Author: starpathwp-production
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Exolaunch Books First SpaceX Starfall Earth-Return Mission for 2029
Exolaunch has signed a contract with SpaceX to serve as payload integrator for a Starfall mission targeted to launch aboard Starship no earlier than 2029, marking the German company’s first commitment to Starship and its first mission involving the return of customer payloads from orbit. Announced on September 21, the agreement expands Exolaunch beyond conventional…
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SES Signs Multi-Year Deal to Distribute JioStar Channels Across South Asia
SES and JioStar signed a multi-year agreement on September 21 under which JioStar will move its television-channel distribution to SES’s IS-20 satellite, extending delivery to cable systems, direct-to-home platforms and other broadcast networks across India and the wider Indian subcontinent. The companies did not disclose the contract’s value, capacity commitment or exact duration. The agreement…
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Space Epoch Secures $343 Million Series B Funding to Advance Reusable Methalox Launch Vehicle
On Sept. 23, 2026, Chinese commercial launch startup Space Epoch finalized a B++ financing round, bringing its total Series B capital raised over the past six months to more than 2.3 billion yuan ($343 million). The growth capital will finance flight support operations, stage recovery verification tests, and commercial payload delivery infrastructure for the company’s…
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DMU41 Inertial Measurement Unit Demonstrates Recoverable Radiation Resilience in Heavy Particle Testing
On Sept. 23, 2026, a technical report detailing radiation test results for the DMU41 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) outlined how sensor reset architectures de-risk satellite navigation systems operating in radiation-heavy orbits. The evaluation highlights the operational distinction between cumulative Total Ionizing Dose (TID) metrics and Single Event Effects (SEE) caused by energetic particle strikes. Test…
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How Do Engineers Choose Satellite Cables? Power, Signal, RF and High-Voltage Lines Have Different Requirements
A satellite unit may work perfectly on a test bench, then develop problems after installation on the spacecraft: low supply voltage, fluctuating temperature readings, intermittent bus errors or higher-than-expected radio-frequency (RF) losses. The fault may lie in the cable connecting the unit. A cable is rarely a transparent path between two devices. It has resistance,…
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AstroForge Plans 2027 Flight With AI in Control of Spacecraft
AstroForge plans to give its Solo artificial intelligence system control of a spacecraft on its Autonomy-1 mission in early 2027. The asteroid mining company said the vehicle will operate without commands from Earth after launch on the first flight of Stoke Space’s Nova Pathfinder rocket. Before then, AstroForge intends to fly Solo in a monitoring…
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NASA Simplifies Axiom Lunar Suit to Keep 2028 Artemis Landing on Schedule
NASA is developing a simplified version of Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit to reduce schedule risk ahead of the first Artemis crewed landing, now planned for early 2028. Reportedly known internally as the “sortie suit,” the configuration would remove or defer some of the mass, complexity and long-duration capabilities included in the original Axiom Extravehicular Mobility…
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SiriusXM Puts SXM-11, Its Most Powerful Broadcast Satellite, Into Commercial Service
SiriusXM confirmed on September 15 that its SXM-11 geostationary communications satellite has completed in-orbit testing and entered full commercial service. The spacecraft, described by the company as the most powerful broadcast satellite in its fleet, is designed to improve signal reception, expand coverage in Alaska and strengthen the delivery of satellite audio and information services…
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Space Inventor and Astroscale Japan Develop Architecture for In-Orbit Satellite Servicing and Repair
Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor and Astroscale Japan announced on September 16, 2026, that they are developing a joint spacecraft architecture intended to enable in-orbit satellite servicing, maintenance and repair. The system combines Space Inventor’s modular small-satellite platforms with Astroscale’s rendezvous, proximity-operations and docking technologies, aiming to address spacecraft failures and propellant depletion in low…
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ESA and ISRO Extend Space Cooperation Agreement Through January 2032
The European Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation signed an exchange of letters in Paris on September 10, 2026, extending their bilateral Cooperative Agreement for five years, through January 8, 2032. Signed during the International Space Summit, the extension adds space weather and human and robotic exploration to a framework that already supports…