SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
Boeing has delivered satellites F11, F12 and F13—the final three of SES’s 13-spacecraft O3b mPOWER constellation—to Florida. The broadband satellites are slated to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 later this month for deployment into medium Earth orbit.
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Boeing has delivered satellites F11, F12 and F13—the final three of SES’s 13-spacecraft O3b mPOWER constellation—to Florida. The broadband satellites are slated to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 later this month for deployment into medium Earth orbit.
York Space Systems has introduced a new satellite platform intended to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The announcement adds a dedicated satellite-bus offering to the company’s portfolio for missions requiring operations in the increasingly specialized lower orbital regime.
Space Technologies attempted a commercial mission to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, a spacecraft launched more than two decades ago that was never designed for servicing. The effort was mounted in less than a year, underscoring the difficulty of sustaining aging space infrastructure.
York Space Systems announced the LX/V-Class, a satellite platform designed to operate on sustained missions at altitudes below low Earth orbit. The company’s unveiling adds a new commercial platform aimed at the distinct atmospheric, propulsion and operational demands of very-low Earth orbit.
A House subcommittee advanced legislation aimed at speeding and simplifying Federal Communications Commission licensing for satellite systems. The measure differs from a companion Senate bill, setting up potential negotiations over how Congress will address regulatory processes affecting commercial and government space operators.
High activity
Russia’s Rassvet-3 constellation, positioned as a rival to Starlink, is struggling after all 16 satellites in its second batch failed to reach their intended orbit. At least three of the first 32 satellites likely suffered outright failures, leaving only 12 of 32 launched spacecraft set for long-term orbit.
Sceye said its ST1 high-altitude platform system has completed its first transpacific deployment, flying from the United States to Japan through the stratosphere. The airship-like, long-endurance vehicle is designed to support communications and surveillance missions from high altitude.
Telesat and French photonics company Cailabs will assess space-to-ground optical communications for Telesat’s Lightspeed low-Earth-orbit constellation. The collaboration will examine optical ground stations to support secure government communications and data relay, potentially extending the constellation’s capabilities beyond conventional radio-frequency links.
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