Tag: Starlink
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SpaceX Commits $100 Billion to Build Starbase Louisiana, Expanding Starship Launch Capacity
SpaceX has announced plans to invest approximately $100 billion in the construction of Starbase Louisiana, a massive new Starship launch complex on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast that would become the company’s largest spaceflight operations center and one of the most ambitious commercial space infrastructure projects ever proposed. The development is intended to support thousands of Starship…
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Starlink Ephemeris Data Enable First Real-World Tomographic Map of Thermospheric Density
Researchers at Kyoto University have demonstrated a new way to observe Earth’s upper atmosphere by transforming publicly available Starlink orbital data into the first tomographic map of thermospheric density derived from real satellite measurements rather than simulations. The study, published in *Earth, Planets and Space*, used orbital ephemeris data from approximately 1,200 Starlink satellites operating…
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Falcon 9’s Final Chapter? SpaceX Plans to Retire Its Workhorse Rocket Once Starship Reaches Full Operational Service
SpaceX is preparing for one of the most consequential transitions in launch industry history: the eventual retirement of the Falcon 9 rocket, the vehicle that transformed commercial spaceflight and established reusable launch systems as an industry standard. According to comments highlighted by SpaceX leadership and reported by Space.com, the company intends to phase out Falcon…
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Shanghai Spacecom Secures $1.94 Billion Funding Round, Reaching $6.96 Billion Valuation as China Accelerates Starlink Rival
Chinese satellite internet operator Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), also known as SpaceSail, has completed a 7 billion yuan ($1.94 billion) Series B financing round, valuing the company at approximately 50.1 billion yuan ($6.96 billion). The funding marks one of the largest capital raises in China’s commercial satellite sector and underscores the country’s determination to…
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SpaceX Expands Vertical Integration Strategy With In-House Natural Gas Trading Push
SpaceX is moving deeper into the energy sector as it seeks greater control over the fuel and power resources needed to support its rapidly expanding launch, manufacturing, and infrastructure operations. The company is hiring a dedicated natural gas trader to establish and lead a new internal trading team responsible for managing physical and financial natural…
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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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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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SpaceX Pushes First Starship Tower Catch Attempt to Later This Year as Reusability Campaign Advances
SpaceX is now targeting its first attempt to catch a returning Starship upper stage with the launch tower “chopstick” arms within the next few months, a shift from earlier expectations that the milestone could occur on the vehicle’s next flight. The updated timeline came from CEO Elon Musk, who said the company’s first Starship tower-catch…
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SpaceX Reaches 100th Mission of 2026 as Starlink Launch Highlights a New Era of High-Frequency Spaceflight
SpaceX has completed its 100th mission of 2026, reaching the milestone on Aug. 19 with another Starlink deployment from California. The mission, Starlink Group 17-50, sent 24 Starlink broadband satellites toward low Earth orbit aboard a flight-proven Falcon 9, underscoring how rapidly SpaceX has transformed orbital launch from an occasional event into a high-frequency operational…