Author: starpathwp-production
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AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 Lost in New Glenn Upper Stage Failure
What happened to AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite? AST SpaceMobile has declared its BlueBird 7 satellite a total loss following an upper stage failure during Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch on April 19, 2026. The $50 million direct-to-device communications satellite was lost when the rocket’s upper stage experienced an anomaly during orbital insertion, despite Blue…
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Space Force considers Vulcan flights minus solid boosters
Can Vulcan launch military payloads without its solid rocket boosters? The U.S. Space Force is evaluating whether United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur can fly lower-energy national security missions without solid rocket motors (SRMs) as the investigation into a recent solid booster anomaly continues to ground the rocket’s full-performance configuration. This contingency planning reflects the military’s…
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Vast unveils Astronaut Flight Suit and revolutionary Large Docking Adapter
Commercial space station developer Vast has blended fashion with functionality while laying groundwork for the next generation of orbital infrastructure. The company revealed its new Astronaut Flight Suit, designed for crews on its upcoming Haven-1 station and future missions, alongside a groundbreaking Large Docking Adapter that promises to overcome longstanding limitations in how spacecraft and…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Achieves 600th Booster Landing Milestone
How did SpaceX achieve its 600th Falcon 9 booster landing? SpaceX successfully completed its 600th Falcon 9 first-stage booster landing during a West Coast Starlink deployment mission on April 18, 2026, cementing its position as the world’s most experienced launch provider in rocket reusability. The milestone landing occurred on the autonomous spearhead drone ship “Of…
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New Glenn launches on third mission, successfully reuses booster for the first time
Just over five months after the launch of its second mission, Blue Origin’s partially reusable New Glenn rocket launched from Florida early Sunday morning. The mission marked Blue Origin’s first attempt at reusing a New Glenn first stage booster, with GS1-SN002 Never Tell Me The Odds launching again after previously launching the ESCAPADE mission to…
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Vast Debuts Flight Suit and Large Docking Adapter for Haven-1
What new crew systems has Vast revealed for Haven-1? Vast today unveiled two critical systems for its Haven-1 commercial space station: a custom astronaut flight suit and a 1.5-meter Large Docking Adapter that significantly expands payload capacity beyond current ISS capabilities. The Long Beach-based startup’s flight suit features a sleek black and white design optimized…
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Artemis II pilot talks about what it was really like to fly and land in Orion
The crew of Artemis II spoke with the media on Thursday, six days after returning to Earth following their mission around the Moon. After a news conference, the astronauts gave a handful of interviews, and Ars was able to speak with Orion’s pilot, Victor Glover. Glover and Ars first connected nearly a decade ago as…
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SpaceX makes 600th Falcon booster landing during West Coast Starlink mission
File: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the Starlink 17-31 mission on March 13, 2026. Image: SpaceX SpaceX completed its 600th Falcon booster landing during a Starlink mission Sunday. The Falcon 9 rocket departed Vandenberg Space Force Base on a south-southwesterly trajectory at…
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Airlines See IFC as Way to Build Relationships With Customers
HAMBURG, Germany — As in-flight connectivity (IFC) has become a core part of the customer experience while flying, airlines are looking at IFC as one of the ways they form a connection with customers and provide content that resonates. flydubai and Ethiopian Airlines gave their perspectives on the changing dynamics of this market at the…
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ESA Awards Kepler Prime Contract for HydRON Element 3 Optical Comms
Why Did ESA Select Kepler for Its Critical HydRON Element 3? The European Space Agency has awarded Toronto-based Kepler Communications the prime contractor role for HydRON Element 3, marking a significant milestone in Europe’s push for sovereign optical communications infrastructure. The selection positions the Canadian smallsat operator at the center of ESA’s most ambitious laser…