SPACEX LAUNCHES MYSTERY ‘OPTUS-X’ ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at sunset with a payload that has been shrouded in secrecy to the point of not disclosing any specifics of the mission, and not using its original name. All regulatory filings and U.S. government agencies, like the Space Force and the Federal Aviation Administrat... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 18)
THE ISS HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR 5 YEARS. NASA AND RUSSIA DISAGREE ON HOW TO FIX IT - NASA and the Russian space agency are not in agreement about the risk an ongoing leak poses to the space station, a U.S. advisory committee said. NASA and Roscosmos also disagree about the causes and remedies for the leak in the Russian PrK module, International Space Station advisory committee c... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 17)
BLUE ORIGIN'S NEW GLENN ROCKET TO LAUNCH AST SPACEMOBILE'S HUGE BLUEBIRD SMARTPHONE SATELLITES - AST SpaceMobile, a startup with plans for a direct-to-cellphone satellite service constellation, has chosen Blue Origin to launch some of its next-gen satellites. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket — which is currently undergoing preparations in Florida for its first-ever liftoff — and "existing ... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 17)
SPACE FORCE TARGETING MORE AFFORDABLE GPS SATELLITES - The Space Force wants its next fleet of GPS satellites to be smaller, cheaper and more resilient — and it’s looking to a mix of commercial and defense firms to help design those spacecraft. Four companies — Sierra Space, L3Harris, Astranis and Axient, which was recently acquired by Astrion ... More (Source: Defense News - Nov 16)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 24 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as the Sun rose over Florida’s Space Coast. The Starlink 6-68 mission added 24 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites to the rapidly expanding satellite internet constellation in low Earth orbit. Liftoff from... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 15)
BOEING SHIPS FIRST TWO REDESIGNED O3B MPOWER SATELLITES - Boeing has shipped the first pair of O3b mPower satellites with fixes addressing power issues that have hobbled the initial six in SES’s next-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) broadband network. Boeing said Nov. 13 the satellites with redesigned power modules were sent via truck from its faci... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 14)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 20 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA TONIGHT - paceX will launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from California's central coast tonight (Nov. 13). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight at 11:21 p.m. ES... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 14)
UNPREDICTABLE SOLAR ACTIVITY SENDS SATELLITES PLUMMETING TO EARTH - Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University's Binar Space Program burned up in Earth's atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means "fireball" in the Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. When a satellite is in low Earth orbit (2,000 km... More (Source: ScienceAlert - Nov 14)
NASA AND ROSCOSMOS DISAGREE ON CAUSE AND SEVERITY OF ISS AIR LEAK - NASA and Roscosmos continue to disagree on the cause and severity of an air leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station, one that NASA worries could lead to a “catastrophic failure” of part of a Russian module. That disagreement was brought to light during a brief meeting o... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 14)
LONGEST-SERVING SATELLITE OSCAR-7 MARKS 50 YEARS IN ORBIT - Launched on November 15, 1974, OSCAR-7, a microsatellite, continues its mission 50 years after its launch, serving as a vital asset for amateur radio operators globally. It holds the title of the oldest operational satellite, predating the launch of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 by three years. Sp... More (Source: SpaceDaily - Nov 13)
CHINA REVEALS REUSABLE CARGO SHUTTLE DESIGN FOR TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China has unveiled the design of a new reusable shuttle to take cargo to and from the country's space station. The Haolong space shuttle is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is one of two w... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 13)
CHINESE PRIVATE ROCKET LAUNCHES 1ST SATELLITE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER - Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space announced that it successfully launched 15 satellites into Earth orbit, including one for the Sultanate of Oman. CAS Space's Kinetica-1 (also known as Lijian-1) solid rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on Sunday 11... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 13)
CHINESE COMMERCIAL LIJIAN-1 ROCKET LAUNCHES 15 SATELLITES - A Chinese commercial rocket sent 15 satellites into orbit late Sunday, including launch service provider CAS Space’s first international payload. The Lijian-1 (Kinetica-1) solid rocket lifted off at 11:03 p.m. Eastern Nov. 10 (0403 UTC, Nov. 11) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The CA... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 12)
STARLINK SATELLITE FALLS TO EARTH, BURNS UP AS STUNNING FIREBALL OVER US - A brilliant fireball that lit up the skies over four U.S. states is reported to be from the fiery reentry of a SpaceX Starlink satellite. Dozens of eyewitnesses reported seeing a meteor on Saturday (Nov. 9) just after 10:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (11:00 p.m. EST or 0400 GMT on Nov. 10). The A... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 12)
SPACEX LANDS FALCON 9 BOOSTER FOR A RECORD 23RD TIME AMID KOREASAT-6A MISSION - SpaceX launched the latest communications satellite for KT SAT Corporation Ltd., a satellite service provider in South Korea Monday in the noontime hour. The Falcon 9 rocket was the first of what could shaped up to be a double launch day. Liftoff of the Koreasat-6A mission happened at 12:22 p.m. ... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 12)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 24 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM FLORIDA ON MONDAY - SpaceX plans to launch 24 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast on Monday (Nov. 11). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday during a four-hour window that opens at 4:02 p.m. EST (2... More (Source: Space.com - Nov 11)
SPACEX TO LAUNCH KOREASAT-6A ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - SpaceX is preparing to launch the latest communications satellite for KT SAT Corporation Ltd., a satellite service provider in South Korea. The Falcon 9 rocket is set to be the first of a potential double launch day on Monday. Liftoff of the Koreasat-6A mission is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. EST (17... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 11)
NASA EXTENDS ISS CARGO CONTRACTS THROUGH 2030 - NASA has extended three contracts with companies to continue providing transportation of cargo to and from the International Space Station through the projected end of the station’s life in 2030. In procurement filings Nov. 8, NASA stated it planned to extend the existing Commercial Resupply Se... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 10)
LONG MARCH 2C LAUNCHES 4 PIESAT-2 COMMERCIAL RADAR SATELLITES - A Long March rocket launch sent four satellites into orbit late Friday to provide commercial X-band radar imaging services. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off at 10:39 p.m. Eastern Nov. 8 (0339 UTC, Nov. 9) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Insulation tiles fell away from th... More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 10)
