THREE SATELLITES PRESUMED LOST IN TRANSPORTER DEPLOYMENT MALFUNCTION - Three satellites on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare launch in November failed to deploy, including one from a company that previously stated its satellite was in orbit and operating. Momentus announced Dec. 5 that three of the five satellites that it flew on the Transporter-9 launch Nov. 11 did not appear to deploy from the Falcon 9’s upper stage. The company used a third-party deployer, rather than its own Vigoride tug, on that mission, and said that it was able to confirm that the Hello Test 1 and 2 satellites from Turkish company Hello Space were released.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 9)

CHINA LANDSPACE'S METHANE-POWERED ROCKET SENDS SATELLITES INTO ORBIT - A rocket developed by LandSpace Technology on Saturday launched three satellites into orbit, a milestone in the Chinese private rocket startup's mission to test whether its vehicle using methane and liquid oxygen is ready for commercial liftoffs. The success could boost investor confidence in methane as a potential rocket fuel, which is deemed able to help slash costs and support reusable rockets in a cleaner and more efficient way.   More
(Source: Reuters - Dec 9)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 22 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA - SpaceX has launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 22 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday (Dec. 8) at 3:03 a.m. EST (0803 GMT; 12:03 a.m. local California time). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical landing about 8.5 minutes after launch. It touched down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 9)

NOAA'S OLDER EARTH-WATCHING SATELLITES GET NEW 'EXTENDED LIFE' - As many things have a shelf-life, so do satellites. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has plans to take their older polar-orbiting satellites off the path toward decommission, and instead use a cloud-based system to add some extra years to their lifespan. NOAA's next-generation Joint Polar Satellite Series (JPSS) are more of the new kids of the block, when it comes to polar orbiting satellites. They keep an eye on Earth's weather and climate change from what's known as a low Earth orbit, from about 520 miles (836 km) above us; for comparison, the International Space Station orbits at about 250 miles (400 km).   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 8)

CHINESE STARTUP GALACTIC ENERGY BOUNCES BACK WITH SUCCESSFUL SATELLITE LAUNCH - Chinese startup Galactic Energy is flying high again after a successful satellite launch on Monday (Dec. 4). The company's Ceres-1 solid rocket lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:33 p.m. EST on Monday (2333 GMT; or 7:33 a.m. Beijing time on Dec. 5). The rocket rose into a dark, predawn sky above the Gobi Desert. Aboard were the Tianyan 16 and Starpool 1A satellites. Both were inserted into near-polar orbits with altitudes of roughly 310 miles (500 kilometers).   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 8)

NASA LEADERS TO HIGHLIGHT 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPACE STATION WITH CREW - NASA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of International Space Station operations during a live conversation with crew aboard the microgravity laboratory for the benefit of humanity. During a space-to-Earth call at 12:25 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 6, the Expedition 70 crew will speak with NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and Joel Montalbano, space station program manager. Watch on the NASA+ streaming service at no cost on demand. The discussion also will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.   More
(Source: NASA - Dec 7)

CHINA LAUNCHES INTERNET TECHNOLOGY TEST SATELLITE FROM SEA BARGE - China launched a new internet technology experiment satellite from a sea platform Tuesday, apparently continuing tests for a low Earth orbit megaconstellation. The Jielong-3 (Smart Dragon-3) solid rocket lifted off from a mobile sea platform from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong province, at 2:24 p.m. Eastern (1924 UTC) Dec. 5. Launch success was declared around two hours after liftoff.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 7)

SPACEX SENDS 23 STARLINK SATELLITES TO ORBIT ON 90TH FALCON LAUNCH OF 2023 - SpaceX hit another milestone with its overnight Starlink mission launch. The flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station marks the company’s 90th orbital launch in 2023 and its 280th Falcon 9 launch to date. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-33 mission took place at 12:07 p.m. EST (0507 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40. Weather for the mission was ideal at liftoff, but meteorologists kept their eye on the picture downrange as well. Liftoff winds were the only watch item in a forecast that predicts 95 percent favorable weather.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 7)

CAPELLA TO USE SPACEX FOR TWO ACADIA SATELLITE LAUNCHES - Capella Space will launch two radar imaging satellites on SpaceX rideshare missions after an Electron launch failure disrupted its deployment plans. Capella announced Dec. 5 that it had arranged to fly two of its Acadia satellites on SpaceX rideshare missions in the first half of 2024. Acadia-4 will fly on the Bandwagon-1 mission as soon as April 2024 while Acadia-5 will launch on Transporter-11 no earlier than June 2024. The Transporter-11 mission was arranged through launch services company Exolaunch.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 7)

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