Reuters
• Joey Roulette
SpaceX is preparing Starship’s 13th test flight later this week, with a target no earlier than July 16. Flight 13 will use the rocket’s Version 3 configuration and is intended to be similar to Flight 12, while SpaceX also plans to test new Starlink satellites in orbit. The launch has seen at least one T-0 pushback.
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Amazon Leo has signed an agreement with South Africa’s Herotel to deliver satellite connectivity through a new service, Evry. The partnership expands Amazon’s direct-to-consumer satellite internet footprint into South Africa, with the offer designed to leverage Amazon Leo’s satellite network capabilities via a local ISP operator.
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SpaceX is preparing Starship’s 13th flight test with a launch attempt no earlier than July 16 (a 90-minute window opening at 17:45CT). The mission is planned to deploy the first Starlink V3 satellites, restart a Raptor engine in space, and test key V3-related upgrades as Falcon 9 reaches its 600th booster reuse.
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SpaceX is preparing Starship’s 13th test flight later this week, with a target no earlier than July 16. Flight 13 will use the rocket’s Version 3 configuration and is intended to be similar to Flight 12, while SpaceX also plans to test new Starlink satellites in orbit. The launch has seen at least one T-0 pushback.
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SpaceX has applied for approval to deploy and operate a 100,000-member Starlink megaconstellation in Earth orbit. The company says each next-generation satellite would weigh about 4,400 pounds.
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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.
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United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V is set to launch 29 Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) satellites to orbit Friday night (May 28). The mission further builds out Amazon’s LEO broadband constellation as the company presses toward operational deployment and sustained in-orbit capacity.
Amazon’s planned acquisition of Globalstar for about $10.8 billion would bundle MSS satellites, spectrum rights and operating infrastructure into an expanded play for low-Earth-orbit direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. An analyst roundtable examines what this means for MSS spectrum value and the competitive D2D market dynamics.
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SpaceX postponed its Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite to an updated target date after unfavorable weather forced a last-minute scrub at Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A. The rescheduled attempt is expected to follow shortly as Falcon Heavy returns after a hiatus since October 2024.
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