Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX sent 27 Starlink broadband satellites to orbit from California just after midnight on Oct. 31. The launch adds another batch to the constellation, extending the company’s ongoing deployment of its satellite internet network.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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Launch activity from Cape Canaveral is down this year, but the Space Force is continuing upgrades intended to support substantially higher launch rates. The effort signals that infrastructure planning is proceeding despite a near-term dip in launches; the available reports do not specify the projects, schedule or expected capacity.
SpaceX sent 27 Starlink broadband satellites to orbit from California just after midnight on Oct. 31. The launch adds another batch to the constellation, extending the company’s ongoing deployment of its satellite internet network.
United Launch Alliance is scheduled to launch 40 Amazon satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Nov. 13, pending range approval and favorable weather. The mission would use Vulcan to deploy spacecraft for Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit constellation, while SpaceX is separately adding 27 Starlink satellites in a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg.
High activity
SpaceX completed all engine testing for Starship Flight 15 within eight days, including three static fires in three days, while also conducting cryogenic proof and catch testing for Flight 16. The company lifted top-deck deluge plates onto Pad 1’s launch mount, marking an unusually busy stretch for the program.
High activity
ISRO placed the next-generation NVS-03 navigation satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit on a GSLV-F18 launch from Sriharikota. The satellite restores India’s NavIC constellation to its minimum operational configuration of four satellites, a milestone toward reliable operation of the country’s indigenous navigation system.
High activity
Analysts warn that the looming launch crisis is worse than previously understood. They also find no evidence that SpaceX’s Starship will be used to launch traditional satellites, challenging assumptions that the vehicle will soon provide additional capacity for conventional satellite deployment.
High activity
Chinese state media says the GJ-21 stealth attack drone has completed its first takeoff and landing aboard the amphibious assault ship Sichuan, calling it a breakthrough in the ship program. The reported milestone follows more than a year of signs that China was preparing to demonstrate ship-based operations for the aircraft.
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