SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
Starship reached orbit for the first time on its 14th test flight and deployed 26 V3 Starlink satellites using its “Pez dispenser” system. An engine shutdown forced SpaceX to end the planned 10-hour mission early, bringing the fully reusable vehicle home ahead of schedule.
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VietJet plans to equip an initial 120 aircraft with Starlink inflight connectivity, even though the satellite operator lacks landing rights in China and India. The selection underscores the operational and regulatory constraints airlines face when deploying satellite-based passenger connectivity across international networks.
The European Parliament has begun reviewing the European Commission’s proposed licensing procedure for S-band mobile satellite services, criticizing the Commission for initiating the process at the last minute. The review could shape how satellite operators access and use mobile-satellite spectrum across the European Union.
Beeline Kazakhstan is partnering with Starlink Mobile to provide satellite-based mobile connectivity across Kazakhstan. The agreement will extend access to Starlink connectivity for the country’s population, marking a commercial deployment of satellite communications through a local telecommunications operator.
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The Pentagon awarded RTX’s Raytheon business a provisional multiyear contract worth $20.7 billion to nearly double AMRAAM production as it replenishes stocks depleted by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Separate awards advance Boeing’s JDAM Long Range into initial production and support Northrop Grumman’s F-35 APG-85 radar components.
As space systems become more software-defined, cloud-connected and reliant on enterprise identity infrastructure, shared data is emerging as a foundation for cybersecurity. The approach would help protect navigation, communications, intelligence and emergency-response services that now depend on resilient space architectures.
Meridian Space is separating from kinetic launch technology developer SpinLaunch to independently pursue flat, reflect-array satellites designed to launch up to 250 at a time on a Falcon 9. The company is targeting governments, regional satellite operators and telecom companies with turnkey networks priced below $1 billion.
Star Catcher says its prototype orbital power node is prepared for launch on a SpaceX Transporter mission targeted for no earlier than Oct. 1. The mission will demonstrate the company’s power-beaming technology in orbit.
Astronomers are calling for action through the United Nations and International Court of Justice to address the unchecked growth of satellite constellations in Earth orbit. They warn that proliferating spacecraft could increasingly obscure astronomical observations and alter humanity’s view of the night sky.
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