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Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

SpaceX ramps Vandenberg cadence with Starlink mission 17-29, now its busiest launch site for 2026

SpaceX is increasing its West Coast tempo at Vandenberg Space Force Base, which is set to become its busiest launch site for now. Mission 17-29 launches 24 Starlink satellites, marking the 44th dedicated constellation flight of 2026 from Vandenberg SFB.

2026-05-06T16:03:06.625023-07:00

Breaking Defense

Space Force raises Andromeda contract ceiling to $6.2B for GEO inspection and classified SILENTBARKER surveillance

2026-05-06T14:03:44.782116-07:00

Space.com

ESA Space Rider advances qualification and testing toward first flight readiness as Dassault VORTEX pursues runway-return reusab

2026-05-06T12:57:24.365123-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Eycore launches Eycore-1 SAR Earth-observation satellite on SpaceX CAS500-2 with NanoAvionics-built payload buses

2026-05-05T10:53:13.855899-07:00

News Timeline

Ars Technica

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SpaceX ramps Vandenberg cadence with Starlink mission 17-29, now its busiest launch site for 2026 SpaceX is increasing its West Coast tempo at Vandenberg Space Force Base, which is set to become its busiest launch site for now. Mission 17-29 launches 24 Starlink satellites, marking the 44th dedicated constellation flight of 2026 from Vandenberg SFB.

2026-05-06T16:03:06.625023-07:00

SpaceX ramps Vandenberg cadence with Starlink mission 17-29, now its busiest launch site for 2026

Breaking Defense

Space Force raises Andromeda contract ceiling to $6.2B for GEO inspection and classified SILENTBARKER surveillance The U.S. Space Force increased the ceiling for the Andromeda IDIQ space monitoring contract from $1.8B to more than $6.2B, covering replacements for the current GSSAP on-orbit inspection satellites and funding the classified SILENTBARKER space surveillance “birds.”

2026-05-06T14:03:44.782116-07:00

Space Force raises Andromeda contract ceiling to $6.2B for GEO inspection and classified SILENTBARKER surveillance

Space.com

ESA Space Rider advances qualification and testing toward first flight readiness as Dassault VORTEX pursues runway-return reusab ESA’s Space Rider is progressing through key test and qualification milestones designed to move the reusable spacecraft concept closer to flight readiness. In parallel, Dassault is developing the VORTEX runway-return spaceplane concept for LEO capability, with the effort positioned as an emerging European reusability path pending funding and demonstrations.

2026-05-06T12:57:24.365123-07:00

ESA Space Rider advances qualification and testing toward first flight readiness as Dassault VORTEX pursues runway-return reusab

NASA Spaceflight

Launch pad transition: Pad 1 demolished as conversion to Pad 2 design advances, with trench excavation imminent Six months after Flight 11 concluded operations for the former configuration, Pad 1 has been demolished. Crews are now converting the site to the newer pad design (Pad 2), with major progress reported—excavation of the trench is about to begin.

2026-05-05T12:02:39.325380-07:00

Launch pad transition: Pad 1 demolished as conversion to Pad 2 design advances, with trench excavation imminent

SpaceNews.com

Eycore launches Eycore-1 SAR Earth-observation satellite on SpaceX CAS500-2 with NanoAvionics-built payload buses Polish space company Eycore placed its first SAR Earth-observation satellite, Eycore-1, into orbit, leveraging the firm’s synthetic aperture radar technology. The launch also carried additional LEO smallsat payloads on SpaceX’s CAS500-2 mission, including three satellites using NanoAvionics satellite buses.

2026-05-05T10:53:13.855899-07:00

Eycore launches Eycore-1 SAR Earth-observation satellite on SpaceX CAS500-2 with NanoAvionics-built payload buses

SpaceNews.com

Hancom InSpace commissioning Sejong-3 cubesat hyperspectral payload after SpaceX Transporter rideshare South Korea’s Hancom InSpace is expanding its Earth-observation constellation with Sejong-3, a cubesat carrying a hyperspectral sensor. The spacecraft launched in March on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare and is now in commissioning, marking another step toward broader spectral imagery capability.

2026-05-05T05:38:41.848988-07:00

Hancom InSpace commissioning Sejong-3 cubesat hyperspectral payload after SpaceX Transporter rideshare

Space.com

Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 Endurance lands a milestone as NASA positions 2028 crewed lunar landings Blue Origin says its Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander, Endurance, has completed major environmental testing by clearing vacuum testing inside NASA’s Thermal Vacuum Chamber A in Houston. NASA’s post–Artemis II plans hinge on two unproven commercial landers—each facing timeline and technical risk ahead of an astronaut landing target of 2028.

2026-05-05T03:51:16.136752-07:00

Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 Endurance lands a milestone as NASA positions 2028 crewed lunar landings

SpaceWatch Global

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Sweden places first military reconnaissance satellite in orbit via Falcon 9, using SAR and electro-optical Pelican data Sweden has launched its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on a Falcon 9, marking a step-change in Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF) space-based surveillance. The mission follows FMV deals with ICEYE and Planet Labs for a multi-satellite mix of SAR radar and electro-optical payloads, including Pelican satellites.

2026-05-05T02:07:18.245195-07:00

Sweden places first military reconnaissance satellite in orbit via Falcon 9, using SAR and electro-optical Pelican data

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

SpaceX ramps Vandenberg cadence with Starlink mission 17-29, now its busiest launch site for 2026

Space Force raises Andromeda contract ceiling to $6.2B for GEO inspection and classified SILENTBARKER surveillance

ESA Space Rider advances qualification and testing toward first flight readiness as Dassault VORTEX pursues runway-return reusab

Eycore launches Eycore-1 SAR Earth-observation satellite on SpaceX CAS500-2 with NanoAvionics-built payload buses

News Timeline