Tag: Satellite
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Successful Launch Does Not Mean Delivery Is Complete: Key Stages of In-Orbit Satellite Delivery
On September 13, during the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), Beijing Kaiyun United Information Technology Group Co., Ltd. (“Kaiyun Group”), PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited Zhejiang Branch, Beijing Hangbiao Times Testing and Certification Co., Ltd., and Sipai (Beijing) Insurance Brokerage Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop commercial…
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From “Southern Rockets, Northern Satellites” to Four-District Coordination: Why Has Beijing Become a Hub for Commercial Space?
On September 3, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce released the Work Plan for the Development of China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone Linkage Development Areas. The commercial space section presents a more detailed industrial coordination map than the previous “Southern Rockets, Northern Satellites” concept: Haidian focuses on constellation R&D, Fengtai on satellite application services,…
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How High and How Inclined Should a Satellite Fly? How Orbital Altitude and Inclination Are Determined
Why do some satellites skim relatively close to Earth and complete an orbit in just over 90 minutes, while others remain above the equator and appear motionless in the sky? And why do some Earth observation satellites designed for near-global coverage deliberately use “retrograde” orbits with inclinations greater than 90 degrees? The answer lies in…
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China–Nepal Border Flood: How Satellite Intelligence Supports Disaster Response When Roads and Communications Fail
Information current as of August 28, 2026. The disaster mechanism, casualty figures, and damage estimates remain subject to revision as field investigations continue. On August 26, 2026, a devastating flood and debris-flow disaster struck the Himalayan region along the border between China’s Xizang Autonomous Region and Nepal. Fast-moving floodwater, sediment, and boulders swept through narrow…
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STARPATH GLOBAL Showcases Space and Geospatial Intelligence Capabilities at Xinjiang Aerospace and Defense Technology Expo, Exploring New Opportunities for Global Commercial Space Cooperation
Urumqi, Xinjiang, China — The 2026 Xinjiang New Quality Productive Forces and Aerospace & Defense Technology Equipment Expo was held from August 21 to 23, 2026, at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center. Under the theme “Empowering Aerospace with New Quality Productive Forces and Strengthening National Defense through Technological Innovation,” the expo focused on…
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SpaceX IPO Shares Face Fresh Selling Pressure as Another Lockup Expiration Hits the Market
SpaceX shares came under renewed pressure on Aug. 20 as another major tranche of previously restricted stock became eligible for trading, adding billions of dollars’ worth of potential supply to a market already grappling with post-IPO volatility. The latest lockup expiration released approximately 319 million additional shares for potential sale by eligible insiders and early…
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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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Rocket Lab Targets Ninth iQPS Mission as Japanese SAR Constellation Accelerates Toward Near-Real-Time Earth Observation
Rocket Lab is preparing to launch another Japanese synthetic aperture radar satellite on Aug. 20, adding a new spacecraft to one of the fastest-growing commercial Earth-observation constellations in Asia. The mission, named “The Lightning God Defends,” is scheduled to lift off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula,…
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Intuitive Machines’ Maxar Acquisition Gains Momentum With $600 Million Satellite Order and Orbital Data Center Ambitions
Intuitive Machines’ decision to acquire the former Maxar satellite manufacturing business is beginning to look less like a bet on traditional spacecraft production and more like a strategy to build a vertically integrated space infrastructure company. The clearest evidence came in August 2026, when Intuitive Machines disclosed that it had secured a commercial contract worth…
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U.S. Space Force Extends Aging Weather Satellites Through 2028 as New Military Weather Architecture Takes Shape
The U.S. Space Force will keep its aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft operating until at least 2028, extending the life of a satellite fleet that was originally designed for much shorter missions but remains important to military weather forecasting. The decision highlights a transitional period in U.S. military space weather: the Space Force…