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Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

SpaceX probes fourth Falcon 9 upper‑stage anomaly in 19 months as Amazon books 10 extra launches; Starship testing resumes

SpaceX is probing an upper‑stage Falcon 9 malfunction — the fourth similar anomaly in 19 months — prompting scrutiny of the rocket's reliability and launch cadence. With near‑term launch capacity tight, Amazon booked 10 additional SpaceX missions and Starship testing has resumed.

2026-02-06T04:54:39.945490-08:00

Via Satellite

Morpheus Space raises €15M ($15M) to scale GO‑1 electric thruster production in Dresden

2026-02-05T08:41:03.424290-08:00

Payload

Univity to deploy 1,500‑satellite VLEO constellation for direct‑to‑device consumer connectivity

2026-02-05T22:14:04.220202-08:00

Payload

Astrolight to fly three optical‑comm payloads on SpaceX Transporter‑16 as Exolaunch manifests 57 satellites

2026-02-05T22:08:22.933306-08:00

News Timeline

Ars Technica

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SpaceX probes fourth Falcon 9 upper‑stage anomaly in 19 months as Amazon books 10 extra launches; Starship testing resumes SpaceX is probing an upper‑stage Falcon 9 malfunction — the fourth similar anomaly in 19 months — prompting scrutiny of the rocket's reliability and launch cadence. With near‑term launch capacity tight, Amazon booked 10 additional SpaceX missions and Starship testing has resumed.

2026-02-06T04:54:39.945490-08:00

SpaceX probes fourth Falcon 9 upper‑stage anomaly in 19 months as Amazon books 10 extra launches; Starship testing resumes

Payload

Univity to deploy 1,500‑satellite VLEO constellation for direct‑to‑device consumer connectivity Univity plans a 1,500‑satellite very‑low‑Earth‑orbit (VLEO) constellation to provide direct connections to consumer devices, enabling satellite‑to‑handset links without traditional user terminals. The network is pitched to deliver dense VLEO coverage with lower latency than higher‑altitude systems for mass‑market D2D services.

2026-02-05T22:14:04.220202-08:00

Univity to deploy 1,500‑satellite VLEO constellation for direct‑to‑device consumer connectivity

Payload

Astrolight to fly three optical‑comm payloads on SpaceX Transporter‑16 as Exolaunch manifests 57 satellites Astrolight will fly three optical-communications payloads on SpaceX's Transporter‑16 rideshare to demonstrate space-to-ground laser links. Exolaunch will deploy 57 customer satellites on the same mission, highlighting continued commercial demand for high-volume microsatellite launches and laser‑comm demonstrations.

2026-02-05T22:08:22.933306-08:00

Astrolight to fly three optical‑comm payloads on SpaceX Transporter‑16 as Exolaunch manifests 57 satellites

sciencedirect.com

Megaconstellations' End-of-Life Reentries Create Uncertain Casualty and Environmental Risks Operators plan thousands of satellites to deorbit at end of life to limit orbital debris, but recent analyses and a Harvard Salata Institute release warn design‑for‑demise outcomes are uncertain. Partial burn‑up can leave surviving fragments and atmospheric deposits, creating ground casualty and environmental risks as constellations scale.

2026-02-05T17:09:17.509662-08:00

Megaconstellations' End-of-Life Reentries Create Uncertain Casualty and Environmental Risks

SpaceNews.com

Space Force probes asteroid mining: why deep‑space, dim objects matter The U.S. Space Force is examining asteroid mining and the role of dim, deep‑space objects to assess implications for national security, logistics and space‑domain awareness. Reporting focuses on what draws military attention to off‑Earth resources and the challenges of detecting and tracking faint targets.

2026-02-05T14:08:09.230018-08:00

Space Force probes asteroid mining: why deep‑space, dim objects matter

Via Satellite

Arabsat pilots AUDIMATIC real‑time IoT TV viewership detection Arabsat has subscribed to AUDIMATIC’s real‑time IoT video analytics platform to pilot automated television viewership detection across its broadcast services. The deal gives the Riyadh‑based satellite operator real‑time audience metrics via edge and cloud analytics, aimed at improving content measurement and operational visibility.

2026-02-05T13:35:00.809416-08:00

Arabsat pilots AUDIMATIC real‑time IoT TV viewership detection

Space Intel Report

Sky Perfect JSat posts higher revenue and operating income for nine months to Dec. 31; Japan MoD ISR contract due this month Sky Perfect JSat, a satellite fleet operator and expanding space-systems provider, reported higher revenue and operating income for the nine months ended Dec. 31. The company is also poised for a Japan Ministry of Defense ISR constellation contract expected to be awarded this month.

2026-02-05T11:35:28.578408-08:00

Sky Perfect JSat posts higher revenue and operating income for nine months to Dec. 31; Japan MoD ISR contract due this month

Space.com

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China joins race to build orbital data centers with new five‑year plan Beijing unveiled a five‑year plan to develop space‑based data centers, formalizing state support as commercial and national actors compete to host cloud and AI compute in orbit. U.S. companies are also pursuing solar‑powered orbital data centers as terrestrial power limits and demand push compute off Earth.

2026-02-05T11:08:32.063130-08:00

China joins race to build orbital data centers with new five‑year plan

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Commercial Space News

SpaceX probes fourth Falcon 9 upper‑stage anomaly in 19 months as Amazon books 10 extra launches; Starship testing resumes

Morpheus Space raises €15M ($15M) to scale GO‑1 electric thruster production in Dresden

Univity to deploy 1,500‑satellite VLEO constellation for direct‑to‑device consumer connectivity

Astrolight to fly three optical‑comm payloads on SpaceX Transporter‑16 as Exolaunch manifests 57 satellites

News Timeline