Author: starpathwp-production
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Eutelsat to Lead Next Phase of Europe’s IRIS² Sovereign Connectivity Infrastructure
Euronext Paris welcomes the successful completion of the IRIS2 programme’s First Rendez-Vous, paving the way for the full industrial execution of Europe’s sovereign multi-orbit connectivity infrastructure, offering additional capacity and enhanced technical performance relative to the initial project. Combining an inclined orbital architecture with beamforming antennas and 5G NTN, it will dynamically direct capacity to…
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SpaceX launches Tuesday noontime Starlink mission following Monday scrub
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket pushes past the speed of sound during the Starlink 10-19 mission on Aug. 11, 2026. Image: John Pisani / Spaceflight NowUpdate Aug. 11, 12:25 p.m. EDT (1625 UTC): SpaceX landed its booster on the droneship. Update Aug. 10, 3:46 p.m. EDT (1946 UTC): Added updated forecast from the 45th Weather…
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SES Completes RDV1 Milestone for Europe’s IRIS² Satellite Programme
SES has announced the completion of Rendez-vous 1 (RDV1) under the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) programme, marking a key milestone in the programme’s implementation phase and reinforcing Europe’s path towards satellite connectivity. The completion of RDV1 has confirmed the programme’s readiness to move forward with implementation and has provided greater…
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Launch Preview: Chinese failure opens busy international launch salvo
The week of Aug. 10 opened with an extraordinary Monday, four launches across three countries in fewer than twelve hours. China launched first, but failed, with a Chang Zheng 7A carrying an undisclosed payload from Wenchang. The vehicle exploded during first stage flight. A SpaceX launch with Starlink Group 10-19 from Cape Canaveral was set…
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Europe’s IRIS2 Constellation Enters the Build Phase
The time for talk is over. After seven months of negotiations, officials from the European Commission, ESA, EUSPA, and SpaceRISE—the latter being a consortium of SES, Eutelsat, and HispaSat—have agreed to move into the implementation phase of IRIS2. The agreement also dramatically increases the scope of the constellation. While IRIS2 was expected to include 290…
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Northrop Grumman Develops Lunar Infrastructure Demo Missions for NASA Moon Base Initiative
Northrop Grumman Corporation is developing a series of Lunar Infrastructure Demo (LID) missions to help NASA develop the power and data backbone for a Moon Base, including technology capable of surviving the lunar night and supporting a sustained human presence at the Moon’s South Pole. To help NASA accelerate development, Northrop Grumman is reusing hardware…
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China’s Space Computing Is Not the Same as Musk’s Vision
Over the past year, space computing has emerged as one of the hottest topics in the global commercial space industry. From a wave of domestic companies announcing plans for computing satellites, computing constellations, and space-based computing platforms, to SpaceX’s continued discussions around orbital data centers and AI infrastructure, space computing has quickly become a new…
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China’s Space Computing Race: Competing for the Next Decade’s AI Compute Power
AI’s computing needs are outgrowing what Earth can easily supply — and a new race is emerging to move data centers into orbit. This report breaks down the emerging “space computing” industry from every angle: what it actually is and why energy and bandwidth constraints are pushing computing into space (Sections 1–2); the physical advantages…
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Key Things to Understand About China’s Commercial Space Sector
China’s commercial space industry is entering a phase of rapid development. However, to truly understand where the sector is heading, several underlying factors need to be recognized in advance. 1. Commercial Space Has Become an Industry China “Must” Develop From a broader perspective, one undeniable reality is that global commercial space innovation is, to a…
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LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 Targets Reusable Rocket Milestone in Second Flight Attempt Next Week
The highly anticipated second flight mission of LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable launch vehicle has entered its final countdown. According to launch preparations released by the company, the rocket is scheduled to lift off on August 11, 2026, from LandSpace’s dedicated Launch Pad No. 2 at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone in Jiuquan, Gansu Province.…