Bloomberg
• Satviki Sanjay
Elon Musk is promoting Starlink as a way to connect India’s underserved rural regions, where more than 11,000 villages reportedly lack 4G, even as the service’s launch remains stalled over security concerns. Separately, Ukrainian officials are seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against Russian ballistic-missile launchers.
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Elon Musk is promoting Starlink as a way to connect India’s underserved rural regions, where more than 11,000 villages reportedly lack 4G, even as the service’s launch remains stalled over security concerns. Separately, Ukrainian officials are seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against Russian ballistic-missile launchers.
California startup Elve has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier platform for spaceflight, advancing a high-frequency communications component from development toward use in spacecraft and satellite systems. The qualification marks a program milestone for the company’s space-focused amplifier technology.
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A new National Space Transportation Policy directs the U.S. government to support commercial launch providers and scale national launch and reentry activity to 1,000 missions annually by 2030. The target arrives as SpaceX reaches 100 launches in 2026 and Starlink approaches 11,000 operational satellites.
SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are reportedly seeking Grain Management spectrum valued at about $6 billion for direct-to-device satellite services, while Muon Space raised $250 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. Muon plans to expand its San Jose factory toward 500 satellites annually by 2027 and deepen defense, NASA and NOAA work.
Phantom Space has named Worth Wray chief operating officer, assigning him responsibility for day-to-day operations, efficiency, capital formation and business-process expansion. The appointment comes as the company works to increase production and establish a more consistent launch cadence.
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Rocket Lab announced an agreement on June 29 to acquire Iridium, a move that would significantly broaden the launch company’s position in the satellite sector. Analysts are assessing how the transaction could accelerate Rocket Lab’s strategy to build a next-generation space company.
SpaceX is likely to attempt the first catch of a Starship upper stage using the launch tower within the next few months, CEO Elon Musk said. Musk previously identified late August as a potential window for the milestone, which would advance the company’s reusability ambitions for its next-generation launch system.
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SpaceX has faced a difficult ride on Wall Street, with its shares down 5.74%, even as Elon Musk’s space and artificial-intelligence company accumulates significant wins in Washington. The contrast highlights divergent investor sentiment and political momentum surrounding the company’s businesses.
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