Space.com
• Robert Z. Pearlman
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk spent seven hours and 11 minutes outside the International Space Station installing and unfurling its seventh upgraded roll-out solar array. The array is part of a power-system modernization intended to sustain the outpost through its planned retirement in 2030.
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The National Reconnaissance Office is reviewing how it contracts for commercial radar satellite imagery, a senior official said Oct. 28. The rethink comes as demand rises and suppliers press for more predictable revenue, putting the agency’s purchasing approach in focus.
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NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk spent seven hours and 11 minutes outside the International Space Station installing and unfurling its seventh upgraded roll-out solar array. The array is part of a power-system modernization intended to sustain the outpost through its planned retirement in 2030.
The Federal Communications Commission launched a proceeding to modernize spectrum-sharing rules for direct-to-device services and proposed auctioning 25 MHz of mid-band spectrum. The actions could shape the regulatory and spectrum environment for satellite-to-phone connectivity, though the commission has not yet finalized either change.
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Telesat says delays completing two MDA Space pathfinder satellites have pushed global Lightspeed broadband service back about three months, to around the end of the second quarter of 2028. The company expects 15 Falcon 9 launches over 45 weeks for deployment and guided to $1.1 billion-$1.3 billion in 2026 Lightspeed spending.
Es’hailSat and Arabsat signed a strategic partnership agreement at the Arab Radio and Television Festival in Hammamet, Tunisia. The two Middle Eastern satellite operators said the deal will strengthen cooperation and expand joint initiatives across broadcasting and satellite communications services.
The United Kingdom launched Prospero on Oct. 28, 1971, its first satellite, using the domestically developed Black Arrow rocket. The flight marked Britain’s entry into satellite operations and remains the only successful orbital launch by a British-built rocket.
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The Pentagon’s inspector general rejected a bipartisan request to investigate disruptions affecting Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield, describing the matter as a business dispute outside his purview. Ukrainian officials dispute Elon Musk’s claim that its military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using the network for offensive drone strikes.
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