Space.com
• Mike Wall
A Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink broadband satellites on Oct. 12, the first Starlink mission flown by the rocket since Sept. 19. The launch resumes a cadence of Falcon 9 missions to build out SpaceX’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
Commercial Space
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A Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink broadband satellites on Oct. 12, the first Starlink mission flown by the rocket since Sept. 19. The launch resumes a cadence of Falcon 9 missions to build out SpaceX’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
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A Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch the CRS-35 cargo mission from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 13, carrying thousands of pounds of supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station. The shipment includes the final pair of iROSA solar arrays; the Dragon spacecraft is expected to arrive about 52 hours after liftoff.
Separate agreements link ispace-EUROPE with ALTEC on lunar rover testing, mission simulations and operator training; ICEYE with Nokia on sovereign low Earth orbit communications for government and defense customers; and METLEN with Thales companies on Greece’s future national defense satellite communications system.
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The French startup plans to use the funding to expand its fleet of autonomous hydrogen-powered airships, which inspect critical infrastructure and are already used by several major European operators. HyLight is targeting 15 aircraft operating simultaneously by 2027, as its airships take on some missions traditionally performed by helicopters.
NASA has released its final request for proposals inviting U.S. industry to develop, certify and operate privately owned space stations. The solicitation sets out how the agency plans to procure commercial destinations as it prepares for operations beyond the International Space Station.
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NASA has released the final request for proposals for the next phase of its program to develop commercial space stations. The solicitation moves the procurement beyond the earlier draft stage, inviting proposals for the effort’s next phase.
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Four months after a New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad, Blue Origin says it remains on track to return the vehicle to flight before year-end. Attention is now on the reconstruction of Launch Complex 36 and whether work is nearing the halfway point, with roughly three months left in the year.
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Elon Musk says Starlink will keep its satellite internet service affordable in India, where data prices are among the world’s lowest, positioning the service against Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio. The comments come days before Jio’s parent company is set to launch what is described as India’s largest-ever IPO.
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