SPACEX LAUNCHES 27 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SFB - SpaceX sent a batch of 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket launch Wednesday afternoon. The flight tied the record for the most number of these types of satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to date. The Starlink 11-7 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East is scheduled for 3:11 p.m. PDT (6:11 p.m. EDT, 2211 UTC). This was the 11th orbital launch from VSFB so far this year.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 28)

ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES 8 WILDFIRE-HUNTING SATELLITES INTO ORBIT FROM NEW ZEALAND - Rocket Lab has launched its workhorse Electron rocket for the third time in two weeks. The New Zealand-based company successfully launched eight wildfire detection satellites on the "Finding Hot Wildfires Near You" mission for German-based company OroraTech today (March 26), from Rocket Lab's New Zealand launch facility.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 27)

SPACEX TO LAUNCH 27 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SFB - SpaceX is preparing to send a batch of 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. This flight ties the record for the most number of these types of satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to date. The Starlink 11-7 mission is targeting a liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East is scheduled for 3:11 p.m. PDT (6:11 p.m. EDT, 2211 UTC). This will be the 11th orbital launch from VSFB so far this year.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 27)

US SPACE FORCE CELEBRATES RETURN OF 1ST GUARDIAN TO LAUNCH TO SPACE - U.S. Space Force Col. Nick Hague is back on Earth after living on the International Space Station (ISS) for the last five-plus months. On March 18, Hague splashed down in the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon capsule "Freedom" with fellow NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Hague holds the distinction of being the first Space Force Guardian to launch into orbit.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 27)

U.S. SPACE FORCE CERTIFIES ULA’S VULCAN ROCKET TO BEGIN LAUNCHING NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS - In an announcement highly anticipated by United Launch Alliance and others in the spaceflight community, the U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) office affirmed that the Vulcan rocket is now fully certified to launch national security payloads. The completion of this multi-year process means that the USSF’s Space Systems Command can begin launching National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions on the two-stage, heavy-lift rocket.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 27)

SPIRAL IN THE SKY LIKELY TO BE FROM SPACEX LAUNCH - A large glowing spiral visible in the night sky on Monday is believed to have been caused by a SpaceX rocket launch in the US. The Met Office said the shape was likely produced by a frozen plume of fuel from the rocket's exhaust, which reflected the sunlight and appeared to spin in the atmosphere. The cloud-like shape was visible for several minutes above the UK and elsewhere in Europe before fading.   More
(Source: BBC - Mar 26)

SHENZHOU-19 ASTRONAUTS COMPLETE THIRD SPACEWALK, INSTALL FINAL DEBRIS SHIELDING ON TIANGONG - A pair of Chinese astronauts embarked on an extravehicular activity outside the Tiangong space station Friday, as the crew approaches the end of their six-month-long stay in orbit. Astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong returned to the Wentian science module at 8:50 a.m. Eastern (1250 UTC) March 21, completing their seven-hour extravehicular activity (EVA). Cai initially opened the Wentian hatch at 1:45 a.m. (0545 UT), according to China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSA.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Mar 26)

NASA INVITES MEDIA TO SPACEX’S 32ND RESUPPLY LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION - Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Monday, April 21, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch is the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.   More
(Source: NASA - Mar 26)

STARLINK RIVAL AST SPACEMOBILE TIPS NEW SATELLITE PROTOTYPE - AST SpaceMobile—a rival to SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system—is requesting permission to launch a new prototype satellite that differs from the company’s original plans. On Friday, AST asked the FCC for experimental authority to launch and operate an "FM1" satellite. At first glance, it appears to be a second-generation BlueBird satellite. The FM1 and second-gen BlueBird satellites are both 223 square meters, or about three times larger than first-gen BlueBirds, which launched in September and have successfully powered demo video calls.   More
(Source: PCMag - Mar 25)

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