Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX is targeting Sept. 22 for Starship’s first attempt to reach orbit, a roughly 10-hour mission that would deploy 26 Starlink satellites. The flight would also mark the debut of V3 Starlink spacecraft in the company’s orbital internet constellation, adding a major test of Starship’s launch and deployment capabilities.
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Direct-to-device satellite services are attracting partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, promising broader coverage without terrestrial infrastructure in remote areas. As these relationships multiply, unresolved questions around deployment, commercial models and service execution will shape whether D2D becomes a scalable network extension.
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SpaceX is targeting Sept. 22 for Starship’s first attempt to reach orbit, a roughly 10-hour mission that would deploy 26 Starlink satellites. The flight would also mark the debut of V3 Starlink spacecraft in the company’s orbital internet constellation, adding a major test of Starship’s launch and deployment capabilities.
German launch startup Isar Aerospace plans to more than double its launch capacity in 2028, signaling an effort to scale production and operations in response to strong demand for access to space. The company is backed by the NATO Innovation Fund.
Elon Musk again raised the possibility of merging SpaceX and Tesla, calling the question of why the companies remain separate a “great question.” Musk pointed to the extensive cooperation between the rocket and electric-vehicle businesses, which he leads as chief executive of both.
Canada is presenting a broad portfolio of strategic projects to international investors, spanning spaceports and satellite initiatives alongside data centers, critical-mineral mines, high-speed rail and an Arctic trade corridor. The pitch positions aerospace infrastructure within a wider national effort to attract capital to major economic and connectivity projects.
Maverick has booked 10 Kepler satellites on a dedicated launch operated by Portal, using available capacity as demand for orbital launch services continues to intensify. The deal highlights the value of flexible launch arrangements for satellite operators seeking access to increasingly constrained capacity.
British startup Shield Space has completed the critical design review for Broadsword, a 2027 mission intended to demonstrate in-orbit satellite inspection. The company says defense customers could deploy the capability within nine months of signing a contract, positioning rapid inspection as a near-term space-security service.
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Executives at the three European companies pursuing the Bromo space joint venture merger continue to argue that combining their space businesses is necessary. Their public defense signals that the transaction remains strategically important despite unresolved questions surrounding the proposed structure and execution.
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