CHINA IS TRYING TO QUICKLY LAUNCH 13,000 SATELLITES TO DEFEAT STARLINK - China is preparing to send almost 13,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit in order to directly compete with—and monitor—SpaceX’s Starlink constellations. Huge numbers of satellites like this are becoming less and less unexpected. They are not without their faults—a fact that any astronomer whose data has been ruined by the devices’ reflectivity will be quick to tell you—but they have the potential to increase internet coverage and communication efficiency around the world. So, it’s not surprising China wants in on the action.   More
(Source: Popular Mechanics - Feb 26)

RUSSIA'S REPLACEMENT SOYUZ SPACECRAFT ARRIVES AT SPACE STATION - A replacement Soyuz spacecraft for three International Space Station astronauts arrived at the orbiting complex as planned on Saturday night (Feb. 25). The replacement Russian Soyuz spacecraft, called MS-23, docked with the International Space Station (ISS) Saturday at 7:58 p.m. EST (0058 GMT on Sunday, Feb. 26). The rendezvous occurred while the two spacecraft were flying 260 miles (418 kilometers) above northern Mongolia.   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 26)

REPLACEMENT SOYUZ LAUNCHED ON FIGHT TO SPACE STATION - A Russian Soyuz crew ferry ship blasted off from Kazakhstan Thursday, kicking off an unpiloted but critical flight to the International Space Station to replace a damaged Soyuz and provide an eventual ride home for three of the lab’s crew members. Lighting up the pre-dawn sky, the Soyuz 2.1a booster carrying the Soyuz MS-23/69S crew ship shot away from the sprawling Baikonur Cosmodrome at 7:24 p.m. EST (5:24 a.m. local time Friday), kicking off a 9-minute climb to space.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 25)

AMAZON GETS A GREEN LIGHT TO LAUNCH 3,000-SATELLITE KUIPER CONSTELLATION - Amazon has received the go-ahead to construct a constellation of 3,236 satellites after gaining approval for an updated orbital debris mitigation plan. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. main telecommunications services regulator, approved Amazon's Project Kuiper plan in an authorization adopted and released (opens in new tab)on Feb. 8.   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 24)

CHINA LAUNCHES HIGH-CAPACITY COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE AFTER 39-DAY PAUSE - China sent the Zhongxing-26 communications satellite into orbit Feb. 23, marking the resumption orbital launches following a pause for Chinese New Year. A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 6:49 a.m. Eastern (1149 UTC) from Xichang, southwest China, successfully sending Zhongxing-26 (ChinaSat-26) into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed launch success within the hour.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 24)

RELATIVITY SPACE SETS DATE FOR FIRST TERRAN 1 LAUNCH - Relativity Space announced Feb. 22 it will attempt the first launch of its Terran 1 rocket as soon as March 8 after securing a launch license and skipping a planned final test. The company announced it received a Federal Aviation Administration launch license for its first Terran 1 mission. With the license in hand, the company says it is targeting a launch of the rocket March 8 between 1 and 4 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 23)

RUSSIA BLAMES PROGRESS LEAK ON ‘EXTERNAL INFLUENCES’ AS NEW SOYUZ PREPS FOR LAUNCH - Russia’s space agency said Tuesday that preliminary data suggest a coolant leak on a Progress cargo freighter docked at the International Space Station earlier this month was caused by “external influences” — possibly something that occurred during its launch last year, according to a senior NASA space station manager.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 22)

INMARSAT’S SECOND I-6 SATELLITE ON ITS WAY TO ORBIT AFTER SPACEX LAUNCH - Inmarsat’s second I-6 satellite, I-6 F2, is on its way to orbit after a SpaceX launch from Florida on February 17. Inmarsat confirmed post-launch the operator is communicating with the satellite. SpaceX launched the Airbus-built satellite from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a Falcon 9 rocket on Friday evening. The satellite will now spend several months traveling to Geostationary Orbit before it is scheduled to enter service in 2024   More
(Source: Via Satellite - Feb 22)

RUSSIA RESCHEDULES SOYUZ LAUNCH AFTER PROGRESS UNDOCKS - Russia is moving ahead with the uncrewed launch of a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station after the post-undocking inspection of a Progress cargo spacecraft failed to show damage from a coolant leak. Roscosmos announced Feb. 18 that the council of designers at RSC Energia has recommended the Soyuz-2.1a launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft take place at 7:32 p.m. Eastern Feb. 23. That would set up the spacecraft to dock with the station two days later, shortly before the arrival of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission currently scheduled to launch early Feb. 26.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 21)

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