Author: starpathwp-production
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Northrop Grumman Invests $50 Million in Firefly Aerospace to Advance Medium-Lift Rocket Eclipse
Northrop Grumman announced on May 29 a $50 million investment in Firefly Aerospace, joining a $175 million Series D funding round for the company that values it at over $2 billion. The funding will support development of Firefly’s medium-lift launch vehicle, recently renamed Eclipse. Eclipse is designed to carry payloads up to 16,300 kilograms to…
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U.S. Space Force Orders Two Additional GPS IIIF Satellites from Lockheed Martin
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $509.7 million contract for two more Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, expanding the military’s investment in the advanced GPS III Follow-on (GPS IIIF) constellation aimed at bolstering both civilian and defense navigation services. The new satellites, GPS IIIF-21 and IIIF-22, are scheduled for delivery by 2031,…
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Tom Mueller’s Impulse Space Raises Massive Series C Finance Haul
Space transportation company Impulse Space raised a staggering $300 million in a Series C funding round led by Linse Capital. The cash haul ranks as one of the largest venture rounds in the history of the space industry and brings Impulse’s total capital raised to $525 million. Established in 2021 by SpaceX founding member Tom…
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SpaceX Starship Loses Attitude Control During Test Flight, Marking Third Consecutive Uncontrolled Reentry
SpaceX’s Starship vehicle experienced a loss of attitude control after reaching space during its May 27 test flight, resulting in an uncontrolled reentry and the third consecutive failure to achieve a controlled splashdown. The vehicle lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas at 7:36 p.m. Eastern time. The launch was briefly delayed due to…
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China Conducts Ninth Orbital Launch of May, Deploying Secretive Shijian-26 Satellite
China successfully launched its ninth orbital mission of the month early Thursday, sending the experimental Shijian-26 spacecraft into orbit aboard a Long March 4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The rocket lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Eastern (0412 UTC) May 29, with insulation tiles visibly shedding from the payload fairing…
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China Conducts Ninth Orbital Launch of May, Deploying Secretive Shijian-26 Satellite
China successfully launched its ninth orbital mission of the month early Thursday, sending the experimental Shijian-26 spacecraft into orbit aboard a Long March 4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The rocket lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Eastern (0412 UTC) May 29, with insulation tiles visibly shedding from the payload fairing…
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Japan Defense Ministry Selects Space One, Space BD for Satellite Launch
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has selected Space BD and Space One to launch a small optical imaging satellite, marking a milestone in the country’s growing reliance on commercial space services for national security applications. The companies announced Tuesday they had secured a contract to launch the satellite, which will be built by Canon Electronics.…
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NASA Switches to Backup Propellant Line on Psyche Asteroid Mission
NASA has resolved a propulsion issue on its Psyche asteroid mission by switching to a backup xenon propellant line, allowing the spacecraft to resume operations with its electric thrusters by mid-June, the agency said Tuesday. The spacecraft, which launched in October 2023 to study the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, experienced a drop in pressure in early…
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Low Altitude, High Stakes: Why VLEO Will Decide Military Superiority
For decades, space dominance was defined by how high and how far nations could go. Modern warfare is changing that equation, bringing the fight closer to Earth. Some of the most critical battles for intelligence, defense and security won’t take place in deep space or Geostationary Orbit (GEO) —they will unfold in Very Low Earth…
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Apex Unveils Largest Satellite Bus Yet to Target Constellation Market
U.S. satellite manufacturer Apex has introduced its largest spacecraft to date, a new satellite bus aimed at both commercial and government constellation operators. The company said on May 28 it is now accepting orders for Comet, a large satellite platform designed to support payloads exceeding 500 kilograms and generating more than five kilowatts of power.…