Author: starpathwp-production
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Starfish Loses Otter 24C as Fault Protection Error Ends $15M NASA Inspection Mission
Otter 24C launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare on October 1 and established contact with the ground shortly after deployment. The mission, formally the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability mission, was designed to approach and inspect multiple defunct US satellites to gather data for potential future deorbit missions. The spacecraft was headed to a graveyard…
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ThinKom and Space Systems Command Demonstrate GECKO Multi-Orbit Containerized SATCOM System
HAWTHORNE, Calif. — ThinKom Solutions Inc. and Systems Delta 88, an operational unit of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), have completed a live demonstration of the Ground Entry Combined K/Ka-band Operation (GECKO) system at ThinKom’s integration facilities. Announced on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, the exercise validated coherent digital beamforming, simultaneous multi-orbit satellite…
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SpaceX and Qualcomm Partner to Build Nationwide Starlink Mobile 5G Network
The partnership is part of SpaceX’s push to make Starlink Mobile a major carrier in the US, competing directly with T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The company has already acquired a swath of spectrum, and recent reports suggested SpaceX was exploring an acquisition of Boost Mobile. SpaceX plans to use Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure, a platform…
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Orbital Matter and EnduroSat Target 2028 Mission to 3D Print Solar Array Supports in Orbit
The announcement follows Orbital Matter’s second demonstration mission, Replicator 2, which proved the company could print structures in the vacuum of space for the first time. The approach replaces the need to fold bulky solar arrays into tight configurations to fit launch vehicles with printing support structures directly in orbit. “Basically, [folding] means that you…
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Space Data Centers Face a Semiconductor Challenge
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google’s first data center satellite came online in late October, marking an initial step toward orbital computing, but the tech giant faces significant semiconductor and engineering challenges before the network can successfully scale. The deployment is part of Project Suncatcher, a long-term initiative to establish space-based data infrastructure and machine learning…
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Russia Files ITU Plan for 374-Satellite Rassvet-4 Constellation Following Rassvet-3 Orbital Setbacks
GENEVA — Russia has submitted a formal satellite network filing to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for a proposed constellation designated Rassvet-4, according to a report published Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, by aerospace analyst Chris Forrester. The previously unannounced regulatory filing details an expanded broadband network engineered by commercial developer Bureau 1440, intended to serve…
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Space Industries Inaugurates €20M Stellar Hub in Italy for Serial Satellite Production
SETTIMO TORINESE, Italy — Space Industries inaugurated Stellar Hub, its new satellite manufacturing and environmental qualification center outside Turin, on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The inauguration of Space Industries’ Stellar Hub. Backed by a private investment of more than €20 million ($21.8 million) from industrial parent company Comat, the facility establishes a dedicated site for…
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UK Startup Plans Cubesat Swarms to Defend Western Satellites in Orbit
The push follows a May 2026 incident in which four Russian military satellites came close to ICEYE-X36, a private synthetic aperture radar satellite widely believed to be providing battlefield intelligence for Ukraine. The maneuver, described as an aggressive and risky grey zone operation, brought the Russian craft close enough to jam the satellite’s signal, blind…
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Starfish Space Loses First Otter Servicing Satellite Following On-Orbit Bus Anomaly
TUKWILA, Wash. — In-space servicing developer Starfish Space confirmed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, that its first Otter servicing spacecraft has suffered an unrecoverable on-orbit failure after ground teams permanently lost contact with the vehicle. Launched on Oct. 1 on a commercial rideshare mission, the spacecraft was slated to execute orbital rendezvous and proximity operations…
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Globalstar Petitions FCC to Scrutinize Rocket Lab Supplier Conflict Over $8B Iridium Deal
WASHINGTON — Satellite communications operator Globalstar has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its supplier relationship with Rocket Lab as part of the regulatory evaluation of Rocket Lab’s pending $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications, Via Satellite reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. In its regulatory filing, Globalstar urged federal regulators to examine…