SpaceNews.com
• Andrew Jones
China launched a new batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites over the weekend, using a Long March 12 shortly after a Long March 7A failure. A separate Long March 2C mission carried a developmental satellite for the United Arab Emirates, highlighting continued launch activity across multiple vehicle families.
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China launched a new batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites over the weekend, using a Long March 12 shortly after a Long March 7A failure. A separate Long March 2C mission carried a developmental satellite for the United Arab Emirates, highlighting continued launch activity across multiple vehicle families.
Rapid access to satellite imagery is strengthening Ukraine’s war-drone operations, linking space-based intelligence with unmanned systems on the battlefield. The episode underscores how timely commercial or government satellite data can directly support military decision-making and the effectiveness of drone missions.
High activity
AST SpaceMobile has received temporary authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to test satellite connectivity using spectrum in the 800 MHz band. The approval advances the company’s effort to evaluate satellite-enabled communications in a regulated terrestrial-frequency range.
Lynk Global has completed its merger with Omnispace and rebranded as Elveo Mobile, combining Lynk’s direct-to-device satellite capabilities with globally coordinated S-band spectrum. The company aims to move beyond basic messaging and broaden satellite connectivity for standard mobile devices.
With launch capacity constrained, satellite operators are highlighting signed launch agreements to investors and customers. Securing rides to orbit is becoming a commercial differentiator, linking constellation deployment schedules and customer commitments more directly to launch-provider availability.
Skyband Systems, a Kirkland, Washington-based startup founded by former Starlink Aviation engineers and executives, is developing an aviation-grade positioning, navigation and timing unit that uses low Earth orbit signals to help aircraft detect and mitigate GNSS jamming and spoofing, an increasingly significant operational threat.
High activity
Emirates SkyCargo transported the Altair-1 satellite from Dubai to Los Angeles, marking a milestone for the United Arab Emirates’ space sector. The shipment highlights the role of specialized air-cargo logistics in moving national space hardware between production, integration and launch-related locations.
The Pentagon has chosen three companies to examine options for providing satellite disposal services to the U.S. government. The study will assess whether aging spacecraft can be deorbited by commercial operators, potentially replacing a dedicated government capability with an externally procured service.
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