better, you might imagine them as otherworldly, appearing as a long, stretched-out line of synchronized yet individual blips. Howe... More (Source: BGR - Oct 19)
RUSSIA NEARS U.S. SATELLITE, RAISING ALARM ABOUT INTENT - A Russian satellite was tracked on Friday closely stalking a U.S.-owned commercial satellite — part of a space-based network that has supported Ukraine's military. Why it matters: Aerospace analysts and space intelligence company LeoLabs told Axios it's a rare maneuver that raises the possibili... More (Source: Yahoo News - Oct 18)
SPACEX DRAGON DOCKS WITH SCIENCE, SUPPLIES, AND ROLL-OUT SOLAR ARRAYS - At 10:27 a.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew. This is SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply services mission to the sp... More (Source: NASA - Oct 17)
SPACEX LAUNCHES A CLASSIFIED PAYLOAD FOR U.S. SPACE FORCE - As the bugle call and National Anthem sounded across Vandenberg Space Force Base, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched carrying a classified payload for the United States Space Force on Thursday evening. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 5:01 p.m. PDT (8:01 p.m. EDT / 0001 UTC). T... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 16)
CREW PREPS FOR DRAGON’S ARRIVAL DURING VISION AND ROBOTICS RESEARCH - A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is orbiting Earth on its way to the International Space Station for a docking on Thursday. The Expedition 75 crew members are preparing for Dragon’s arrival while also conducting eye checks, maintaining spacesuit gear, and practicing innovative robotics solutions aboard ... More (Source: NASA - Oct 15)
RUSSIA'S LATEST STARLINK RIVAL SATELLITES ARE FALLING OUT OF ORBIT - Russia's planned rival to Starlink satellite internet is unlikely to offer robust coverage any time soon. As United24Media reports, two of the latest Rassvet-3 satellites launched earlier this year are now rapidly losing altitude and are expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere within a few weeks.... More (Source: PCMag - Oct 14)
SPACEX LAUNCHES NASA SCIENCE AND CARGO TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Under the soft glow of sunrise Tuesday morning, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket roared away from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:33 a.m. EDT (1033 UTC) to begin a cargo run to the International Space Station. The 35th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-35) is carrying more than 6,300 ... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 14)
SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCHES 27 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, carrying another batch of Starlink satellites. Liftoff off of the Starlink 15-25 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred at 5:28 p.m. PDT (8:28 p.m. EDT / 0028 UTC). The rocket headed on a southerly t... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 13)
NASA SEEKS US INDUSTRY PROPOSALS FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE STATIONS - NASA has released a final Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting US industry to submit plans for the next generation of commercial space stations, as the agency prepares for a future beyond the International Space Station. According to NASA, the solicitation is intended to support a transition in l... More (Source: Space & Defense - Oct 12)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 21 DATA SATELLITES FOR THE SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday carrying a batch of data satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency (SDA), five days after a last-minute abort scrubbed the first attempt. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is occurred at 12:39 a.m. PDT (3:39... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 11)
SPACEX TO MAKE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH 21 DATA SATELLITES FOR THE SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - SpaceX early Saturday will try again to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of data satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency (SDA), five days after a last-minute abort scrubbed the first attempt. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled for 12... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 10)
A DEAD SOVIET SATELLITE JUST BROKE APART IN ORBIT (AGAIN). EXPERTS SAY IT'S PART OF 'A WORRYING TREND' - An old Soviet satellite has fragmented into multiple pieces in low Earth orbit, the latest in a string of recent breakup events that suggest satellites may be facing an increased risk of debris impacts. The space domain awareness company LeoLabs detected a "debris generating event" in the known o... More (Source: Space.com - Oct 9)
NASA’S SPACEX CREW-12 DRAGON SPLASHES DOWN AT 11:34 A.M. EDT - At 11:34 a.m. EDT (8:34 a.m. PDT), the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev splashed down off the coast of Los Angeles, California. Teams aboard the recovery ship, including t... More (Source: NASA - Oct 9)
CREW-12 READY TO DEPART AS NEW RESIDENTS BEGIN ADVANCED HEALTH RESEARCH - Four Expedition 75 crew members are in their final full day aboard the International Space Station as they prepare to undock aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and return to Earth. Their departure will leave seven residents aboard the orbital outpost to continue advanced space research and lab mainte... More (Source: NASA - Oct 8)
