Tag: Low Earth Orbit
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SpaceX Marks 100th Falcon Launch of 2026 with Starlink Group 15-20 Mission
SpaceX continued its record-setting launch pace on Aug. 22, successfully deploying 27 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, designated Starlink Group 15-20, represented the company’s 100th Falcon-family launch of 2026 and further expanded the world’s largest satellite constellation. The Falcon…
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Starlink Reapplies for India Approval of Nearly 30,000 Gen 2 Satellites With Direct-to-Device Capability
Starlink has renewed its push to expand in India, submitting a fresh application to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) for authorization of nearly 30,000 second-generation satellites in low Earth orbit. The proposed Gen 2 network would add newer capabilities, including direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, potentially allowing compatible mobile phones and other devices…
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Kreios Space Targets 2028 VLEO Demonstration With NanoAvionics Satellite Bus
Spanish aerospace startup Kreios Space has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics to provide the satellite platform for its first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) demonstration mission, which is targeted for launch in 2028. The mission will serve as the company’s first in-orbit test of its air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, designed to enable satellites to operate for…
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AMOS Selected to Build PROVIDENCE Space Surveillance Telescope for France
Belgian optical systems company AMOS has been selected by the French aerospace research agency ONERA to design and manufacture PROVIDENCE, a ground-based telescope intended to support space surveillance operations for the French Air and Space Force. Astronomy The 2.5-meter telescope is scheduled to enter service in early 2029 and will be installed at the Haute-Provence…
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Commercial Space Federation Adds Overview Energy, Loft Orbital, and Star Catcher as Associate Members
The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) has welcomed Overview Energy, Loft Orbital, and Star Catcher as new associate members, expanding the organization’s network with companies developing technologies for space-based energy, satellite deployment, and orbital power infrastructure. Astronomy The additions reflect growing industry efforts to build the next generation of commercial space capabilities, ranging from in-orbit energy…
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UK Space Agency Delays £75.6 Million Active Debris Removal Contract Award
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has delayed awarding a contract for the next phase of the United Kingdom’s first active orbital debris removal mission, missing its original deadline for the £75.6 million program. Astronomy The contract for Phase 3 of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission was initially scheduled to be awarded by March 30,…
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NASA Advisory Panel Warns ISS Safety Margins Are Reaching ‘Alarming’ Levels
The safety margin for operating the International Space Station (ISS) is shrinking to an “alarming” level as aging hardware and limited replacement options continue to challenge long-term operations, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has warned. Astronomy Speaking during a panel meeting, chair Susan Helms said it is becoming increasingly difficult for NASA to maintain sufficient…
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China Launches 34-Member VLEO Alliance With 2 Satellites Below 300km
Is China Building a VLEO Constellation Program? China now has two satellites sustaining orbits below 300 kilometers simultaneously — and on June 27, 2026, formalized the industrial ecosystem behind that capability by launching a national Very Low Earth Orbit Technology Innovation and Industry Development Alliance, co-founded by 34 organizations, at a conference in Shenzhen attended…
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Japan Nears Decision on $2 Billion Domestic Direct-to-Device Satellite Network
Japan is expected to select a proposal this month for its planned J-LEO direct-to-device (D2D) satellite network, a government-backed initiative aimed at establishing a domestically owned and operated low Earth orbit (LEO) communications system. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has allocated approximately $1 billion in subsidies for the project, covering up to…
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Pegasus Rocket to Launch Mission to Extend NASA Swift Observatory’s Orbit
A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket is scheduled to launch a robotic servicing spacecraft this weekend on a mission to extend the operational life of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by boosting it into a higher orbit. The mission will carry Katalyst Space’s LINK servicing spacecraft, which is designed to rendezvous with the Swift Observatory…