SpaceX to launch Starlink Group 11-16 smallsats hours earlier on Thursday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-21 00:00
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, May 22 for a Falcon 9 launch of a batch of Starlink Group 11-16 smallsats, to low-Earth orbit. Liftoff is targeted for 1:58 PM – 5:58 PM PDT. The launch will take place at Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB. A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff.
In Their Honor … Lest We Forget – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-21 00:00
Satnews Publishers offices will be closed and reopen on Tuesday, May 27. In observance of Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, Satnews publishers offices will be closed. We salute the past, present and future fallen heroes. We also salute those whose sacrifice was a loved one.
Muted demand led to a 4% drop in the Middle East smartphone market in Q1 2025 – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-21 00:00
Smartphone shipments in the Middle East fell 4% year-on-year to 11.7 million units in Q1 2025. Saudi Arabia held a dominant 26% share of the Middle East smartphone market. Samsung led the pack with an impressive 19% growth, driven by sustained demand for its Galaxy A-series.
Station Nation: Meet Megan Harvey, Utilization Flight Lead and Capsule Communicator
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-21 06:00
Megan Harvey is a utilization flight lead and capsule communicator. She integrates science payload constraints related to vehicles’ launch and landing schedules. Harvey is also working to coordinate logistics for the return of SpaceX vehicles to West Coast landing sites. She has been working for NASA for 13 years.
NASA-French Satellite Spots Large-Scale River Waves for First Time
SWOT has helped scientists track rising sea levels near the coast, spot tsunami slosh, and map the seafloor. Scientists identify river height anomalies in the data indicating a wave on the move. Engineers and water managers have long relied on stream gauges, which record water height and estimate discharge.
Devil’s in Details in Selfie Taken by NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover
The selfie was taken as Perseverance reached the 1,500-sol milestone. A day on Mars is 24.6 hours, so 1,500 sols equals 1,541 Earth days. The selfie also gives engineering teams a chance to view and assess the state of the rover, its instruments, and the overall dust accumulation.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover to Take Bite Out of ‘Krokodillen’
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is exploring a new region of interest the team is calling “Krokodillen” The area has been on the Perseverance science team’s wish list because it marks an important boundary between the oldest rocks of Jezero Crater’s rim and those of the plains beyond.