Author: starpathwp-production
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SpaceX Launches Transporter-16 Mission Carrying 119 Payloads to Orbit
SpaceX launched its Transporter-16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, sending 119 payloads into orbit in what the company said is its first rideshare flight of 2026. The mission carried a broad mix of satellites and technology demonstrators spanning Earth observation (EO), radio frequency (RF) sensing, communications and in-orbit services. Further details are expected…
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After 16 years and $8 billion, the military’s new GPS software still doesn’t work
Last year, just before the Fourth of July holiday, the US Space Force officially took ownership of a new operating system for the GPS navigation network, raising hopes that one of the military’s most troubled space programs might finally bear fruit. The GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, is designed for command and control…
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Starcloud Raises $170 Million to Advance Orbital AI Data Center Plans
Starcloud Inc., a startup developing space-based artificial intelligence infrastructure, said it has raised $170 million in a new funding round that values the company at $1.1 billion, as interest grows in alternatives to terrestrial data centers. The funding was secured in two tranches, with Benchmark leading the first and co-leading the second alongside EQT Ventures.…
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After more than 53 years, humans may finally return to the Moon this week
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida—The two-day countdown for the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission began Monday evening, with clocks timed for the first of six opportunities in early April to send a crew of four astronauts around the far side of the Moon. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is…
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Claussen Departs, ST Engineering iDirect Names Sridhar Kuppanna as CEO
ST Engineering iDirect has named CTO Sridhar Kuppanna as CEO to succeed Don Claussen in leading the company. Claussen had served as ST Engineering iDirect CEO for about three years. The company did not provide an explanation for the change in leadership. Kuppanna has been with ST Engineering iDirect for two and a half years.…
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Rocket Lab Secures German Approval for Mynaric Acquisition
Rocket Lab said it has received regulatory clearance from Germany to proceed with its planned acquisition of Mynaric, with the transaction expected to close in April. The approval was granted by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, enabling the company to move forward with the deal as part of its strategy to expand…
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Delta Taps Amazon Leo for IFC Rollout on 500 Aircraft
Delta Air Lines has turned to Amazon to expand its in-flight connectivity offerings, announcing plans to roll out Amazon Leo IFC service starting with 500 planes in 2028. Delta becomes the largest airline to adopt Amazon Leo so far, following after JetBlue signed on for Amazon Leo last fall. Delta highlighted the connection to Amazon…
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Air Force Awards BlackSky $99M to Large Aperture Optical Payload for Space-Based Imaging
BlackSky Technology on Tuesday said a $99 million contract it received from the Air Force Research Laboratory in early March that will accelerate the design and development of a large aperture optical payload that could be used for space-based Earth imaging and space domain awareness. An initial $2.1 million obligation using fiscal year 2026 research…
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Artemis II returns humanity to the Moon with launch on Wednesday evening
At 23:35 UTC on Dec. 16, 1972, the Apollo 17 command module, America, successfully completed its trans-Earth injection burn, sending it and its crew of NASA astronauts Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans on a return trajectory back to Earth. The moment marked the final time a crewed Apollo spacecraft was in orbit around…
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Faced With Starlink Competition, Ground Segment Leaders Turn to Orchestration, Specialization
Faced with the game-changing advent of vertically integrated Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) megaconstellations like Starlink and Amazon Leo, ground segment hardware and service providers are having to rethink both their technology and their business model, a panel of ground segment CEOs told SATShow last week. “We’ve never been in a more exciting time, honestly, in terms…