Author: starpathwp-production
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EchoStar to FCC: Spectrum Inquiry Threatens its Business, 5G Progress, and Licensing Regime
EchoStar responded to the FCC this week after the Commission opened an inquiry into the operator’s spectrum. In new filings, EchoStar argued the FCC’s inquiry threatens its business, 5G progress in the U.S., and the FCC’s own licensing regime. Earlier this month, the FCC launched an inquiry into EchoStar’s mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in…
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Portal Space Systems to Fly On-Orbit Demo on Momentus Vehicle
Portal Space Systems will fly its first on-orbit demonstration on a Momentus orbital service vehicle in a mission set to launch in early 2026, Momentus announced Wednesday. This mission will validate Portal’s flight computer, avionics and flight software in space. Portal Space Systems, founded by former SpaceX VP of Propulsion, Jeff Thornburg, is building toward…
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China launches the Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission
The Chinese space program is preparing to join the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA in returning samples from an asteroid to Earth. The Tianwen-2 probe and its Chang Zheng 3B/E (CZ-3B/E) rocket launched successfully from Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China on Wednesday, May 28, at…
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SpaceX Faces Third Starship Test Failure in a Row With Uncontrolled Reentry
SpaceX lost attitude control over its Starship rocket during the vehicle’s ninth test flight on Tuesday evening. Overall, the test resulted in uncontrolled reentry of both the first stage booster and Starship upper stage over the Indian Ocean. It marked the third test failure and another setback for the Starship program this year. SpaceX has been…
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SpaceX may have solved one problem only to find more on latest Starship flight
SpaceX made some progress on another test flight of the world’s most powerful rocket Tuesday, finally overcoming technical problems that plagued the program’s two previous launches. But minutes into the mission, SpaceX’s Starship lost control as it cruised through space, then tumbled back into the atmosphere somewhere over the Indian Ocean nearly an hour after…
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SpaceX launches first flight-proven Super Heavy booster, loses control of Starship mid-flight
SpaceX’s Starship upper stage, tail number S35, is shown in an uncontrolled reentry during the Starship Flight 9 mission on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Image: SpaceX via livestream SpaceX hit another roadblock on its quest to “make life multiplanetary.” During the ninth flight of its integrated Starship-Super Heavy rocket on Tuesday, the vehicle once again…
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Launch Roundup: Chinese asteroid mission, and Falcon 9 launch
This week, China launched a near-Earth asteroid sample return mission amongst several other missions. Meanwhile, Rocket Lab has postponed the launch its Electron rocket from New Zealand until June 3 for additional checks and bad weather. Coming off the launch of Starship’s ninth flight test on Tuesday, SpaceX launched several Starlink missions. The company also…
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Elon Musk: There is an 80 percent chance Starship’s engine bay issues are solved
On Tuesday afternoon, just a few hours before a launch attempt of the ninth flight test of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, Elon Musk spoke with Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger to talk about where his space company goes from here. In recent weeks, Musk has dialed back his focus on politics and said he…
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SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin the Starlink 10-32 mission on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update May 28, 11:04 a.m. EDT: SpaceX confirmed Starlink satellite deployment. SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space…