Bloomberg
• Bruce Einhorn
Delta is a holdout as U.S. airlines race to deploy Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, putting the carrier at the center of a contest over satellite connectivity. The cluster points to a widening shift in airline connectivity choices, though the available reporting provides no details on Delta’s plans.
SpaceWatch Global
Satellite
Latest source-backed stories
Delta is a holdout as U.S. airlines race to deploy Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, putting the carrier at the center of a contest over satellite connectivity. The cluster points to a widening shift in airline connectivity choices, though the available reporting provides no details on Delta’s plans.
With FCC approval secured and six satellites ready for the launch pad, Xona is shifting its focus to production capacity for the next 250 Pulsar spacecraft. The effort marks a transition from preparing an initial batch for launch to scaling manufacturing for a much larger satellite program.
High activity
The four Crew-12 astronauts undocked from the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom on Wednesday and began their return to Earth. Splashdown off the California coast is expected Thursday, concluding the crew’s stay aboard the station.
SpaceX and its allies are pressing the Trump administration for easier access to wireless spectrum bands, prompting objections from other users who warn the plans could interfere with flight tests, hospital equipment and television broadcasts. The dispute puts spectrum-sharing rules and the potential for cross-sector disruption at the center of the space industry’s expansion efforts.
Executives from Planet, Roketsan, Pixxel, Redwire, The Exploration Company and SANSA discussed how to sell sovereign space capabilities at the International Astronautical Congress. The plenary framed national control of space services as a growing sales proposition in a volatile geopolitical environment.
High activity
Germany is beginning production of dedicated SPOCK 1 synthetic-aperture radar satellites through Rheinmetall ICEYE, while Lithuania has received its first Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. Separately, U.S. services are pursuing mobile counter-drone systems, Tactien has launched an independent C-UAS evaluation tool, and AERO Vodochody and Thales Belgium will develop counter-UAS capabilities for the L-39 Skyfox.
High activity
LeoLabs has detected a new fragmentation event involving Meteor 2-7, a Soviet-era weather satellite. The cause of the breakup has not been determined, leaving the event’s origin unclear as new debris is identified in orbit.
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