Author: starpathwp-production
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Impulse Space Signs Deal With SES for Satellite Transfers to High Orbits
Satellite transport company Impulse Space has signed a multi-launch agreement with Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES to deliver satellites to medium and geostationary Earth orbits, beginning with a 2027 mission using Impulse’s Helios transfer vehicle. Under the agreement, Impulse will use its Helios kick stage to carry a four-ton SES satellite from low Earth orbit (LEO)…
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Chinese launch cadence accelerates, Tianwen-2 prepares for launch
This month has seen the launches of three different commercial Chinese rockets, and the return-to-flight of a rocket that last flew in mid-2021. China has also begun deploying the world’s first space-based computing satellite constellation. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for China’s second interplanetary mission — a milestone two-part journey to return samples from an asteroid…
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Dawn Aerospace Opens Orders for Aurora Suborbital Spaceplane
Dawn Aerospace announced on Wednesday that it has begun accepting orders for its Aurora spaceplane, a reusable suborbital vehicle designed to carry small payloads into near-space, with first customer deliveries expected in 2027. The New Zealand-based aerospace company is positioning the Aurora as a commercially operated spaceplane, diverging from the conventional model of offering launch…
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FAA Clears SpaceX Starship for Flight After March Mishap, Expands Safety Zones
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday granted approval for SpaceX to proceed with its next Starship test flight following an investigation into a March explosion, expanding airspace safety zones and signaling strengthened international coordination with countries along the rocket’s flight path. The green light paves the way for Starship Flight 9 to launch…
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Rocket Report: SpaceX’s expansion at Vandenberg; India’s PSLV fails in flight
Welcome to Edition 7.45 of the Rocket Report! Let’s talk about spaceplanes. Since the Space Shuttle, spaceplanes have, at best, been a niche part of the space transportation business. The US Air Force’s uncrewed X-37B and a similar vehicle operated by China’s military are the only spaceplanes to reach orbit since the last shuttle flight…
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How Cuts to NWS and NOAA Could Impact the Upcoming Hurricane Season
With the start of hurricane season fast approaching, recent reports show that cuts and staff vacancies at the National Weather Service and NOAA could impact public safety services. Earlier this month, CNN reported that a number of NWS weather forecast offices do not have a meteorologist-in-charge due to layoffs, early retirements, and vacancies. In this…
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FAA: Airplanes should stay far away from SpaceX’s next Starship launch
The Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light Thursday for SpaceX to launch the next test flight of its Starship mega-rocket as soon as next week, following two consecutive failures earlier this year. The failures set back SpaceX’s Starship program by several months. The company aims to get the rocket’s development back on track with…
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Starfish Space to Attempt Commercial Docking in LEO With Second Otter Pup Mission
Starfish Space will again attempt a mission to dock with a spacecraft in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) in ‘Otter Pup 2,’ set to launch this summer. Starfish Space launched its first Otter Pup spacecraft in 2023, but the satellite went spinning in space after the space tug carrying it fell into an uncontrollable rotation after launch.…
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Astrobotic clears wireless charging system for moon missions with help from WiBotic
A CubeRover with a wireless charging node drives up to a second power node to charge. (Astrobotic Photo) Astrobotic says it has completed flight model acceptance testing for a wireless charging system that incorporates technology from Seattle-based WiBotic — and that could help rovers roam across the surface of the moon. The system is designed…