Space.com
• Mike Wall
A Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink broadband satellites on Oct. 12, the first Starlink mission flown by the rocket since Sept. 19. The launch resumes a cadence of Falcon 9 missions to build out SpaceX’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
LEO
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A Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink broadband satellites on Oct. 12, the first Starlink mission flown by the rocket since Sept. 19. The launch resumes a cadence of Falcon 9 missions to build out SpaceX’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
Separate agreements link ispace-EUROPE with ALTEC on lunar rover testing, mission simulations and operator training; ICEYE with Nokia on sovereign low Earth orbit communications for government and defense customers; and METLEN with Thales companies on Greece’s future national defense satellite communications system.
Jena-Optronik says MDA Space will use its ASTRO HP star sensor on a low Earth orbit mission. The announcement marks the sensor’s first mission and adds a component partnership to MDA Space’s work in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, exploration and infrastructure.
NASA has released its final request for proposals inviting U.S. industry to develop, certify and operate privately owned space stations. The solicitation sets out how the agency plans to procure commercial destinations as it prepares for operations beyond the International Space Station.
High activity
NASA has issued a long-awaited call to industry for private space stations, saying it will not give up its presence in low Earth orbit. The move invites companies to develop commercial platforms that could support NASA’s continued orbital operations.
Under the European Space Agency’s NAVISP Element 2 Programme, UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía is researching whether signals of opportunity from low Earth orbit communications constellations can support resilient navigation for unmanned aircraft systems. The work explores an alternative navigation input for UAS operations.
High activity
At the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, agencies and companies addressed low Earth orbit congestion and debris removal, cislunar interoperability, and lunar communications and transport. ESA also presented a study on developing a reusable two-stage heavy-lift launcher, while U.S. and Chinese space networks were in focus.
Newly released video revisits Starship’s first-ever orbital flight, showing the upper stage separate from its booster and deploy Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The footage offers a visual record of key vehicle and payload milestones during the flight.
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