Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX is working to ready historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for Starship, with the rocket’s first liftoff from Florida potentially only months away. The effort would bring the company’s largest launch vehicle to a new site at the center.
Commercial Space
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SpaceX is working to ready historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for Starship, with the rocket’s first liftoff from Florida potentially only months away. The effort would bring the company’s largest launch vehicle to a new site at the center.
Elon Musk said unnamed “oligarchs” were preventing Starlink from entering India, in an apparent reference to billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. The remarks followed a post outlining the case for Starlink in India; the reports do not detail any formal blocking action or response from the named companies.
Venture capital is finding new opportunities in Europe’s space market, but the financing models and financial infrastructure supporting the sector may not yet match the pace of technological development. The gap could shape how space companies fund growth and turn technical progress into viable businesses.
The FCC approved SpaceX’s plan for a 15,000-satellite very low Earth orbit constellation to connect ordinary mobile phones, using spectrum that includes former EchoStar holdings. The authorization covers service in the U.S. and abroad, but U.S. operations must wait for the related deal to share spectrum; regulators deferred some requests.
The annual SpaceNews Icon Awards shortlist recognizes individuals, organizations and missions for achievements shaping the space industry. The finalists are cited for excellence in innovation, exploration and sustainability; the announcement does not provide further details on nominees or award categories.
With FCC approval secured and six satellites ready for the launch pad, Xona is shifting its focus to production capacity for the next 250 Pulsar spacecraft. The effort marks a transition from preparing an initial batch for launch to scaling manufacturing for a much larger satellite program.
High activity
NBAA says NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will join former Space Shuttle Commander Charlie Precourt for a fireside chat at its Oct. 19 Newsmakers Luncheon. Separately, SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts are expected to splash down off California after undocking from the International Space Station.
SpaceX and its allies are pressing the Trump administration for easier access to wireless spectrum bands, prompting objections from other users who warn the plans could interfere with flight tests, hospital equipment and television broadcasts. The dispute puts spectrum-sharing rules and the potential for cross-sector disruption at the center of the space industry’s expansion efforts.
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