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• Andrew Parsonson
SpaceForest completed the fourth launch of its PERUN suborbital rocket, describing the flight as the vehicle’s most successful test to date. The launch marks another test milestone for the Polish rocket builder’s suborbital program; the available report provides no further flight results or schedule details.
Commercial Space
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SpaceForest completed the fourth launch of its PERUN suborbital rocket, describing the flight as the vehicle’s most successful test to date. The launch marks another test milestone for the Polish rocket builder’s suborbital program; the available report provides no further flight results or schedule details.
Amazon Leo says it remains on track to begin initial broadband service this year, with its first launch on ULA’s Vulcan and its third flight on Europe’s Ariane 6 in the 64-booster configuration expected “in the coming weeks.” The missions are part of the constellation’s deployment sequence.
High activity
SpaceX has sent Ship 42, assigned to Flight 15, back to Massey’s for additional cryogenic proof testing as it accelerates vehicle production. Ship 40, used on Flight 13, has returned to Texas after 75 days at sea and is expected to go back to the production site.
President Donald Trump awarded Elon Musk and several other technology figures the National Medal of Science, the United States’ highest honor for scientists and engineers. The recognition puts the SpaceX founder among recipients honored for contributions to science and engineering.
Seattle-based Kapta Space has raised a $24 million Series A to build next-generation radar payloads designed to track moving targets. The funding will support development of the company’s space-based sensing technology, though the announcement provides no further details on customers, deployment timing or the payloads’ specifications.
Small-satellite operators targeting a 2029 launch may already be struggling to secure a ride, while the lowest-cost rideshare option is no longer accepting bookings. The shift puts renewed focus on whether dedicated small-launch providers can attract anchor customers and establish viable demand.
Northrop Grumman’s robotic Cygnus XL is scheduled to leave the International Space Station on Oct. 9, ending a six-month stay. The departure will be streamed live, marking the end of the spacecraft’s current cargo mission.
Blue Origin is set to develop a new manufacturing complex in central Texas, expanding its industrial footprint. Founder Jeff Bezos says the company could be a few years from going public, putting a potential IPO on a longer-term horizon rather than signaling an imminent listing.
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