United Launch Alliance successfully launches Amazon’s first operational satellites – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 00:00
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper-1 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper lifted off on April 28 at 7:01 p.m. EDT. The Kuiper 1 launch marks the beginning of full-scale deployment of the Kuiper constellation.
SpaceX launches Starlink Group 12-10 from the Cape making it the second launch on Monday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 00:00
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 23 smallsats from Starlink Group 12-10 into low Earth orbit. This was the second Starlink launch on Monday. The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA’s ten field centers.
SpaceX Starlink Group 11-9 smallsats is 1 of 2 launches on Monday from both coasts – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 00:00
The Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket’s nine Merlin engines transported 27 Starlink satellites into LEO and released them from the rocket’s payload adapter about one hour into flight. This was the 25th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission.
Moon RACER activates self-driving mode for lunar exploration – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 00:00
The Moon RACER team tested its self-driving system at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard. The team successfully integrated a scanning LiDAR system into Moon RACER. The team is one of only three vendors vying for the next phase of the LTV contract, the delivery and demonstration mission.
API Gateway to boost USSF space superiority through enhanced data access – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 00:00
U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a $2.9 million contract to Raft LLC for the development of an Application Programming Interface (API) Gateway. The API Gateway is an enhancement tool that expands data accessibility and enables interoperability with the Unified Data Library.
ULA launches first operational Amazon Kuiper mission on second attempt
Original Publication Date: 2025-04-28 09:47
Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband communications mega-constellation has launched its first operational satellites to low-Earth orbit. The Atlas V rocket is equipped with five GEM-63 solid rocket boosters and the 5.4 meter wide medium-length payload fairing. The launch flew on a northeast trajectory, which took the 27 satellites to an initial 450 km altitude circular orbit inclined 51.9 degrees to the equator. Kuiper will start service once 578 satellites are in their operational orbits, with the full constellation deployment being done in five phases.