FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
Blue Origin has unveiled a three-stage version of its New Glenn rocket, adding heavy-lift capability to the existing two-stage vehicle. The company says the variant can support longer lunar operations and deliver satellites to geostationary orbit, extending the launcher’s mission range.
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Blue Origin has unveiled a three-stage version of its New Glenn rocket, adding heavy-lift capability to the existing two-stage vehicle. The company says the variant can support longer lunar operations and deliver satellites to geostationary orbit, extending the launcher’s mission range.
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The U.S. Space Force selected Viasat under an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to design, field and scale a Mission Operations Center for the Space Data Network Backbone. The center is intended to support operations of the service’s satellite data relay network; the award has a maximum value of $450 million.
An opinion piece argues that Russia’s recent rendezvous and proximity operation (RPO) involving X36 may have let it characterize ICEYE’s radar in enough detail to develop a ground-based jammer or spoofer for use in Ukraine next year. The article presents that potential capability as the likely reason for the maneuver.
Ukrainian military intelligence says Russia is already using its Rassvet satellite network, described as a homegrown Starlink equivalent, to support military communications over Ukraine. The network is intended to improve the accuracy of Russian strike drones and make them more resistant to jamming.
NASA has selected three companies to advance to the next phase of an effort to develop a commercial replacement for its aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System constellation. The selection marks a step toward shifting a critical space communications service to commercial providers.
Trump officials said Elon Musk’s company donated Starlink satellite internet service. Records show the company also received nearly $1.2 million in Pentagon awards, complicating the characterization of the service as a gift and raising questions about the relationship between the donation and federal payments.
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AST SpaceMobile plans to build its own launch vehicle, described in coverage as a 20-ton rocket and named Blackbird or Blacklift, to deploy its direct-to-device satellite constellation. Firefly Aerospace will supply the engines under a reported $1.3 billion deal, as AST seeks greater control over access to orbit amid a constrained launch market.
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