A recent analysis by private space situational awareness providers indicates that a defunct Russian remote sensing satellite, Resurs P1, experienced a significant breakup event in low Earth orbit, resulting in the creation of over 100 fragments of debris. The incident, detected on June 26 and initially reported by LeoLabs, is believed to have been caused by a “low-intensity explosion,” possibly originating from either a collision or internal structural failure within the spacecraft. LeoLabs, in a statement posted on LinkedIn on July 3, detailed their findings: “While much of the debris cloud has yet to be analyzed fully, our preliminary assessment…
Author: Jacob Gray
Swedish broadband operator Ovzon announced on Tuesday that its first fully owned satellite is set to begin commercial services following successful tests in geostationary orbit. Company CEO Per Norén revealed that the inaugural client for Ovzon 3 will be France’s elite police tactical unit, GIGN (Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale), ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris later this month. “Our proprietary T7 mobile user terminal has achieved impressive speeds with Ovzon 3,” Norén stated, noting speeds of “135 megabits per second download and 10 Mbps upload,” surpassing initial expectations. Ovzon 3, built by Maxar Technologies, boasts five steerable…
HPS, a pioneering force in space technology, has unveiled its ADEO deorbit system, designed to prevent satellite debris and ensure sustainable access to space. Developed over twelve years with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the system has garnered significant interest from international markets, including Europe, North America, and Asia. The ADEO system, recognized by NASA, features drag sails that initiate deorbiting even before satellite launch, ensuring satellites re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their operational life. This capability aligns with new ESA and FCC regulations mandating satellite deorbiting within five years, rather than the previous standard…
NASA has chosen SpaceX to launch the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) spacecraft, a small gamma-ray astronomy mission, in August 2027, the agency announced on July 2. The contract, valued at approximately $69 million, includes launch services and related activities. “The agency could not release details on the number of companies that bid on the launch,” a NASA spokesperson told SpaceNews, citing sensitivity around source selection information. Originally selected in 2021 under NASA’s Small Explorer-class (SMEX) program, COSI is designed to detect soft gamma rays from celestial sources, such as the Milky Way’s positron annihilation. Despite initial plans for a…
Beijing Tianbing Technology Co. reported on Sunday that a structural failure during a test caused the first stage of its Tianlong-3 rocket to detach from its launch pad and land in a hilly area near Gongyi city in central China. The incident, confirmed by Space Pioneer in a statement on its official WeChat account, did not result in any casualties following an initial investigation. According to the Gongyi emergency management bureau, parts of the rocket stage scattered within a designated “safe area” but triggered a local fire, which has since been extinguished with no reported injuries. The Tianlong-3, a partly…
Amazon’s ambitious Project Kuiper initiative, aimed at delivering broadband services via a constellation of satellites, faces a revised timeline with initial services now expected in 2025. The company disclosed this update on June 27, citing logistical adjustments and production milestones. Initially planned for deployment in the first half of 2024 with beta trials involving partners like Verizon, Amazon now anticipates sending its first batch of production satellites to Florida this summer. These satellites will launch aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, marking a significant step from Amazon’s newly established manufacturing hub in Kirkland, Washington. Amazon has secured multiple launch…
China’s Chang’e-6 reentry capsule successfully landed back on Earth on June 25, concluding a 53-day mission that retrieved 1,935.3 grams of lunar samples from the moon’s far side. The capsule, recovered as planned in Inner Mongolia’s grasslands of Siziwang Banner, was airlifted to Beijing and opened on June 26 to retrieve the sample canister, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. The mission aimed to collect up to 2,000 grams, surpassing the 2020 Chang’e-5 mission’s collection of 1,731 grams from the near side despite encountering a drilling issue. “The samples are stickier and more compacted than previous lunar samples,” said…
Eumetsat, the European weather satellite operator, has unexpectedly decided to launch its upcoming Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) satellite on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket instead of Europe’s Ariane 6, a move that has stirred frustration among European space officials. Announced late on June 28, Eumetsat attributed the decision to “exceptional circumstances” but did not elaborate further. Phil Evans, Eumetsat’s director-general, emphasized, “This decision does not compromise our standard policy of supporting European partners,” expressing confidence in SpaceX’s ability to successfully launch the advanced weather satellite by 2025. MTG-S1, equipped with a revolutionary sounder instrument for improved weather forecasting, marks the…
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, marking its first crewed flight after overcoming thruster problems. The spacecraft docked with the forward port on the station’s Harmony module at 1:34 p.m. Eastern, nearly 27 hours after its launch from Florida on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. On board Starliner are NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who entered the station about two hours after docking. The docking was delayed by more than an hour as engineers addressed issues with as many as five reaction control system (RCS) thrusters that went…
Canadian company MDA Space has joined the Starlab Space joint venture, enhancing the project’s capabilities for developing a commercial space station. MDA Space will contribute its expertise in space robotics to the partnership, which already includes Voyager Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and Mitsubishi Corp. MDA Space’s involvement in Starlab Space includes taking an equity stake in the venture. In return, the company will provide space robotics technologies from its new MDA Skymaker line. These technologies will include robotic arms and interfaces for operations on the exterior of the Starlab space station. Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, mentioned in…