Author: starpathwp-production
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SpaceX navigates Q3 anomalies, starting ambitious Q4 goals
SpaceX’s record-breaking streak of successful launches and landings ended during the third quarter of 2024, having suffered a failure during launch with Falcon 9’s second stage and a Falcon 9 first stage landing failure. More recently, a third issue arose during the disposal of a Falcon 9 second stage after it had successfully completed its…
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SpaceX Catches a Super Heavy Booster During a Milestone Flight 5
Flight 5 Ship 30 and Booster 12 lifted off at 7:25 am Central Time on Oct 13. The liftoff and ascent was flawless with all 33 engine running on Booster 12 all the way to hot-staging. Ship 30 then ignited its six engines and went on its way to the Indian Ocean. Booster 12 then…
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Astronomers find evidence of a volcanic exomoon
Astronomers have found evidence for a volcanic moon orbiting an exoplanet 635 light-years from Earth. No moons have been confirmed to orbit planets outside our solar system, but a sodium cloud hints at the existence of one around exoplanet WASP-49 b. Moons orbiting planets outside our solar system — also known as exomoons — are…
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China retrieves first reusable, returnable test satellite
China successfully retrieved its first reusable and returnable test satellite, Shijian-19, at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 10:39 a.m. (Beijing Time) Friday, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA). All the returnable payloads in fields like plant and microorganism breeding, autonomous control and new technology validation, space science…
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Gilat Wins $4M Rural Connectivity Deal in Latin America
Gilat Satellite Networks received a contract to provide rural connectivity, including supporting banking transactions in Latin America. Gilat announced the $4 million contract on Oct. 8, but did not name the customer. The contract period is three years. Gilat will provide satellite communications solutions to distant bank branches and satellite backup links to ensure connectivity…
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In a rare disclosure, the Pentagon provides an update on the X-37B spaceplane
After more than nine months in an unusual, highly elliptical orbit, the US military’s X-37B spaceplane will soon begin dipping its wings into Earth’s atmosphere to lower its altitude before eventually coming back to Earth for a runway landing, the Space Force said Thursday. The aerobraking maneuvers will use a series of passes through the…
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Verizon Exec Explains the Skylo Deal and the Telco’s D2D Strategy
In late August, Verizon was the latest big name telco to team up with a satellite player for direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. Verizon announced a deal with Skylo to launch a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for its customers so they can stay connected wherever they are. Verizon said customers will see the benefits before the end…
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HawkEye 360 to Decommission Pathfinder Satellite Trio by the End of 2024
HawkEye 360, the provider of commercial RF data and analytics, has announced the planned decommissioning of its pioneering Cluster 1 Pathfinder satellites by the end of 2024. This decommissioning marks the conclusion of the first-generation satellite cluster that transformed the commercial RF industry and laid the foundation for the company’s growth and innovation. In recognition…
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Parry Labs Secures SBIR Contract with U.S. Space Force for Digital Spaceport Innovations
Parry Labs, a leader in defense systems integration specializing in using a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), has been awarded a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Space Force (USSF). The award is part of the USSF’s “Digital Spaceport of the Future” challenge, which seeks to modernize spaceport…
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UK and Canada Prepare for Redwing Space Domain Awareness Mission
The U.K. government is teaming up with Canada on the Redwing microsatellite space domain awareness (SDA) mission scheduled to launch in 2027. This international research cooperation between the countries provides the opportunity for joint collaboration and for developing prototype infrastructure and data processing architecture. The U.K. Government announced the move on Oct. 10. Redwing will…