TRAILBLAZING SATELLITE MISSION DELIVERS ITS FIRST ARTIFICIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE - Two ESA satellites, part of the Proba‑3 mission, have achieved the first-ever artificial solar eclipse in space by flying just 150 meters apart with millimeter-level precision. One satellite blocks the sun’s bright disk while the other captures detailed images of the elusive solar corona using its ASPIICS coronagraph. This formation-flying "eclipse machine" has already produced several hours of continuous eclipse during each 19.6-hour orbit—significantly surpassing the fleeting few minutes offered by natural eclipses. With roughly two of these artificial eclipses occurring weekly, Proba‑3 will deliver an unprecedented volume of high-fidelity data into the million-degree corona, helping scientists probe its extreme heat and the drivers of powerful solar storms.   More
(Source: ScienceAlert - Jun 17)

AMAZON KUIPER SECOND SATELLITE LAUNCH POSTPONED BY ULA DUE TO ROCKET BOOSTER ISSUE - United Launch Alliance scrubbed the slated June 16, 2025 launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying 27 of Amazon’s second batch of Kuiper Internet satellites roughly 30 minutes before liftoff due to an "elevated purge temperature" detected in the booster’s RD‑180 engine, likely tied to a GN₂ purge line issue that couldn’t be resolved in time. The booster had been fully fueled and rolled out to Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 41 with favorable weather conditions, but ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno emphasized safety first, stating the team would stand down and address the anomaly before rescheduling. The delay marks a setback for Project Kuiper, which plans to deploy over 3,200 satellites by 2029 and aims to begin service in late 2025, with a regulatory milestone to have roughly half its constellation operational by July 2026.   More
(Source: CNBC - Jun 17)

NASA TEAMS UP WITH INDIA TO LAUNCH FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND $1.5 BILLION SATELLITE - In a few days, a new satellite that can detect changes on Earth's surface down to the centimetre, in almost real time and no matter the time of day or weather conditions, is set to launch from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre near Chennai. Weighing almost 3 tonnes and boasting a 12-metre radar antenna, the US$1.5 billion NISAR satellite will track the ground under our feet and the water that flows over and through it in unprecedented detail, providing valuable information for farmers, climate scientists and natural disaster response teams.   More
(Source: ScienceAlert - Jun 17)

NASA SETS NEW POTENTIAL LAUNCH DATE FOR AX-4 MISSION TO ISS - NASA says a private astronaut mission could launch to the International Space Station as soon as June 19 as it works to understand an air leak on the Russian segment of the station. In a June 14 statement, NASA said it is working with Axiom Space and SpaceX on “reviewing launch opportunities” for the Ax-4 mission, with the earliest such opportunity on June 19.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jun 16)

EXOLAUNCH TO DEPLOY THEIR LARGEST MISSION TO DATE — 45 CUSTOMER SATELLITES ON TRANSPORTER-14 - Exolaunch is set to deploy 45 customer satellites on the upcoming Transporter-14 rideshare mission with SpaceX aboard a Falcon 9 rocket as soon as this month. This mission highlights Exolaunch’s role as a trusted partner for rideshare launches and represents unparalleled expertise and flight heritage.   More
(Source: SatNews - Jun 16)

ESA MOVING AHEAD WITH ‘RESILIENCE FROM SPACE’ SATELLITE IMAGING PROGRAM - The European Space Agency is moving ahead with plans for the first phase of an Earth observation satellite system that will have both civil and military uses. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, said at a June 12 press briefing after a meeting of the ESA Council that the council approved an “enabling resolution” for the European Resilience from Space (ERS) program.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jun 16)

CHINA LAUNCHES NEW SEISMO-ELECTROMAGNETIC SATELLITE WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS - China launched a second collaborative seismo-electromagnetic satellite early Saturday, aimed at detecting electromagnetic precursors to natural disasters such as earthquakes. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off at 3:56 a.m. Eastern (0756 UTC) June 14 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Launch footage showed insulation tiles falling away from the rocket as it climbed into a clear blue sky above the spaceport, with hypergolic exhaust also visible.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jun 15)

YORK’S EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH - The first of 12 satellites built by York Space Systems for a Space Development Agency demonstration mission is ready for launch, the company announced this week. The spacecraft, dubbed Dragoon, will fly on SpaceX’s Transporter 14 rideshare mission, which is slated to launch June 20 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.   More
(Source: Defense News - Jun 14)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX launched its 490th Falcon 9 rocket Friday morning, which carried a batch of 23 of its Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. The mission, dubbed Starlink 12-26, launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket lifted off at 11:29 a.m. EDT (1529 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 14)

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