REPUBLICAN-BACKED RECONCILIATION BILL PASSES, INCLUDES FUNDING FOR ISS, ARTEMIS PROGRAMS, SPACE SHUTTLE RELOCATION - A massive tax and spending package passed by the Senate on Wednesday was approved by the House on Thursday and signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, July 4. The bill, H.R. 1, also referred to as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Act, was passed through the reconciliation process, meaning it required a simple majority in both chambers of Congress, avoiding impacts from the filibuster.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 7)

PROGRESS CARGO CRAFT DOCKS TO STATION RESUPPLYING EXPEDITION 73 - The unpiloted Progress 92 spacecraft arrived at the space-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Poisk module at 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5. The spacecraft launched at 3:32 p.m. EDT on July 3 (12:32 a.m. Baikonur time, July 4) on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.    More
(Source: NASA - Jul 7)

ISS ASTRONAUTS LOOK OUT OVER THE US—CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY SEE - A picture snapped from the International Space Station (ISS) by NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers has captured a lesser-seen view of an extraordinary atmospheric phenomenon known as a red sprite. The photo, taken from orbit during the night, shows a glowing bluish-purple halo with a vivid red column shooting upward into space.   More
(Source: Newsweek - Jul 6)

PROGRESS CARGO CRAFT LAUNCHES TO STATION FOR SATURDAY DELIVERY - The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 92 spacecraft is safely in orbit headed for the International Space Station following a launch at 3:32 p.m. EDT (12:32 a.m., Baikonur time, Friday, July 4) on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.    More
(Source: NASA - Jul 5)

CHINA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES NEW TEST SATELLITE - China sent a new test satellite into space on ThursdaChina sent a new test satellite into space on Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The Shiyan-28B 01 satellite was launched at 5:35 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully.y from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The Shiyan-28B 01 satellite was launched at 5:35 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully.   More
(Source: English.gov.cn - Jul 4)

NEARLY 500 STARLINK SATELLITES HAVE INCINERATED IN EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE SO FAR THIS YEAR - According to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, 472 Starlink satellites burned up in the atmosphere between December 2024 and May 2025, as SpaceX deorbited around 6% of its active fleet. Starlink satellites are built to last around five years. After that, they're steered into the Earth's atmosphere to burn up. SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, launched the first Starlink satellites in 2019, which means we're now seeing its first full-scale deorbiting. More than 1.4 million homes use Starlink's internet service in the US, and in many rural areas, the technology has been an absolute gamechanger.   More
(Source: CNET - Jul 4)

BEZOS-FUNDED SATELLITE TRACKING METHANE EMISSIONS LOSES POWER IN SPACE - MethaneSAT, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) methane-tracking satellite backed by the Bezos Earth Fund, is lost in space. Its ground team lost contact with the spacecraft on June 20 but tried to reestablish a connection until it learned in the morning of July 1 that MethaneSAT had lost power altogether. The team believes that the satellite is likely not recoverable.    More
(Source: Engadget - Jul 3)

SPACEX LAUNCHES ITS 500TH FALCON 9 ROCKET - SpaceX launched its 500th Falcon 9 rocket to date with an overnight Starlink flight on Wednesday. The first stage booster used on the mission also flew for a record-setting 29th time. The mission, dubbed Starlink 10-25, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:28 a.m. EDT (0628 UTC) with the rocket flying on a north-easterly trajectory.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 3)

NASA, SPACEX INVITE MEDIA TO WATCH CREW-11 LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION - Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA’s 11th rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft carrying astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is targeted to launch in the late July/early August timeframe from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, serving as commander; Mike Fincke, pilot; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, mission specialist; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, mission specialist.    More
(Source: NASA - Jul 3)

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