Author: starpathwp-production
-
How Do Engineers Monitor the In-Orbit Status of Satellite Equipment Through Telemetry—and Send Telecommands to Control a Satellite?
A satellite may have flown far beyond visual range, yet subsystem engineers can still see on their screens that a particular unit is at 23.6°C, drawing 1.8 A from the bus and operating on its primary channel. They may even be able to determine that a heater has just switched on. It may look as…
-
How Do Rockets Find Their Way Home? Three Mainstream Recovery Methods Explained
On August 19, the Zhuque-3 Y2 launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone. Its first stage successfully landed as planned at the Zhuque-3 landing site in Minqin County, Gansu Province. The mission marked another major breakthrough for China in key reusable-rocket technologies, making Zhuque-3 the country’s first launch vehicle to…
-
US Space Force Confirms Operation of On-Orbit Weapons, Emphasizes Deterrence
The U.S. Space Force operates weapons in orbit to defend American and allied forces against space-enabled attacks, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess said during a September 15 address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The unusually direct acknowledgment broadens the publicly confirmed scope…
-
Blue Origin to Study Historic AFRL Rocket Engine Hardware Under Expanded CRADA
Blue Origin and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket and Space Propulsion Division have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement giving the company access to advanced propulsion hardware, engineering data and technical artifacts developed under two historic U.S. Air Force rocket engine programs. The material from the Hydrocarbon Boost and Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator programs…
-
Open Cosmos Raises $348 Million, Reaches $1 Billion Valuation
UK-based satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos closed a €300 million ($348 million) Series C round on September 14, 2026, lifting its valuation above $1 billion and making it Europe’s newest space unicorn. The company plans to use the capital to expand satellite production, ground infrastructure and its proprietary Earth observation and broadband constellations for…
-
US Space Force Operating On-Orbit Space Control Weapons, Air Force Secretary Says
The U.S. Space Force is operating on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending American and allied forces from hostile action, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said September 14 during the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The disclosure is the Pentagon’s most explicit public acknowledgment that…
-
Sophia Space and SLI Outline $300 Million Financing for Orbital Compute Constellation
Sophia Space and aerospace leasing specialist SLI have outlined a $300 million asset-financing framework for a planned 10-satellite edge computing constellation, the companies announced September 13. The non-binding arrangement would fund spacecraft construction and deployment against defined milestones, with launches beginning as early as 2028. The proposed structure adapts operating leases widely used for aircraft,…
-
Satellite Data Reveals Hidden Patterns of War in Ukraine and Myanmar
Satellite observations can expose wartime destruction overlooked by conventional reporting and help researchers build more complete records of armed conflict, according to an international study published in Nature on September 9, 2026. The research combines satellite-derived damage assessments with media-based conflict data, using case studies from Ukraine and Myanmar to show how Earth observation can…
-
SpaceX Sets USSF-259 Launch, Second Classified Space Force Mission in Six Days
SpaceX is preparing to launch the classified USSF-259 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 16, marking the company’s second national security flight from the base in six days. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East during a four-hour window…
-
Mitsubishi Electric Orders SWISSto12 Phased-Array Antennas for Japanese Government GEO Program
SWISSto12 and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on September 14 covering advanced satellite payloads, radio-frequency products and market development in Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region, while Mitsubishi Electric placed a separate order for phased-array antenna products supporting a Japanese government secure communications program in geostationary orbit. The companies did not disclose…