SPACEX LAUNCHES AMAZON’S PROJECT KUIPER SATELLITES ON FIFTH SCHEDULED ATTEMPT - After four scheduled and unsuccessful launch attempts, the fifth time proved to be the charm as SpaceX managed to launch 24 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet service from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday morning. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida happened at 8:35 a.m. EDT (12:35 UTC), a couple hours after sunrise. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 12)
BAD WEATHER FOR FALCON 9 BOOSTER RECOVERY PREVENTS LAUNCH OF AMAZON’S PROJECT KUIPER SATELLITES - For a fourth time in as many days, SpaceX was unable to launch 24 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet service from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Technical issues with the Falcon 9 rocket prevented launches on Thursday and Friday and poor weather stymied launch attempts on Saturday and Sunday. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 11)
CREW 10 RETURNS TO EARTH WITH PACIFIC OCEAN SPLASHDOWN - Two NASA astronauts, a Japanese flier and a Russian cosmonaut plunged back to Earth Saturday, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego to wrap up a five-month mission. Strapped into SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance, commander Anne McClain, pilot Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov gently splashed down in calm seas at 11:33 a.m. EDT, 17-and-a-half hours after undocking from the International Space Station. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 10)
HAM RADIO USERS EXPLAIN WHY THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT AST SPACEMOBILE'S SATELLITE PLANS - Ham radio enthusiasts have raised concerns about AST Spacemobile’s upcoming satellite operations, warning that expanded satellite communications might interfere with amateur radio frequencies and disrupt established communication channels. The debate centers on the technical challenges of frequency overlap and potential regulatory gaps that could weaken emergency response frameworks and the longstanding tradition of ham radio’s open, interference-free airwaves. Both communities are calling for transparent dialogue and collaborative solutions to balance innovation with the preservation of reliable, unencumbered communication for hobbyists and public safety alike. More (Source: PCMag - Aug 10)
CHINA LAUNCHES NEW SATELLITES FROM SEA - A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket lifted off on Saturday morning from east China's Shandong Province, sending the Geely-04 constellation of 11 satellites into planned orbit. The rocket blasted off from sea at 12:31 a.m. (Beijing Time) near the city of Rizhao. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore launch mission. It was the 6th flight mission to use an SD-3 rocket, according to the launch center. More (Source: Global Times - Aug 10)
DRAGON UNDOCKS, CREW-10 DEPARTS STATION FOR EARTH RETURN - At 6:15 p.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov undocked from the forward-facing port of International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. More (Source: NASA - Aug 10)
EUROPEAN WEATHER SATELLITE READIED FOR LAUNCH ON ARIANE 6 ROCKET - The European Space Agency has cleared another hurdle on the road to launching the second generation of the MetOp (Meteorological Operational) Earth-studying weather satellites. In early August 2025, the team sealed the MetOp-SG-A1 within the fairing of its Arianespace Ariane 6 rocket. More (Source: Space.com - Aug 9)
ULA’S TORY BRUNO LAYS OUT PLANS FOR RAMPING UP LAUNCH CADENCE - United Launch Alliance is on the cusp of a significant milestone for its Vulcan rocket. The 202-foot-tall (61 m) launch vehicle is poised to take flight on its first national security mission as soon as Tuesday, August 12. Atop the two-stage rocket are a pair of missions for that are part of the U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. The launch will be the first post-certification flight for a Vulcan rocket. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 8)
NASA TO PROVIDE LIVE COVERAGE OF CREW-10 RETURN, SPLASHDOWN - NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 6:05 p.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 8, for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission from the International Space Station. Pending weather conditions, splashdown is targeted at 11:33 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 9. Crew-10 will be the first mission to splash down off the California coast for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. More (Source: NASA - Aug 8)
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