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NASA Spaceflight • John Sharp

Launch preview: SpaceX to fly two Falcon 9 missions and a Chang Zheng 7 to extend Starlink Group 17 by 48 satellites

For the week commencing May 4, 2026, the launch roster includes two Falcon 9 flights and one Chang Zheng 7. SpaceX’s launches are set to add 48 Starlink satellites to Group 17 within its broader constellation of more than 7,000 spacecraft.

2026-05-04T12:07:53.549383-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Pixxel and Sarvam to launch India’s first orbital data-centre satellite (Pathfinder) by end-2026

2026-05-04T09:57:51.816761-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Novaspace projects 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to launch 2026–2035

2026-05-04T08:43:06.617328-07:00

SpaceNews.com

IonQ launches Capella radar change-detection product for ground-movement monitoring

2026-05-04T08:03:41.480760-07:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

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Launch preview: SpaceX to fly two Falcon 9 missions and a Chang Zheng 7 to extend Starlink Group 17 by 48 satellites For the week commencing May 4, 2026, the launch roster includes two Falcon 9 flights and one Chang Zheng 7. SpaceX’s launches are set to add 48 Starlink satellites to Group 17 within its broader constellation of more than 7,000 spacecraft.

2026-05-04T12:07:53.549383-07:00

Launch preview: SpaceX to fly two Falcon 9 missions and a Chang Zheng 7 to extend Starlink Group 17 by 48 satellites

SpaceNews.com

Pixxel and Sarvam to launch India’s first orbital data-centre satellite (Pathfinder) by end-2026 Pixxel says it is partnering with Sarvam to design, build and launch India’s first “orbital data centre” satellite, intended to act like a space-based data centre for geospatial intelligence. The Pathfinder mission will bring high-performance remote sensing and India-built AI together to run models and analyse satellite data in near real time.

2026-05-04T09:57:51.816761-07:00

Pixxel and Sarvam to launch India’s first orbital data-centre satellite (Pathfinder) by end-2026

SpaceNews.com

Novaspace projects 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to launch 2026–2035 Novaspace’s 11th Small Satellite Market report forecasts 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to be launched between 2026 and 2035. The projection underscores how deployment at the low end of the mass spectrum is set to accelerate and further intensify demand for launch slots, payload integration, and LEO operations.

2026-05-04T08:43:06.617328-07:00

Novaspace projects 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to launch 2026–2035

SpaceNews.com

IonQ launches Capella radar change-detection product for ground-movement monitoring IonQ says it will start offering a satellite data product designed to detect subtle changes on the Earth’s surface using radar imaging from satellites operated by its Capella Space subsidiary. The launch positions Capella’s SAR capability as a ground-movement monitoring tool.

2026-05-04T08:03:41.480760-07:00

IonQ launches Capella radar change-detection product for ground-movement monitoring

SpaceWatch Global

AI GEOINT: Dr. Amanda Fetch targets ~140M untrackable debris objects with machine learning collision-risk analysis In a GEOINT 2026 foreword, Dr. Amanda Fetch described a machine-learning approach to convert millions of currently untrackable space-debris objects into usable data for collision-risk analysis. The work focuses on improving conjunction assessment as LEO populations grow beyond today’s tracking limits.

2026-05-04T06:22:01.449340-07:00

AI GEOINT: Dr. Amanda Fetch targets ~140M untrackable debris objects with machine learning collision-risk analysis

SpaceWatch Global

NATO Space Center of Excellence conference wraps on deterrence and space domain awareness A wrap-up of the NATO Space Center of Excellence conference in Toulouse highlighted how deterrence frameworks and space domain awareness (SDA) are being operationalized for alliance resilience. The discussion focused on translating contested-space threat concepts into repeatable approaches for information, monitoring, and coordination.

2026-04-30T04:39:07.411157-07:00

NATO Space Center of Excellence conference wraps on deterrence and space domain awareness

Space.com

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage expected to impact the Moon in August Astronomers project a spent Falcon 9 stage—leftover from a Falcon 9 launch last year—will strike the Moon’s near side in early August, with one report pointing to the Einstein crater. The predicted impact is assessed as posing no danger, but it underscores persistent space-debris delivery to other worlds.

2026-04-29T09:38:43.118238-07:00

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage expected to impact the Moon in August

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX scrubs Falcon Heavy ViaSat-3 F3 launch; Falcon Heavy returns target set for April 29 SpaceX postponed its Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite to an updated target date after unfavorable weather forced a last-minute scrub at Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A. The rescheduled attempt is expected to follow shortly as Falcon Heavy returns after a hiatus since October 2024.

2026-04-27T13:34:36.097316-07:00

SpaceX scrubs Falcon Heavy ViaSat-3 F3 launch; Falcon Heavy returns target set for April 29

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Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Launch preview: SpaceX to fly two Falcon 9 missions and a Chang Zheng 7 to extend Starlink Group 17 by 48 satellites

Pixxel and Sarvam to launch India’s first orbital data-centre satellite (Pathfinder) by end-2026

Novaspace projects 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to launch 2026–2035

IonQ launches Capella radar change-detection product for ground-movement monitoring

News Timeline