NASA Spaceflight
• Chris Bergin, Eleanor Day
SpaceX has completed multi-day catch-related testing of unflown Ship 42 at Pad 2 and returned the vehicle to the production site for engine installation. The work precedes static-fire testing by Massey, while Starship Flight 14 is now targeted for no earlier than Sept. 22.
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SpaceX has completed multi-day catch-related testing of unflown Ship 42 at Pad 2 and returned the vehicle to the production site for engine installation. The work precedes static-fire testing by Massey, while Starship Flight 14 is now targeted for no earlier than Sept. 22.
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Europe’s Vega C is scheduled to launch the FLEX and Copernicus-3C spacecraft from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on Sept. 14. The satellites will support monitoring of plant health and ocean conditions, marking one of Vega C’s final launches of the year.
ESA’s FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellites are preparing for launch aboard Vega-C, while Airbus and Unseenlabs have won work on France’s next-generation CASSIOPÉE SIGINT satellites. Separately, Cailabs is developing shared optical ground infrastructure with Eutelsat, and Satellogic plans to expand its Earth-observation constellation.
ColliMate Space has demonstrated its Nexus software autonomously managing satellite downlinks onboard a spacecraft, marking the Silicon Valley startup’s first in-orbit demonstration. The milestone points to a potential shift toward more automated satcom operations, reducing the need for continuous ground-based orchestration of spacecraft communications.
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At the International Space Summit, Astrolab’s Manny Shar discusses the company’s effort to develop a lunar rover in just 17 months. The project highlights the pace, engineering demands and commercial ambitions shaping the emerging market for lunar mobility systems.
Exolaunch said Sept. 14 it secured capacity for rideshare payloads on two upcoming launches, one involving a Japanese rocket. The agreements add launch opportunities to Exolaunch’s manifest as the provider continues arranging shared-launch access for satellite customers.
The Department of the Air Force has awarded nuclear microreactor startup Antares a $161 million contract to develop and demonstrate a nuclear reactor for spacecraft. The award advances U.S. efforts to mature space-based nuclear power for future missions.
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The economics of low Earth orbit constellations may hinge less on launch prices than on custom silicon and shared terminal architectures. The design choices could shape cost, scalability and competitiveness across networks ranging from Starlink to Europe’s planned IRIS² constellation.
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