Northrop Grumman achieves 1st undocking between 2 commercial spacecraft in GEO – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
MEV-1 successfully undocked with Intelsat’s IS-901 satellite, completing its life extension service. This marks the first undocking between two commercial spacecraft in the geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) graveyard. Northrop Grumman is currently the only proven provider of life-extension services for satellites in GEO.
ULA plans Amazon Project Kuiper’s launch on Monday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
The next date for ULA’s launch of Project Kuiper now is scheduled for Monday, April 14 from 4:00 PM to 8:34 PM ET. Project Kuiper is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites.
Vast announces 3 additional payload partners for Haven-1 Lab + signs leverage agreement with ISS National Laboratory – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
Vast announces new payload partners for Haven-1 Lab, the world’s first commercial crewed microgravity research and manufacturing facility in space. Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Interstellar Lab, and Exobiosphere are the latest payload partners. The new partners will leverage the microgravity environment of the Haven-1 Lab by installing payloads focused on advanced materials development, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical development.
Forrester’s Digest: France to bail out Eutelsat? – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
French state is considering a major strategic investment in Eutelsat. Eutelsat needs to find around €4 billion of extra funding to maintain its OneWeb fleet of 650 satellite. UK government and India’s Bharti Group are also said to be interested in OneWeb.
SpaceX delays Starlink Group 11-17 launch of 21 smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell until Friday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
SpaceX is targeting Friday, April 11 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities as part of a smallsat constellation. Liftoff is targeted for 1:24 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 1:40 a.m. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Friday, April 11 starting at 9:15 p.m. ET. A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.
Intelsat to line fit factory install multi-orbit service on Embraer E2 – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-10 00:00
Intelsat will soon launch high-speed, reliable multi-orbit connectivity service on Embraer E2 aircraft. New line-fit agreement with Embraer enables the aircraft manufacturer to install the equipment during factory production. Intelsat is the first multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity system with an electronically steered array (ESA) antenna.
Documentary Series: JPL and the Space Age
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is widely known for its trailblazing role in space exploration. JPL and the Space Age uses rare archival footage and interviews with many of JPL’s pioneering engineers and scientists. Each episode was written, produced and directed by JPL Fellow and national Emmy Award-winning documentarian Blaine Baggett.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Studies Trove of Rocks on Crater Rim
The rover is characterizing the planet’s geology and past climate. It is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life.
NASA Webb’s Autopsy of Planet Swallowed by Star Yields Surprise
The James Webb Space Telescope was able to detect carbon monoxide in the accretion disk around a star. The ability to characterize this gas opens more questions for researchers about what actually happened once the planet was fully swallowed by the star. Researchers expect to add to their sample and identify future events like this using the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
ULA scrubs first operational Amazon Kuiper mission
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-09 19:47
Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband communications mega-constellation, a future competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink service, is ready to launch its first operational satellites to low-Earth orbit. The Atlas V was scheduled to launch on Wednesday, April 9, at 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC), at the start of a two hour window. The launch ultimately was scrubbed due to weather, with the next attempt now set for Monday, April 14. The Kuiper satellites are equipped with optical inter-satellite laser communications links and are designed to deliver low latency broadband to users worldwide using small terminals.