Tag: Satellite Constellations
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After the Rocket: How Electric Propulsion Moves Satellites
A successful rocket launch is followed by satellite separation. At this point, many people assume the mission is essentially complete: the rocket has delivered the satellite into space, and the satellite only needs to power on and begin operations. However, for many low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation missions, the orbit delivered by the rocket is…
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Hainan Could Become the Hub of China’s Commercial Space Future
The global launch industry is entering a new phase, one defined less by whether rockets can reach orbit and more by how quickly launch capacity can scale. Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim recently pointed to a widening imbalance between the number of satellites waiting to fly and the amount of launch capacity available to carry…
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Intuitive Machines Expands Satellite Manufacturing Business with Order for Two IM-300 Spacecraft
Intuitive Machines has secured a contract to build two IM-300 satellite platforms for an undisclosed customer, marking another step in the company’s effort to expand beyond lunar exploration and establish itself as a broader spacecraft manufacturer and space infrastructure provider. The Houston-based company announced Sept. 1 that the order covers two satellites based on its…
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Top ten frontier scientific issues in the field of remote sensing science and technology
In early July, Academician Zhang Bing and his co-authors published an article in the Journal of Remote Sensing, summarizing and discussing 10 frontier scientific questions in remote sensing science and technology. Original article: https://www.ygxb.ac.cn/zh/article/doi/10.11834/jrs.20266221/ Abstract Remote sensing is a fundamental technology for understanding the Earth system. The integration of coordinated satellite-airborne-tower-ground observations with artificial intelligence,…
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SpaceX Ends Florida Falcon 9 Starlink Era as Dawn Launch Creates Spectacular ‘Jellyfish’ Visible Over New York
A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a new batch of Starlink satellites marked the end of an era on Aug. 25, completing what the company says will be its final dedicated Starlink launch from Florida. The early-morning mission also produced a striking “space jellyfish” effect that was visible hundreds of miles from the launch site, including…
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RMB 3.8 Billion Investment Planned as Western China’s “Rocket and Satellite” Twin Super Factories Move Toward Tender Stage
According to information released on August 24 by the Shaanxi Provincial Public Resources Trading Center, two wholly owned subsidiaries of Western Aerospace Technology (Shaanxi) Group — Western Satellite Technology (Shaanxi) Co., Ltd. and Western Launch Vehicle Technology (Shaanxi) Co., Ltd. — have disclosed construction tender plans for a satellite super factory and a rocket super…
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Kinetica-2 Y2 Completes Factory Acceptance for 18-Satellite Mission Supporting China’s LEO Constellation Buildout
China’s commercial launch provider CAS Space has completed factory acceptance activities for the second Kinetica-2 rocket, clearing the vehicle for shipment to the launch site ahead of a planned October launch. The company said Aug. 25 that Kinetica-2 Y2 had completed all pre-delivery work, with its functional and performance indicators meeting the requirements of the…
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Multi-Satellite Launches: Why Satellites Are “Riding Together” Into Space
In recent years, rockets around the world have increasingly carried several satellites on a single launch. China’s commercial space sector, for example, recently used a “one rocket, seven satellites” mission to launch the GalaxySpace Lingzhi-09 Thai CubeSat for Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency. So why are satellites increasingly “riding together” into space? What…
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After Long March 10B and Zhuque-3 Recoveries, What Comes Next for China’s Commercial Rockets?
On August 19, 2026, the second Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone. Its first stage subsequently returned to a landing pad in Minqin, Gansu Province, marking China’s first land recovery of the first stage of an orbital-class launch vehicle. Just 40 days earlier, on July 10, the Long March…
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Muon Space Raises $250 Million to Scale Satellite Constellation Production
Muon Space has raised $250 million in a Series C financing round as the California satellite developer moves to expand spacecraft production, broaden its dual-use satellite platforms and support a growing pipeline of commercial, government and international sovereign customers. The oversubscribed financing, announced Aug. 20, brings Muon Space’s total equity funding to more than $386…