FORRESTER’S DIGEST: TELESAT WITHDRAWS PLAN FOR EXTRA SATELLITES - Canada-based satellite operator Telesat has formally cancelled its plans for an additional 1,671 low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. Telesat has already admitted that its important geostationary DTH business is under pressure and is betting its business mainly on a new LEO fleet, called Lightspeed. Lightspeed will comprise about 200 satellites. More (Source: SatNews - Sep 22)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 28 STARLINK SATELLITES ON SUNDAY SUNRISE FALCON 9 FLIGHT - Rocket enthusiasts along the East Coast were treated to sunny sunrise launch from SpaceX on Sunday as it flew its Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral. The Starlink 10-27 mission will send 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft will deploy from the rocket’s upper stage a little more than an hour after the rocket clears the pad at Space Launch Complex 40. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 21)
'WE MUST REPLACE THIS CAPABILITY NOW': NEW NOAA SATELLITE TO REPLACE AGING SPACE WEATHER SENTINELS LAUNCHES SEPT. 23 - On Sept. 23, a spacecraft will launch with a clear mission — to keep a constant watch on the sun to help protect Earth from space weather. The satellite, Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1), is launching just in time, as scientists warn our aging fleet of solar sentinels is reaching the end of its life. More (Source: Space.com - Sep 20)
NEW REPORT WARNS THAT CHINA COULD OVERTAKE THE US AS TOP NATION IN SPACE — AND IT COULD HAPPEN 'IN 5-10 YEARS,' EXPERT CLAIMS - A new report from the Commercial Space Federation warns that China could soon overtake the U.S. in the "new space race." The country's rapid progression starkly contrasts the limitations imposed on NASA by record-breaking budget cuts. More (Source: Live Science - Sep 20)
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CARGO SHIP REACHES SPACE STATION - Running a day late because of a software issue, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship caught up with the International Space Station early Thursday and then stood by while the lab’s robot arm latched onto a grapple fixture to wrap up a successful, if extended, rendezvous. The capture came after Northrop Grumman engineers adjusted the sensitivity of main engine fault detection software that prematurely triggered shut downs during two rendezvous thruster firings Tuesday. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 19)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 28 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites from Florida’s Space Coast in the predawn hours of Thursday morning. The Starlink 10-61 mission will see a batch of 28 Starlink V2 mini satellites launched into a low Earth orbit about an hour after liftoff. SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 UTC). More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 19)
WILL THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION BE REPLACED BEFORE ITS FIERY DEATH IN 2030? - NASA, its international partners, and commercial stakeholders are weighing the challenges of extending the aging ISS’s service life against the need to transition to next-generation low-Earth orbit platforms. With a planned retirement around 2030 driven by safety and technological concerns, discussions have intensified around the feasibility of replacing—or at least complementing—the ISS with commercially developed space stations that can continue the vital research and human exploration legacy. The debate involves balancing budget constraints, evolving mission objectives, and international collaboration, all while navigating the technical and logistical complexities of decommissioning such a historic orbital laboratory. More (Source: Space News - Sep 19)
NASA, NORTHROP GRUMMAN POSTPONE CYGNUS XL ARRIVAL TO ISS FOLLOWING PROPULSION ISSUE - Northrop Grumman’s new Cygnus XL spacecraft will no longer dock with the International Space Station Wednesday morning as originally planned. In a blog post Tuesday evening, NASA announced that two, orbit-raising burns of the spacecraft’s main engine “stopped earlier than planned.” The agency didn’t state how much of the planned burns were able to be performed prior to the premature shutdowns. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 18)
CHINA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES TEST SATELLITE FOR SATELLITE INTERNET TECHNOLOGY - China successfully sent a test satellite for satellite internet technology into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the country's northwest, on Tuesday. The satellite was launched at 9:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2C carrier rocket, with the Yuanzheng-1S (Expedition-1S) upper stage attached to the rocket. The satellite has successfully reached its preset orbit. This was the 595th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. More (Source: www.gov.cn - Sep 17)
Previous Next
