Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Reuters • Gursimran Kaur

Firefly to acquire national‑security analytics firm SciTec for $855M

Firefly Aerospace has agreed to buy SciTec, a Princeton‑based national‑security analytics firm, for about $855 million — $300 million in cash plus $555 million in Firefly shares at $50 per share — to add full‑stack software and big‑data processing for responsive launch, land and on‑orbit mission services.

2025-10-05T13:48:15.873583-07:00

Ars Technica

Arc spacecraft aims to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth in an hour

2025-10-01T19:28:55.859061-07:00

Space.com

Perseverance's potential biosignature sample raises stakes as China's Tianwen‑3 aims to return Mars material

2025-10-01T05:08:11.589447-07:00

nasawatch.com

Government shutdown furloughs ~15,000 NASA staff; Kennedy, science work halted while ISS and select missions continue

2025-09-30T18:38:36.250173-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

European Spaceflight

ESA issues procurement call for commercial ISS cargo to meet shared operating costs ESA has issued a procurement call seeking commercial cargo services to the International Space Station to fulfill its contribution to the shared operating and maintenance costs. The notice invites industry bids for logistics capacity to transport supplies, experiments and station hardware under ESA's common-cost obligations.

2025-10-06T07:51:35.579432-07:00

ESA issues procurement call for commercial ISS cargo to meet shared operating costs

Ars Technica

SpaceX seeks 50 MHz and up to 15,000 more Starlink satellites to counter Apple and carrier-backed rivals SpaceX has filed for 50 MHz of spectrum and authorization to add up to 15,000 Starlink satellites, a bid to extend the network into direct-to-mobile services and blunt competition from Apple and carrier-backed rivals. The move expands Starlink's planned radio and orbital footprint at scale.

2025-10-06T05:28:15.557957-07:00

SpaceX seeks 50 MHz and up to 15,000 more Starlink satellites to counter Apple and carrier-backed rivals

newsroom.arianespace.com

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Arianespace to launch Copernicus Sentinel-1D aboard Ariane 6 on 4 November 2025 On 4 November 2025 Arianespace will launch ESA/European Commission Copernicus Sentinel-1D aboard an Ariane 6 from Europe’s Guiana Space Centre (mission VA265). The SAR‑equipped satellite will be placed into sun‑synchronous orbit at ~21:03 UTC; the flight is Ariane 6’s third commercial mission.

2025-10-06T01:32:27.022114-07:00

Arianespace to launch Copernicus Sentinel-1D aboard Ariane 6 on 4 November 2025

Aviation Week

Bezos predicts gigawatt‑scale orbital data centers in coming decades Jeff Bezos, executive chairman of Amazon and founder of Blue Origin, said he foresees gigawatt‑scale data centers orbiting Earth in the coming decades. His forecast underlines a potential shift toward hosting large compute and storage facilities in orbit that could reshape commercial space activity.

2025-10-06T01:32:19.955547-07:00

Bezos predicts gigawatt‑scale orbital data centers in coming decades

Reuters

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Firefly to acquire national‑security analytics firm SciTec for $855M Firefly Aerospace has agreed to buy SciTec, a Princeton‑based national‑security analytics firm, for about $855 million — $300 million in cash plus $555 million in Firefly shares at $50 per share — to add full‑stack software and big‑data processing for responsive launch, land and on‑orbit mission services.

2025-10-05T13:48:15.873583-07:00

Firefly to acquire national‑security analytics firm SciTec for $855M

ktla.com

SpaceX sets Vandenberg annual record with 52 Falcon 9 launches A familiar sight along California’s central and southern coast — a Falcon 9 lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base — reached a milestone Friday as SpaceX set a new annual launch record with 52 missions from the site in a single year.

2025-10-04T13:25:57.639330-07:00

SpaceX sets Vandenberg annual record with 52 Falcon 9 launches

European Spaceflight

Poland’s SpaceForest targets up to 70% of Europe’s suborbital market Polish rocket builder SpaceForest has set a target to capture up to 70% of Europe’s demand for suborbital flights. The announced goal positions the company as an ambitious entrant in Europe’s emerging suborbital sector with a stated focus on commanding a dominant share of regional demand.

2025-10-03T23:56:20.507862-07:00

Poland’s SpaceForest targets up to 70% of Europe’s suborbital market

uz.kursiv.media

Uzbekistan to Launch First Scientific and Technical Satellite by 2028, Uzbekcosmos Says Uzbekistan aims to launch its first scientific and technical satellite into orbit by 2028, Deputy Director of Uzbekcosmos Mukhiddin Ibragimov told Kazinform. The announcement sets a public 2028 timeframe for the Central Asian republic’s inaugural research-capable spacecraft.

2025-10-03T23:08:22.425371-07:00

Uzbekistan to Launch First Scientific and Technical Satellite by 2028, Uzbekcosmos Says

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