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• Sandra Erwin
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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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South Korea’s Kompsat-6 radar-observation satellite has become an example of the risks of launching as a co-passenger rather than buying a dedicated mission. The case highlights the tradeoff satellite operators face between the lower cost of a shared ride and the greater control of a dedicated launch.
South Korea’s Flexell Space and Singapore-based Satoro have agreed to demonstrate and validate next-generation space solar cells in orbit, with missions planned aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 launches in 2027 and 2028. Flexell will supply solar cells and test modules; Satoro will provide a satellite-as-a-service solution.
The number of times SpaceX’s Starship would need to refill its tanks in orbit to support a moon mission remains undetermined. That uncertainty leaves a key operational requirement of the rocket’s lunar mission architecture unresolved.
Blue Origin says reconstruction of New Glenn’s launch pad should be complete in the first half of December, maintaining its goal of returning the rocket to flight before year-end. The schedule hinges on restoring the site after the pad was damaged in an explosion, with little time remaining for launch preparations.
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NASA launched the first test flight of its Saturn I rocket on Oct. 27, 1961. The successful flight marked an early milestone in the development of the launch vehicles that would ultimately enable the United States’ crewed lunar program, including the Saturn V.
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