Author: starpathwp-production
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Starlink Satellites Now Dodging Collisions Almost Weekly as Maneuvers Triple in a Year
The increase coincides with rapid growth of the constellation and the broader satellite population. Starlink expanded from about 6,000 satellites in 2024 to more than 10,000 as of June 2026. Over the same period, the total number of operational spacecraft in orbit rose from around 10,000 to roughly 16,000. Between December 2025 and May 2026,…
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Firefly Aerospace Secures $13 Million NASA JPL Subcontract for SkyFall Mars Mission
Firefly Aerospace, a market leading space and defense technology company, announced a $13 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to manufacture, test and deliver the aeroshell for NASA’s SkyFall mission to Mars, targeted for launch in late 2028. The SkyFall mission, managed by JPL, will deploy three heritage Mars helicopters to perform science…
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A most improbable astronaut just went to space
Anil Menon, a NASA flight surgeon, felt crushed nine years ago as his hopes and aspirations collapsed around him. For the fourth time, he had diligently applied to become an astronaut at the US space agency, seeking to fulfill a lifelong dream. Although he made it to the final round, NASA had once again rejected…
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Space Development Agency Awards $1.75 Billion for 36 New Missile-Tracking Satellites
The awards mark another step in the Pentagon’s effort to build a large network of low Earth orbit satellites capable of detecting, tracking and helping defend against ballistic and hypersonic missile threats. The constellation is expected to support the Trump administration’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense initiative by providing space-based missile warning and tracking data.…
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NASA Artemis III Demo Will Fly Two HLS Landers in 2027
Does NASA’s 2027 Artemis III Mission Actually Land on the Moon? No — and that distinction matters enormously for anyone tracking the Artemis Program schedule. NASA’s Artemis III, currently planned for 2027, is a crewed rendezvous-and-docking demonstration in low Earth orbit and cislunar space, not a lunar surface landing. The actual crewed Moon landing is…
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Slingshot Aerospace Lands $70M Space Force AI Contract
Is Slingshot Aerospace Now the Pentagon’s Primary AI Mission Rehearsal Vendor? Nearly $70 million. That is the value of the U.S. Space Force contract Slingshot Aerospace announced on July 15, 2026 — a figure the company describes as the largest single award in its history. The contract expands Slingshot’s AI-driven mission rehearsal capabilities for Space…
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Applied Aerospace & Defense COO Kevin Bidlack Talks Growth Post-IPO in Thursday Morning Conversation
Sometimes Thursday Morning Conversations (TMCs) are all about timing. It is a great time to talk to Applied Aerospace & Defense, a diverse space tech company, which recently went public in an IPO in June. Applied Aerospace & Defense, a provider of advanced design, engineering, and vertically integrated manufacturing solutions for space and defense technology…
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Amazon Leo Lands First African Consumer Broadband Deal With South Africa’s Herotel
Fast Facts: > Amazon Leo has signed its first African consumer broadband partnership, teaming up with South Africa’s Herotel to launch the satellite internet service in 2027. > Herotel’s existing network of 350,000 customers, 550+ towns, and 120 local offices will support installation and customer service while Amazon Leo extends broadband to rural and underserved…
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Frontier and Indigo Partners Sign Starlink Deal Spanning More Than 1,000 Aircraft
The deal spans Indigo Partners, a private equity firm whose portfolio of low-cost airlines includes Frontier as well as Wizz Air in Europe, Volaris in Mexico, JetSMART in South America, and Cebu Pacific in the Philippines. Frontier described the move as part of a broader evolution of its travel experience, alongside decisions to introduce a…
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Carrier rocket for China’s Chang’e-7 lunar probe arrives at launch site
The carrier rocket for the Chang’e-7 lunar exploration mission has arrived at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China’s Hainan Province, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Monday. The Long March-5 Y14 carrier rocket will undergo assembly and testing at the launch site together with the Chang’e-7 lunar probe, which was transported…