Satellite Programs & Technology News

Space.com • Robert Z. Pearlman

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink smallsats from Cape Canaveral; booster lands on droneship as company sustains high launch cadence

SpaceX on Aug. 31 launched 28 Starlink smallsats from Cape Canaveral's SLC-40, deploying additional capacity to the constellation and landing the Falcon 9 first stage on the Just Read the Instructions droneship. The flight follows a separate Aug. 29 Vandenberg launch that placed 24 Starlink smallsats into LEO.

2025-08-31T06:32:46.258551-07:00

Wall Street Journal

Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles

2025-08-26T18:23:49.861540-07:00

Payload

York Space delivers 21 satellites for SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer launch

2025-08-25T06:08:56.185060-07:00

Space.com

NASA, SpaceX target CRS-33 launch of Cargo Dragon with new trunk propulsion to boost ISS orbit

2025-08-23T05:29:03.811144-07:00

Satellite Programs & Technology News Timeline

Space.com

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SpaceX launches 28 Starlink smallsats from Cape Canaveral; booster lands on droneship as company sustains high launch cadence SpaceX on Aug. 31 launched 28 Starlink smallsats from Cape Canaveral's SLC-40, deploying additional capacity to the constellation and landing the Falcon 9 first stage on the Just Read the Instructions droneship. The flight follows a separate Aug. 29 Vandenberg launch that placed 24 Starlink smallsats into LEO.

2025-08-31T06:32:46.258551-07:00

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink smallsats from Cape Canaveral; booster lands on droneship as company sustains high launch cadence

South China Morning Post

CAS Space launches two sub-100g ThumbSats for Mexico in rare North American commercial contract CAS Space has placed two sub-100‑gram ThumbSats into orbit in collaboration with Tijuana‑based ThumbSat, marking a rare North American commercial contract for the Chinese small‑launch provider. The flight highlights growing commercial demand for ultra‑light femto‑sat payloads.

2025-08-31T03:11:00.039727-07:00

CAS Space launches two sub-100g ThumbSats for Mexico in rare North American commercial contract

Air & Space Forces Mag

Tiny drone helps Osprey MK‑III navigate GPS‑denied environments The Osprey MK‑III is testing navigation software that uses a tiny companion drone to maintain accurate positioning for troops even when adversaries jam or spoof GPS. The approach aims to deliver resilient, continuous navigation in GPS‑denied environments by combining local sensing with onboard processing to avoid mission disruption.

2025-08-28T15:31:54.254655-07:00

Tiny drone helps Osprey MK‑III navigate GPS‑denied environments

Space Intel Report

4 takeaways: Kymeta’s multi‑band antennas and the push toward automated SATCOM Kymeta’s chief scientist says multi‑band flat‑panel antennas could automate satellite communications, allowing terminals to switch seamlessly between frequency bands and networks and reducing manual network management. The approach aims to simplify persistent connectivity across platforms and use cases, with clear implications for commercial, maritime and defense links.

2025-08-28T07:48:11.983067-07:00

4 takeaways: Kymeta’s multi‑band antennas and the push toward automated SATCOM

Newsweek

Satellite imagery shows China converting Mischief Reef from fishermen's shelters into a military base New satellite photos show China has transformed Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands from the "temporary fishermen's shelters" it once claimed into a functioning military base, marking a clear shift from nominal civilian use to a sustained, on‑the‑ground presence in the disputed South China Sea.

2025-08-28T02:53:42.917390-07:00

Satellite imagery shows China converting Mischief Reef from fishermen's shelters into a military base

South China Morning Post

China races to commercialise Guowang LEO broadband as a Starlink alternative China is accelerating the commercialisation of its Guowang low‑Earth‑orbit broadband network, shifting from government tests to market services to build an indigenous rival to SpaceX’s Starlink. Beijing pairs rapid tranche launches with tighter industry oversight and industrial support to scale sovereign LEO connectivity.

2025-08-28T02:52:58.591158-07:00

China races to commercialise Guowang LEO broadband as a Starlink alternative

Aviation Week

US Space Force accelerates space-domain awareness with ground sensors and satellites The U.S. Space Force is accelerating space-domain awareness by bringing new ground-based sensors online and planning launches of additional surveillance satellites by the end of the year. Service leaders are concurrently shaping acquisition and operational plans for a persistent, layered space-based surveillance architecture.

2025-08-27T16:16:49.797985-07:00

US Space Force accelerates space-domain awareness with ground sensors and satellites

Wall Street Journal

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Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles On Aug. 26 SpaceX's tenth Starship test flight reached space, deployed eight mock Starlink satellites — the vehicle's first orbital payload release — and tested new heat‑shield tiles during atmospheric reentry before splashing down, delivering key development milestones after earlier test failures and restoring program momentum.

2025-08-26T18:23:49.861540-07:00

Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles

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