Author: starpathwp-production
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A rocket launch Monday night may finally jump-start Amazon’s answer to Starlink
The first 27 operational satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper broadband network lifted off from Florida’s Space Coast on Monday evening, the opening salvo in a challenge to SpaceX’s dominant Starlink global Internet service. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, costing up to $20 billion, will beam high-speed, low-latency broadband signals to consumers around the world. Monday’s milestone launch kicks…
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Boeing Space Missions VP Michelle Parker on the Outlook for Government, Commercial Satellite Manufacturing
There are a number of evolutions underway in satellite manufacturing: software-defined satellites, more satellites in Low-Earth Orbit and Medium-Earth Orbit, fewer orders in Geostationary Orbit, and increasing demand from both U.S. and international governments. Michelle Parker, vice president Boeing Space Mission Systems, shared her outlook on demand for satellite manufacturing in a recent conversation with…
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China to launch Chang’e-8 lunar mission around 2029, collaborating with int’l partners
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) revealed Thursday that the Chang’e-8 lunar probe is scheduled for launch around 2029, and will carry payloads from 11 countries and regions and one international organization as part of international cooperation. The announcement was made at the opening ceremony for 2025 Space Day of China, which is celebrated annually…
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China invites int’l partners on Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Thursday announced opportunities for international cooperation on the Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission, inviting global partners to jointly advance Mars exploration and research, thereby expanding humanity’s understanding of the red planet. The Tianwen-3 mission, a significant part of China’s planetary exploration program, is scheduled for launch around 2028, according…
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Scientists from multiple countries granted access to China’s Chang’e-5 lunar samples for research
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Thursday that scientists from institutions in France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.) have been granted the opportunity to borrow lunar samples collected by the Chang’e-5 mission for scientific research. At a ceremony for China’s Space Day in Shanghai, the agency…
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China launches new data relay satellite
China successfully sent a new data relay satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Sunday. The Tianlian II-05 satellite was launched at 11:54 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket and entered its planned orbit. Tianlian II-05 is China’s second-generation geosynchronous orbit data-relay satellite. It…
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Spire Pays Off its Debt With Maritime Business Sale
Spire Global completed the sale of its maritime business to Belgian data and analytics company Kpler, using the proceeds to retire all outstanding debt, Spire announced April 25. Spire sold the business for $233.5 million, before adjustments, plus a $7.5 million agreement for services over a 12-month period. The sale includes Spire’s maritime AIS data…
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GOP’s $150B Defense Bill for Reconciliation Funds Golden Dome, ‘Historic’ Tech Investments
The Republicans leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee have rolled out their $150 billion defense spending plan for the forthcoming reconciliation bill, which includes $25 billion for the Golden Dome missile defense system. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Sen. Roger Wicker, the HASC and SASC chairs, respectively, both cited the bill’s “historic investments”…
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ispace’s RESILIENCE Lander Ready for Lunar Orbit After Maneuver Success
ispace, a global lunar exploration company, announced that its RESILIENCE lunar lander completed all deep space orbital maneuvers on April 24, 2025, at 10:00 UTC (7:00 pm JST) in advance of a planned lunar orbit insertion. This marks the completion of Success 6 milestone of Mission 2, “SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon.” ispace engineers performed…
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Amazon Project Kuiper Deployment Begins With First ULA Launch
United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the first full-scale mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation on Monday evening, starting the deployment phase of Amazon’s competitor to Starlink and OneWeb. ULA launched 27 satellites in the Kuiper-1 mission on an Atlas V 551 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:01 p.m. EDT. The launch…