SSC awards National SSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contracts to the tune of $13.7 billion – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 00:00
Space Systems Command has awarded three National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 contracts. The overall NSSL Phase 3 Mission Manifest has almost doubled compared to Phase 2. The anticipated values for these contracts are $5,923,580,297 for SpaceX, $5,366,439,406 for United Launch Services, and $2,386,234,812 for Blue Origin.
MDA Space acquiring SatixFy – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 00:00
MDA Space will acquire all outstanding shares of SatixFy in an all-cash transaction for $2.10 per share. SatixFy is a supplier of cutting-edge semiconductors and solutions for the space and the satellite communications value chain. The market for software-defined digital satellite constellations is rapidly expanding, driven by increased demand for satellite-based broadband.
Intelsat secures USSF contract to provide Maritime satellite connectivity – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 00:00
Intelsat awarded a U.S. Space Force contract to provide commercial satellite communications bandwidth, equipment and services. The 12-month task order is part of the proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO), 10-year, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle.
SpaceX Starlink Group 6-72 smallsats launch still scheduled for Saturday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 00:00
SpaceX targeting Saturday, April 5 for a Falcon 9 launch a batch of Starlink smallsats to low-Earth orbit. Florida’s weather for tomorrow calls for a temperature of 75°F, overcast clouds, 85% cloud cover and a wind speed of 19mph. The Falcon 9 first stage will attempt to land on one of two East Coast ASDS after its flight.
SpaceX finally lifts off with Starlink Group 11-13 carrying 27 smallsats – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 00:00
Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This is the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, and NROL-57. There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch.
Hubble Studies a Nearby Galaxy’s Star Formation
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 07:00
This image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4941, which lies about 67 million light-years from Earth. Because this galaxy is nearby, cosmically speaking, Hubble’s keen instruments are able to pick out exquisite details such as individual star clusters and filamentary clouds of gas and dust. The data used to construct this image were collected as part of an observing program that investigates the star formation and stellar feedback cycle in nearby galaxies.
Hubble Spots Stellar Sculptors in Nearby Galaxy
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-04 04:01
The image is the first to combine Hubble observations made at infrared, optical, and ultraviolet wavelengths into an intricately detailed view of this vibrant star-forming factory. NGC 346 is in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way that lies 200,000 light-years away in the constellation Tucana.