SpaceX is targeting Sept. 28 for the first orbital launch attempt of its 124-meter (407-foot) Starship-Super Heavy rocket, carrying the first Starlink V3 satellites. The milestone comes 18 years after SpaceX’s Falcon 1 reached orbit for the first time.
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SpaceX is targeting Sept. 28 for the first orbital launch attempt of its 124-meter (407-foot) Starship-Super Heavy rocket, carrying the first Starlink V3 satellites. The milestone comes 18 years after SpaceX’s Falcon 1 reached orbit for the first time.
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After 13 suborbital test flights, SpaceX plans to send Starship into orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, pending regulatory approval. The 75-minute launch window would mark a major milestone for the company’s largest rocket and could deploy Starlink V3 satellites into an operational orbit.
Aerospacelab will supply two spacecraft platforms to Lockheed Martin under a new contract, adding the major U.S. defense contractor to the satellite manufacturer’s customer base. The agreement marks an expansion of Aerospacelab’s presence in the U.S. defense and space market.
Rocket Lab launched another Electron mission for Japanese radar-imaging company Synspective on Sept. 25, deploying the 13th satellite in the company’s constellation. The flight extends a sustained launch relationship supporting Synspective’s expansion of space-based Earth observation capabilities.
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SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 14 on Sept. 28 in the vehicle’s first attempt to reach orbit. The mission would mark a major transition from previous suborbital testing, while the company also conducts a classified U.S. Space Force launch from California earlier in the week.
Finnish synthetic aperture radar satellite operator Iceye is establishing a technology center and new Polish headquarters in Warsaw. The company plans to invest $31 million in Poland, expanding its operational and technology presence in the country.
Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Mobile, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone see promise in satellite direct-to-device services but acknowledge that the market’s scale and profitability remain unclear. Their assessment highlights the commercial uncertainty facing operators and satellite partners pursuing connectivity that reaches standard mobile devices from orbit.
Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch Strix, a radar-imaging satellite for Japanese company Synspective, on the “Owlright, Owlright, Owlright” mission on Sept. 25. The flight will support Synspective’s imaging constellation and marks another commercial deployment serving Japan’s growing space-data market.
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