SPACEX LAUNCHES 24 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG - SpaceX launched its third Falcon 9 rocket in less than 41 hours. Completing the trio of flights, along with NASA’s IMAP and Starlink 10-15, was the flight of the Starlink 17-11 mission, which took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night. Liftoff of the mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 9:26 p.m. PDT (12:26 a.m. EDT / 0426 UTC). The rocket deployed 24 of SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit a little more than an hour into the mission.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 27)

THE WORLD’S FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION IS GETTING CLOSER TO LAUNCH - The International Space Station (ISS) is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, providing a habitat in orbit that has been occupied continuously for almost 25 years. Visited by almost 300 people from 26 countries so far, it is a shining example of international collaboration and a one-of-a-kind technological marvel. But its lifespan is drawing to a close, and even though it has long outlived its originally scheduled 15-year mission, NASA plans to de-orbit the station around 2030.   More
(Source: CNN - Sep 26)

ULA LAUNCHES THIRD BATCH OF AMAZON’S PROJECT KUIPER SATELLITES FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - Roughly an hour past sunrise, an Atlas 5 551 rocket from United Launch Alliance took flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Onboard the rocket, flying in its most powerful configuration, were the next 27 Project Kuiper satellites from Amazon. This is the third batch of production satellites launched by ULA and the fifth overall for the growing low Earth orbit constellation. ULA is targeting liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at 8:09 a.m. EDT (1209 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 26)

NASA-ISRO SATELLITE SENDS FIRST RADAR IMAGES OF EARTH’S SURFACE - The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite’s first images of our planet’s surface are in, and they offer a glimpse of things to come as the joint mission between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) approaches full science operations later this year. “Launched under President Trump in conjunction with India, NISAR’s first images are a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.    More
(Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory - NASA - Sep 26)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 3 PROBES TO STUDY SPACE WEATHER AND MAP THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM - SpaceX just sent three space weather probes to the final frontier. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today (Sept. 24) at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT), carrying NASA's IMAP mission and and two other spacecraft. Each probe has its own objectives, but all three will work toward the same larger goal: help scientists better understand space weather and its effects on Earth.   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 25)

RUSSIAN 'NOAH'S ARK' SATELLITE CARRYING 75 MICE AND 1,500 FLIES LANDS BACK ON EARTH - They came from outer space: 75 mice, over 1,500 flies, cell cultures, microorganisms, plant seeds and more. A Russian biological research satellite toting more than 30 experiments landed on Sept. 19 in the steppes of the Orenburg region after spending 30 days in Earth orbit. The Bion-M No. 2 descent module has been called a "Noah's Ark" due to the mini-menagerie of specimens flown; it was lofted from the Baikonur cosmodrome on Aug. 20 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket.   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 25)

NOAA GOES-19 SATELLITE CAPTURES PARTIAL ECLIPSE - A striking view of the partial solar eclipse that happened on September 21 was caught not just by photographers on Earth, but also by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES-19 satellite orbiting high above. The images, highlighted in a post on X, show how satellites continue to give irreplaceable perspectives on familiar wonders.   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 24)

WATCH SPACEX LAUNCH 3 SPACE WEATHER PROBES EARLY ON SEPT. 24 - SpaceX will launch NASA's ambitious IMAP mission and two other space weather probes early Wednesday morning (Sept. 24), and you can watch the action live. A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT), carrying IMAP and two rideshare spacecraft deep into the final frontier.   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 24)

THE US MILITARY JUST MOVED A SATELLITE TO INSPECT A UK SPACECRAFT 22,000 MILES ABOVE EARTH - In a first-of-its kind operation, the United States repositioned one of its spacecraft to inspect an ally's satellite. U.S. Space Command maneuvered one of its spacecraft in order to examine the Skynet 5A military communications satellite operated by the United Kingdom and assure the U.K. that it was operating in orbit as intended. The maneuver took place between Sept. 4 and Sept. 12 at an altitude of 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) in geostationary orbit, where satellites remain above a fixed spot on Earth. Both spacecraft were traveling 6,835 mph (11,000 km/h) during the operation, according to a statement from the Royal Air Force (RAF).   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 23)

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