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NASA Spaceflight • Trevor Sesnic

Weekly Launch Roundup: LandSpace's ZhuQue‑2 Reaches Orbit, SpaceX Completes v1.0 Starlink, India Launches Chandrayaan‑3

Three milestones this week: China's LandSpace reached orbit on the second ZhuQue‑2 test flight; SpaceX launched the final v1.0/v1.5 Starlink satellites on Group 5‑15; and India sent Chandrayaan‑3 to the Moon aboard LVM3. These were the 102nd–104th orbital launches of 2023, keeping the year on pace for ~195 launches.

2023-07-18T21:32:42.384846-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX to launch Arabsat 7B in SLC‑40’s quickest turnaround

2023-05-23T13:09:14.120871-07:00

Payload

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

2026-01-05T04:50:47.717963-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

Weekly uncrewed launch roundup: LandSpace reaches orbit, final v1.0/v1.5 Starlinks, Chandrayaan‑3 liftoff

2023-07-18T21:34:20.482947-07:00

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Payload

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C Space Forge said on Dec. 31 it generated plasma aboard its ForgeStar‑1 in low Earth orbit, heating its on‑board furnace above 1,000°C — a key condition the company says is required to produce semiconductor‑grade materials in orbit as it pursues on‑orbit chip manufacturing.

2026-01-05T04:50:47.717963-08:00

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

SpaceWatch Global

Japan's Ministry of Defense selects seven firms for national defence satellite constellation Japan's Ministry of Defense has awarded a public tender to seven Japanese companies to develop and field a national satellite constellation for defence use. The decision advances Tokyo's pursuit of sovereign space-based communications and ISR capabilities while prioritizing domestic industry participation.

2026-01-05T02:31:05.492854-08:00

Japan's Ministry of Defense selects seven firms for national defence satellite constellation

NASA Spaceflight

Weekly uncrewed launch roundup: LandSpace reaches orbit, final v1.0/v1.5 Starlinks, Chandrayaan‑3 liftoff LandSpace's ZhuQue‑2 reached orbit on its second test flight, SpaceX launched the final v1.0/v1.5 Starlink satellites on Group 5‑15, and India’s Chandrayaan‑3 lifted off atop an LVM3 — the 102nd–104th orbital launches of 2023. If cadence holds, 2023 will reach about 195 orbital launches, a record.

2023-07-18T21:34:20.482947-07:00

Weekly uncrewed launch roundup: LandSpace reaches orbit, final v1.0/v1.5 Starlinks, Chandrayaan‑3 liftoff

NASA Spaceflight

Week of July 16–23 launches push 2023 toward record 195 orbital flights At least four orbital launches the week of July 16–23 — Rocket Lab's 'Baby Come Back' with a recovery attempt, two SpaceX Starlink v2 missions and a Chinese Kuaizhou 1A flight — could lift 2023's tally to 108. If the pace continues, the year may hit roughly 195 orbital flights, a record.

2023-07-18T21:33:23.273733-07:00

Week of July 16–23 launches push 2023 toward record 195 orbital flights

NASA Spaceflight

Weekly Launch Roundup: LandSpace's ZhuQue‑2 Reaches Orbit, SpaceX Completes v1.0 Starlink, India Launches Chandrayaan‑3 Three milestones this week: China's LandSpace reached orbit on the second ZhuQue‑2 test flight; SpaceX launched the final v1.0/v1.5 Starlink satellites on Group 5‑15; and India sent Chandrayaan‑3 to the Moon aboard LVM3. These were the 102nd–104th orbital launches of 2023, keeping the year on pace for ~195 launches.

2023-07-18T21:32:42.384846-07:00

Weekly Launch Roundup: LandSpace's ZhuQue‑2 Reaches Orbit, SpaceX Completes v1.0 Starlink, India Launches Chandrayaan‑3

SpaceNews.com

Astroscale releases video of ELSA‑M capturing and deorbiting a OneWeb satellite Astroscale released a video demonstrating how its End of Life Services by Astroscale‑Multiple (ELSA‑M) mission will rendezvous, capture and deorbit a OneWeb communications satellite. The footage highlights the servicer's capture mechanism and the planned disposal sequence, a step toward commercial orbital debris removal.

2023-06-08T21:22:44.431215-07:00

Astroscale releases video of ELSA‑M capturing and deorbiting a OneWeb satellite

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX to launch Arabsat 7B in SLC‑40’s quickest turnaround SpaceX is set to launch the Arabsat 7B satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) from Cape Canaveral SLC‑40, scheduled as the launch complex’s quickest turnaround between missions. The flight underscores a compressed pad cadence for commercial GTO launches at SLC‑40.

2023-05-23T13:09:14.120871-07:00

SpaceX to launch Arabsat 7B in SLC‑40’s quickest turnaround

AINonline

Inmarsat boosts Jet ConneX speeds by adding satellite capacity for business jets Inmarsat is expanding satellite capacity for its Jet ConneX service to deliver faster, guaranteed bandwidth to business aircraft cabins, adding satellites to increase availability of high-throughput links and support bandwidth‑intensive passenger applications. The upgrade also aims to improve connected onboard operations and ensure service levels for corporate and private jets.

2023-05-23T00:45:09.684875-07:00

Inmarsat boosts Jet ConneX speeds by adding satellite capacity for business jets

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Satellite News

Weekly Launch Roundup: LandSpace's ZhuQue‑2 Reaches Orbit, SpaceX Completes v1.0 Starlink, India Launches Chandrayaan‑3

SpaceX to launch Arabsat 7B in SLC‑40’s quickest turnaround

Space Forge ignites plasma aboard ForgeStar‑1 in LEO, furnace tops 1,000°C

Weekly uncrewed launch roundup: LandSpace reaches orbit, final v1.0/v1.5 Starlinks, Chandrayaan‑3 liftoff

News Timeline