Tag: SpaceX
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Three Launches This Week Signal Quieter Period Before Major Missions
What’s driving this week’s lighter launch schedule? This week’s global launch manifest features just three missions—two SpaceX Falcon 9 flights and one Chinese Chang Zheng 7 mission—marking a notable deceleration from April’s 28 launches across all providers. The reduced cadence reflects seasonal planning patterns and payload delivery schedules rather than any operational constraints, with multiple…
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SpaceX launches CAS500-2 and 45 other payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit
SpaceX successfully launched its third rideshare mission of 2026 aboard Falcon 9. The mission carried the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 (CAS500-2) and 45 other payloads as part of SpaceX’s rideshare program. Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and recovered the veteran first-stage booster, B1071,…
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Mission Drishti Launches Indian Earth Observation Startup to Orbit
What capabilities does Mission Drishti bring to India’s commercial space sector? Mission Drishti, an Indian Earth observation startup, successfully deployed its first satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 3, 2026, marking another milestone in India’s expanding commercial space ecosystem. The launch represents a strategic move by the startup to establish operations in…
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Starcloud Seeks $200 Million Funding as Orbital Data Center Ambitions Grow
Orbital data center startup Starcloud is seeking to raise at least $200 million in new funding, a move that could double its valuation to around $2.2 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter. The funding discussions, first reported by The Information, come about a month after the Redmond, Washington-based company announced a $170…
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SpaceX launches South Korean Earth observation satellite, plus 44 more payloads on midnight Falcon 9 rideshare mission
A streak shot of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during the CAS500-2 mission, which launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on May 3, 2026. Image: SpaceX Update May 3, 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of all payloads. SpaceX launched 45 payloads on an overnight rideshare mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg…
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Arianespace Launches 32 Amazon Satellites on Ariane 6 as Constellation Deployment Continues
Arianespace has successfully launched 32 satellites for Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, marking its second mission for the program using the Ariane 6 rocket. The launch took place at 08:57 UTC from the ELA-4 launch complex in French Guiana, with the rocket flying in its Ariane 64 configuration, which includes four solid-fuel boosters. The…
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SpaceX marks May Day, National Space Day with Starlink mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on the Starlink 10-38 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as seen from the shoreside in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on May 1, 2026. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now Update May 1, 3:10 p.m. EDT (1910 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 29 Starlink…
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SpaceX aims for mid-May Starship Flight 12 launch with revised trajectory
The return of Starship launches may be just weeks away, with notices for the upcoming Flight 12 launch attempt publishing notification for windows opening as early as May 12. The move signals accelerating preparations for the first orbital test flight of the upgraded Version 3 Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, although engineers will have several…
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Investors Eye Orbital Data Center Downstream Markets Despite Tech Delays
What Downstream Markets Are Investors Targeting Before Orbital Data Centers Launch? Venture capitalists are already funding companies that could capitalize on orbital data centers, even though SpaceX and other major players won’t deploy the massive computing networks for several years. Investment firms are targeting edge computing applications, quantum-resistant encryption services, and real-time satellite data processing…
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Starcloud Seeks $2.2B Valuation as SpaceX Shows Interest
Why is SpaceX interested in Starcloud’s $2.2 billion funding round? Starcloud is pursuing a $2.2 billion valuation in ongoing funding discussions, with SpaceX emerging as a potential strategic investor interested in the startup’s edge computing platform for orbital data processing applications. The talks, first reported by The Information on April 30, position Starcloud among the…