LEO News

Space.com • Mike Wall

Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 (81 payloads) plus debuts of China’s Long March 10B and Skyroot’s Vikram-I

This week’s manifest includes six international orbital launches, anchored by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-17 mission carrying 81 payloads, including four Canadian Earth-observation satellites, to a Sun-synchronous orbit. The schedule also features debut demonstration flights for China’s Long March 10B and Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I, alongside multiple SpaceX rideshare and Starlink launches.

5 Sources

2026-07-06T14:19:46.203510-07:00

AINonline

Iridium completes Aireon acquisition, consolidating satellite ADS‑B surveillance ahead of an $8B Rocket Lab deal

13 Sources

2026-07-06T10:44:41.830322-07:00

Reuters

NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry

35 Sources

2026-07-03T02:00:40.584972-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Vast’s Haven-1 space station hits development milestones toward a Q1 2027 launch

1 Source

2026-07-04T15:13:52.718333-07:00

Low Earth Orbit News Timeline

Space.com

5 sources

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Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 (81 payloads) plus debuts of China’s Long March 10B and Skyroot’s Vikram-I This week’s manifest includes six international orbital launches, anchored by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-17 mission carrying 81 payloads, including four Canadian Earth-observation satellites, to a Sun-synchronous orbit. The schedule also features debut demonstration flights for China’s Long March 10B and Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I, alongside multiple SpaceX rideshare and Starlink launches.

2026-07-06T14:19:46.203510-07:00

Launch preview: SpaceX Transporter-17 (81 payloads) plus debuts of China’s Long March 10B and Skyroot’s Vikram-I

AINonline

13 sources

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Iridium completes Aireon acquisition, consolidating satellite ADS‑B surveillance ahead of an $8B Rocket Lab deal Iridium Communications has finalized its acquisition of Aireon, bringing the satellite-based ADS‑B aircraft surveillance service in-house and integrating it across Iridium’s LEO constellation of 66 satellites. The completion follows Aireon’s role in the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX grounding trigger and comes as Iridium prepares for its planned $8 billion sale to Rocket Lab.

2026-07-06T10:44:41.830322-07:00

Iridium completes Aireon acquisition, consolidating satellite ADS‑B surveillance ahead of an $8B Rocket Lab deal

NASA Spaceflight

1 source

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Vast’s Haven-1 space station hits development milestones toward a Q1 2027 launch Vast reports that its Haven-1 station is continuing to advance through multiple development milestones, positioning the project for a planned Q1 2027 launch. The update underscores continued progress in building the station ahead of its stated deployment window.

2026-07-04T15:13:52.718333-07:00

Vast’s Haven-1 space station hits development milestones toward a Q1 2027 launch

Reuters

35 sources

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NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry NASA has launched a robotic LINK spacecraft to rendezvous with the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and boost it into a higher orbit ahead of a dangerous atmospheric reentry risk. The mission was executed by a U.S.-China–era tech supplier effort led by Arizona startup Katalyst after a last-minute launch issue delayed takeoff.

2026-07-03T02:00:40.584972-07:00

NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry

SpaceNews.com

26 sources

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Amazon’s Leo LEO broadband constellation nears 400 satellites after ULA launch, setting up initial service later this year to ch Amazon says its Leo low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband network is now large enough for continuous service across initial latitudes, following a United Launch Alliance mission that pushed the orbiting satellite count over 390. Amazon plans to begin initial internet service later this year as it competes with SpaceX’s Starlink dominance.

2026-07-02T03:01:45.560867-07:00

Amazon’s Leo LEO broadband constellation nears 400 satellites after ULA launch, setting up initial service later this year to ch

New York Times

32 sources

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NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies will launch an orbital-servicing mission on June 30, 2026 to arrest the atmospheric decay of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The Pegasus XL rocket will be released from a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Stargazer on a racetrack approach from Kwajalein Atoll—its final operational flight.

2026-06-29T10:55:39.248124-07:00

NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a

SpaceNews.com

4 sources

SatVu restarts commercial operations with HotSat-2 after 2023 in-orbit failure UK thermal-imaging startup SatVu has begun commercial services for HotSat-2 on June 29, resuming revenue generation after the debut HotSat mission failed in low Earth orbit in 2023. HotSat-2’s rollout signals the company’s path back to market with its Earth-observation product.

2026-06-29T04:25:17.136852-07:00

SatVu restarts commercial operations with HotSat-2 after 2023 in-orbit failure

SpaceNews.com

3 sources

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations China has established a national Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) industry alliance, backed by recent evidence that satellites are demonstrating sustained operations below 300km. The move also reflects growing investment interest in propulsion startups aimed at making low-orbit operations more viable.

2026-06-29T02:04:09.779514-07:00

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations

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