Author: starpathwp-production
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Who Is Powering China’s GW Constellation? A Look at the Five Leading Satellite Institutes and Companies Behind It
Advances in phased-array radar and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technologies are not only enhancing Earth observation capabilities but are also becoming a cornerstone of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) broadband communications satellites. A satellite’s phased-array antenna is essentially a phased-array radar operating in communication frequencies. Key radar technologies such as rapid beam steering, parallel subarray operation, and grating…
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CAS Space Moves Toward First Sea Launch of Kinetica-1 After Full Mission Rehearsal
Chinese commercial space company CAS Space has completed a full mission rehearsal for the first sea launch of its Kinetica-1 solid-fuel rocket, bringing the maiden maritime launch closer to execution and validating the ground support architecture required to operate the vehicle from a moving offshore platform. The Aug. 25 rehearsal simulated the launch-day sequence from…
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Kinetica-2 Y2 Completes Factory Acceptance for 18-Satellite Mission Supporting China’s LEO Constellation Buildout
China’s commercial launch provider CAS Space has completed factory acceptance activities for the second Kinetica-2 rocket, clearing the vehicle for shipment to the launch site ahead of a planned October launch. The company said Aug. 25 that Kinetica-2 Y2 had completed all pre-delivery work, with its functional and performance indicators meeting the requirements of the…
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Multi-Satellite Launches: Why Satellites Are “Riding Together” Into Space
In recent years, rockets around the world have increasingly carried several satellites on a single launch. China’s commercial space sector, for example, recently used a “one rocket, seven satellites” mission to launch the GalaxySpace Lingzhi-09 Thai CubeSat for Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency. So why are satellites increasingly “riding together” into space? What…
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Polish Startup Ares Shield to Protect Orbital Data Centers With High-Power Microwave Defense
Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings has contracted Polish defense startup Ares Shield to protect its planned orbital data-center network, marking an unusual convergence of commercial space infrastructure and non-kinetic satellite defense. The agreement, announced Aug. 25, is valued at up to $6 million and initially covers three Lonestar satellites. Ares Shield plans to deliver the first…
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SpaceX Commits $100 Billion to Build Starbase Louisiana, Expanding Starship Launch Capacity
SpaceX has announced plans to invest approximately $100 billion in the construction of Starbase Louisiana, a massive new Starship launch complex on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast that would become the company’s largest spaceflight operations center and one of the most ambitious commercial space infrastructure projects ever proposed. The development is intended to support thousands of Starship…
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Redwire Expands Phased-Array Antenna Investment as Military Space Networks Shift Toward Proliferated Architectures
Redwire announced on Aug. 25 a strategic investment in next-generation phased-array antenna technology aimed at supporting emerging military space communications networks, expanding the company’s position in a market increasingly focused on resilient, distributed satellite architectures. The investment targets the next generation of space-based military connectivity, accelerating development and production of electronically steerable antenna systems designed…
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Starlink Ephemeris Data Enable First Real-World Tomographic Map of Thermospheric Density
Researchers at Kyoto University have demonstrated a new way to observe Earth’s upper atmosphere by transforming publicly available Starlink orbital data into the first tomographic map of thermospheric density derived from real satellite measurements rather than simulations. The study, published in *Earth, Planets and Space*, used orbital ephemeris data from approximately 1,200 Starlink satellites operating…
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NASA Extends Starling Mission After Demonstrating GPS-Free Autonomous Satellite Navigation
NASA has extended its Starling spacecraft swarm mission through at least 2028 after a successful in-orbit demonstration of a navigation system that allows satellites to determine their position without relying on the Global Positioning System (GPS), marking a significant step toward greater spacecraft autonomy for future lunar and deep-space operations. The technology, known as Fast…
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Ares Shield Wins Initial Contract to Protect Lonestar’s Orbital Data Center Satellites
Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings has selected Polish space security startup Ares Shield to provide protective systems for satellites supporting the company’s emerging orbital data storage infrastructure, marking one of the first publicly disclosed commercial agreements focused specifically on active satellite protection for space-based data centers. Under the agreement, Ares Shield will initially equip three Lonestar…