Author: starpathwp-production
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FAA advances approval for up to 44 Starship launches from 39A
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached a critical milestone in its environmental review process for SpaceX’s Starship operations at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The summary overview, released on Friday, is ahead of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), anticipated for release imminently, following the Draft EIS issued in…
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GAO Warns SDA Missile-Tracking Satellite Program Faces Capability and Cost Risks
The Space Development Agency’s effort to deploy a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for missile warning and tracking is at risk of falling short of its goals and operational requirements, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office released on Thursday. The report, covering the period from October 2023 to January 2026,…
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France Pushes European Preference for Space Defence Assets Amid Security Shift
France is calling for a stronger preference for European-made space assets linked to defence, arguing that the bloc must rapidly reduce reliance on foreign equipment as global security dynamics shift, French and German ministers said on Tuesday. “Time is of the essence” for Europe to develop a space policy that relies far more heavily on…
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China Eyes Space-Based AI Data Centres, Setting Up Rivalry With SpaceX
China plans to deploy space-based artificial intelligence data centres within the next five years, state media reported, as Beijing steps up efforts to combine space technology and advanced computing in a move that could directly challenge initiatives outlined by SpaceX. China’s main space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), said it will work…
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NASA Activates Athena Supercomputer to Expand High-End Computing Capacity
NASA has placed its Athena supercomputer into service at the Modular Supercomputing Facility at the Ames Research Center, significantly increasing the agency’s high-end computing capacity for science and exploration missions. Athena delivers 20.13 petaflops of peak performance and replaces the Pleiades system, which offered 7.09 petaflops and was retired earlier this month. The new system…
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NASA faces a crucial choice on a Mars spacecraft—and it must decide soon
A consequential debate that has been simmering behind closed doors at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, must soon come to a head. It concerns the selection of the next spacecraft the agency will fly to Mars, and it could set the tone for the next decade of exploration of the red planet. What everyone agrees…
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Amazon asks FCC for 2-year extension in Leo satellite deployment deadline, citing a rocket shortage
An Atlas 5 rocket rises from its Florida launch pad in December to send 27 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. (United Launch Alliance Photo) Amazon says it’s been harder than expected to secure rides for its Amazon Leo broadband internet satellites, and now it’s asking the Federal Communications Commission for more time. The request for…
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Space-Focused SPAC SAAC Prices $200 Million IPO, Targets Technology and Defense Deals
Space Asset Acquisition Corp. has priced its initial public offering at $200 million, positioning the newly formed blank-check company to pursue acquisitions in the global space economy, with a particular focus on technology and defense-related businesses. The special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, sold 20 million units at $10 each and is set to begin…
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China Space Contractor Targets Space Tourism Within Five Years, State Media Say
China’s main space contractor has pledged to develop space tourism within the next five years, state media reported on Thursday, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to accelerate commercial spaceflight and deepen its technological competition with the United States. State-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said it aims to “achieve the flight operation of suborbital space…
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EU Still Reliant on U.S. for Space Security as IRIS² Years Away, Commissioner Says
The European Union remains dependent on the United States for critical defence and space services and cannot yet replace U.S. capabilities, despite ambitions to build its own satellite infrastructure, EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Euronews. Kubilius said the EU’s Governmental Satellite Communications programme, known as GOVSATCOM, is intended as an interim solution…