{"id":23763,"date":"2025-07-26T00:11:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T16:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/space-traffic-report-busy-week-for-falcon-9-tracers-starlink-o3b-satellites\/"},"modified":"2025-07-26T00:11:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T16:11:05","slug":"space-traffic-report-busy-week-for-falcon-9-tracers-starlink-o3b-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/space-traffic-report-busy-week-for-falcon-9-tracers-starlink-o3b-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Traffic Report: Busy Week for Falcon 9: TRACERS, Starlink &#038; O3b Satellites!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">This week\u2019s launches predominantly featured SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9, beginning with a Starlink mission from Vandenberg, followed by the O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from Florida, and concluding with NASA\u2019s TRACERS and accompanying payloads from Vandenberg. The Soyuz 2.1b rounded out the week, completing the Ionosfera-M constellation.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Busy Week for Falcon 9: TRACERS, Starlink &amp; O3b Satellites! | Space Traffic Report\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PWN9XZl0A4Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Falcon 9 Launch of Starlink Group 17-3<\/h3>\n<p>The week kicked off with SpaceX launching its Starlink Group 17-3 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff occurred on July 19th at 03:53 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1946418207666962434&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fspace-report-tracers-starlink-o3b%2F&amp;sessionId=29f4b49970d6aac07d2ccf6855ed52774602cd26&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1946418207666962434\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783493677069629047=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">LAUNCH! SpaceX Falcon 9 B1082-14 launches Starlink Group 17-3 from SLC-4E, Vandenberg.<\/p>\n<p>Overview: https:\/\/t.co\/VKFnrJWvtJ pic.twitter.com\/2v9oUk0URn<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NSF \u2013 NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) July 19, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The rocket deployed 24 Starlink v2 Mini satellites into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit, marking the second operational launch of Starlink v2 Mini satellites into polar orbit, enhancing internet coverage for users in higher latitudes. The mission\u2019s booster, B1082, successfully completed its fourteenth flight, landing on the droneship \u201cOf Course I Still Love You.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Falcon 9 Launch of O3b mPOWER D<\/h3>\n<p>On July 22nd at 21:12 UTC, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. This mission carried two O3b mPOWER satellites into Medium-Earth Orbit. Built by Boeing and operated by SES, these satellites are part of the second generation of SES\u2019s O3b constellation.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1947778863531995458&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fspace-report-tracers-starlink-o3b%2F&amp;sessionId=29f4b49970d6aac07d2ccf6855ed52774602cd26&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1947778863531995458\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783493677069629047=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Falcon 9 making pretty vapor cones over Florida via @dwisecinema on the NSF launch stream: https:\/\/t.co\/Q7uoXHJoHH pic.twitter.com\/lG871BZfLy<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NSF \u2013 NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) July 22, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Space Shuttle<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Rocket building kits<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Astronomy<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>Originally intended to include three satellites, technical issues with earlier satellites caused adjustments to the mission plan. Booster B1090, on its sixth flight, successfully returned to Earth, landing on SpaceX\u2019s droneship \u201cJust Read The Instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Falcon 9 Launch of TRACERS and Rideshare Missions<\/h3>\n<p>Closing out the Falcon 9 launches for the week, SpaceX launched NASA\u2019s TRACERS mission alongside eight other payloads into Sun-Synchronous Orbit on July 23rd at 18:13 UTC from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The TRACERS mission, comprising two satellites, studies magnetic reconnection\u2014a process where Earth\u2019s magnetic field lines disconnect and reconnect, potentially causing auroras and affecting ground-based electrical systems. This mission is led by David Miles from the University of Iowa, historically linked to physicist James Van Allen of the Van Allen radiation belts.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-3\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-3&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1948088171641618841&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fspace-report-tracers-starlink-o3b%2F&amp;sessionId=29f4b49970d6aac07d2ccf6855ed52774602cd26&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1948088171641618841\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783493677069629047=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">LAUNCH! SpaceX Falcon 9 B1081-16 launches NASA TRACERS Mission from SLC-4E, Vandenberg.  @NASASpaceflight  Overview: https:\/\/t.co\/3huL5YmAIB pic.twitter.com\/TilDsK9X5w<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elisar Priel (@ENNEPS) July 23, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rideshare payloads included NASA\u2019s REAL instrument studying particle loss from the Van Allen belts and Bard, built by York Space Systems, featuring the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) for satellite communication interoperability. Other payloads included NovaWurks\u2019s Athena, Tyvak\u2019s LIDE spacecraft, and four Skykraft-4 constellation satellites.<\/p>\n<p>Initially delayed due to an FAA air traffic control disruption from a power outage, the launch succeeded the next day, marking the sixteenth flight for booster B1081, which landed at Landing Zone 4.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Why The FAA Just SCRUBBED SpaceX\u2019s Launch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4D45jtt6cxA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Soyuz 2.1b Launch of Ionosfera-M Satellites<\/h3>\n<p>Wrapping up the week, a Soyuz 2.1b rocket launched on July 25th at 05:54 UTC from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia. This mission carried two Ionosfera-M satellites, completing Russia\u2019s four-satellite constellation designed to measure Earth\u2019s ionosphere and magnetosphere. Accompanying the primary payload were 18 cubesat rideshares, including an experimental Iranian communications satellite.<\/p>\n<h3>Looking Ahead: Upcoming Missions<\/h3>\n<p>Next week promises continued excitement with up to four Starlink launches. The European Vega C rocket will also carry CNES\u2019s Constellation Optique en 3D (CO3D) satellites for high-detail Earth mapping and the MicroCarb satellite for global carbon dioxide monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s GSLV Mark II is set to launch the collaborative NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, aimed at detailed Earth observations. Meanwhile, Australia\u2019s Gilmour Space plans its maiden flight of the Eris rocket after previous delays.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, SpaceX will conduct the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled no earlier than July 31st. This will mark the sixth flight of Crew Dragon Endeavour, setting a new record for Dragon capsule reuse. The crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.<\/p>\n<p>China may launch its returning Hyperbola 1 rocket, additional Guowang internet satellites, and the United States could see a HASTE mission from Wallops, Virginia, carrying a secretive hypersonic payload.<\/p>\n<p>As always, launch dates are subject to change. Stay updated by visiting nextspaceflight.com or downloading the mobile app.<\/p>\n<p><em>Report by Elysia Segal for NSF\u2019s BREAKINGSpace. Written by Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera. Lead image: Roscosmos.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week\u2019s launches predominantly featured SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9, beginning with a Starlink mission from Vandenberg, followed by the O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from Florida, and concluding with NASA\u2019s TRACERS and accompanying payloads from Vandenberg. The Soyuz 2.1b rounded out the week, completing the Ionosfera-M constellation. &nbsp; Falcon 9 Launch of Starlink Group 17-3 The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[8064,8065],"class_list":["post-23763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-breakingspace","tag-space-traffic-report"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23763"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23763\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}