SPACEX SCRUBS STARLINK LAUNCH FROM VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE - Update 1:09 p.m. EST: SpaceX shifted the launch time to fall after the planned launch of NASA’s PACE mission from Cape Canaveral. Poor weather proved insurmountable for the third time for SpaceX this week. After its first two attempts to launch a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral supporting NASA’s PACE mission were scuttled, on Tuesday evening, SpaceX had to stand down from launching a batch of Starlink satellites from California.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 8)

CHINA MOBILE CLAIMS IT LAUNCHED WORLD’S FIRST ‘6G’ TEST SATELLITE - China Mobile, the world’s largest telecom operator by mobile subscribers, said it has successfully launched what it claims to be the world’s first satellite to test 6G architecture, Chinese newspaper China Daily reported. 6G has yet to be formally standardized, but research and development efforts are underway around the world. According to the report, the launch marks a step forward in the carrier’s efforts to explore integrated space and ground communication technology.   More
(Source: RCR Wireless News - Feb 7)

ONCE A SPY SATELLITE, NOW A TELESCOPE WITH AN EYE ON THE COSMOS - NASA is gearing up for the highly anticipated May 2027 launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the astronomy and cosmology community is already buzzing with excitement. Dubbed “Hubble’s wide-eyed cousin,” this cutting-edge telescope promises to revolutionize our understanding of exoplanets and the universe beyond.   More
(Source: Penn Today - University of Pennsylvania - Feb 7)

POOR WEATHER FORCES SPACEX TO SCRUB THE LAUNCH OF NASA’S PACE MISSION TUESDAY MORNING - Update 9:55 p.m. EST: SpaceX and NASA scrubbed the launch due to poor weather. SpaceX is preparing to launch its second NASA mission of the year on Wednesday morning. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Earth-observing spacecraft PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) was set to liftoff Tuesday morning, but teams had to stand down due to poor weather. Teams from NASA, SpaceX and Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD45) are now aiming for the 24-hour backup opportunity: a 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 UTC) liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Feb. 7.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 6)

CHINA LAUNCHES 20 SATELLITES ON SEPARATE INLAND AND SEA ROCKET LAUNCHES - A pair of Chinese rockets launched 11 mobility services satellites for an automaker and nine further, diverse satellites into orbit late Friday. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 6:37 p.m. Eastern (2337 UTC) Feb. 2, followed hours later by a Jielong-3 solid rocket launching from a mobile sea platform at 10:06 p.m. (0305 UTC, Feb. 3). The former launch sent 11 satellites into orbit for the space arm of Chinese automaker Geely. The spacecraft were cataloged by U.S. Space Force space domain awareness in roughly 595 by 605-kilometer orbits with inclinations of 50 degrees.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 5)

SPACEX TO LAUNCH NASA'S PACE OCEAN-MONITORING SATELLITE THIS WEEK - A NASA satellite is about to take flight to map out the ocean's many hues. NASA's PACE spacecraft, which will help scientists gauge the health of oceans around the world, is set to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday (Feb. 6) at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT). You can watch the liftoff live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. Coverage will begin at 12:45 a.m. EST (0545 GMT).   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 5)

AXIOM 3 CREW SPLASHDOWN OFF FLORIDA DELAYED BY IMPENDING STORM SYSTEM - After spending more than two weeks in space, the crew of the Axiom Mission 3 now gets an extra weekend in Space and is expected to splashdown off the coast of Florida next week instead. The crew was originally scheduled to come home Saturday, but SpaceX announced that the crew of four would spend additional days in space due to poor weather conditions expected this weekend in the recovery zone off Florida.    More
(Source: FOX Weather - Feb 4)

CHINA LAUNCHES JIELONG-3 ROCKET AS COMMERCIAL MISSIONS PICK UP PACE - Last year saw 17 Chinese commercial launches with one failure, among a new record 67 orbital launches by China. That was up from 10 Chinese commercial launches in 2022, including two failures. In 2023, China conducted more launches than any other country save the United States, which made 116 launch attempts, including just under 100 by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Critical to the construction of commercial satellite networks is China's ability to open more launch windows, expand rocket types to accommodate different payload sizes, lower launch costs, and increase the number of launch sites such as building more spaceports and using sea launch vessels.   More
(Source: Reuters - Feb 4)

SATELLITE PHONE NETWORKS CAN DEMOCRATIZE GLOBAL COMMUNICATION - Early this year, using T-Mobile’s network, SpaceX successfully sent and received text messages using new Starlink direct-to-cell satellites that deliver broadband connectivity to smartphones anywhere in the world, bypassing traditional infrastructure. While some will consider this an innocuous development, it’s a monumental moment for communication technology and geopolitics alike. In effect, it means the satellite phone, once the exclusive domain of government officials, diplomats, journalists and fictional secret agents, may soon be much more widely available, worldwide. The implications are considerable.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 3)

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