"The Grain Goddess Provides", and so do the launch gods. We've got a new date for our next Electron mission with iQPS. Launch window opens tonight: 🚀 9:00 pm/09:00 NZST/UTC 🚀 6:00 pm JST 🚀 5:00 am EDT 🚀 2:00 am PDT

This morning, AST SpaceMobile successfully launched another 3 BlueBird Block 2 satellites, less then 2 months after their previous launch! AST is planning to continue this cadence, with the next 3 almost ready and expected to launch on another Falcon 9 within a month or two.

A couple of Starship Flight 14 updates from SpaceX' first earnings call: - Targeting Late-August - First orbital flight - Will deploy Starlink V3 satellites in operational orbits - Planning to catch the Ship, pending regulatory approval

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · 6d ago

Those are some awesome views of the Starlink V3 satellites in space during Starship's 13th Flight Test. While Flight 14 is expected to be Starship's first orbital flight, I don't expect them to carry satellites as I don't think they reach any of the shells from Starbase.

Elon Musk says on the SpaceX earnings call that they will deploy Starlink V3 satellites to operational orbits on the next Starship flight, Flight 14.

The Crew-13 crew has successfully completed their training ahead of their mission! Launch is scheduled for NET September 12th at ~22:34 UTC. Commander Jessica Watkins will be flying aboard Dragon for the second time, she previously flew on the Crew-4 mission in 2022.

Launch window set! 🎯 Ariane 6 flight VA270 is scheduled to liftoff on 27 August 2026 at 22:10-00:40 CEST, 17:10-19:40 local time, from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This launch will carry MTG-I2 to space, the next Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite. @esaearth.esa.int @eumetsat.int

New satellite imagery from Vantor gives a good look at operations in the Indian Ocean to recover S40. Tow lines have been attached, with Normand Ranger & Skimmer Tide still working around S40. Go Australis, which has been in the area since before launch, is returning to Port. 📸 cnn.it/3RGJTLL

3 months after being delayed last-moment, the first Globalstar 2-R launch is back on the schedule! The launch was previously scheduled for May, but was delayed last-moment due to an issue with at least one of the satellites. It's now scheduled for NET August 16th at 01:02 UTC.

The payload fairing with the QZS-7 satellite has been moved to the launchpad ahead of launch of H3-F9 NET August 6th at 19:30 UTC. This will be H3's return to operational launches, and the first launch of the redesigned payload attach fitting following the QZS-5 launch failure.

A single payload has been cataloged from NROL-95, and it has been spotted in the same orbital plane as NROL-55 (3rd gen NOSS pair launched in 2015). This confirms NROL-95 is indeed what's presumed to be a 4th generation Naval Ocean Surveillance System satellite, as expected.

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · last wk.

NROL-95 is vertical for launch tomorrow at 07:09 UTC. NROL-95 is the 4th NRO launch this year, following 3 Starshield launches. The NRO was also set to debut on Vulcan, but those missions have all delayed to 2027. However we might still see the NRO debut on Falcon Heavy this year.

Those are some awesome views of the Starlink V3 satellites in space during Starship's 13th Flight Test. While Flight 14 is expected to be Starship's first orbital flight, I don't expect them to carry satellites as I don't think they reach any of the shells from Starbase.

Securing access to space for all-weather 24/7 Earth imaging 🌏📸 iQPS has signed for another 3x Electron launches to continue deploying their QPS constellation - their third multi-launch booking on Electron in less than a year. More details: bit.ly/4vTlAYT

The next Vega-C has its launchdate! Scheduled for NET September 15th at 01:21 UTC, this will be flight VV30 carrying ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-3C and FLEX Earth Explorer 8 earth observation satellites. Both satellites were built by Thales Alenia Space.

ESA Earth Observation@esaearth.esa.int · 7d ago

Not one, but two satellites will soon be on their way to orbit 🚀 On 15 September at 03:21 CEST/02:21 BST (14 September at 22:21 local time), @esa.int’s FLEX mission and Copernicus Sentinel-3C are set to launch together from Europe’s Spaceport aboard a Vega-C rocket. 📷ESA/ATG medialab

Not one, but two satellites will soon be on their way to orbit 🚀 On 15 September at 03:21 CEST/02:21 BST (14 September at 22:21 local time), @esa.int’s FLEX mission and Copernicus Sentinel-3C are set to launch together from Europe’s Spaceport aboard a Vega-C rocket. 📷ESA/ATG medialab

The delays continue for SES' new Software-Defined satellites. Intelsat-42/43 (Airbus OneSat, originally set to launch in 2023), and Astra-1Q/SES-25 & SES-26 (Thales Space INSPIRE, originally set to launch in 2024/25) are now all delayed from 2027 to 2028 per their latest earnings.

Newly published hazard area's indicate the next Electron launch from Mahia is scheduled for NET August 5th. Looks like this will be the next attempt for "The Grain Goddess Provides".

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · last wk.

It's now been 4 weeks since the Electron abort at ignition for "The Grain Goddess Provides", and since then it's been unusually quiet. We also haven't had any updates on other launches that were scheduled for July, such as LOXSAT. Hopefully Electron will be back flying soon. 🤞

It's now been 4 weeks since the Electron abort at ignition for "The Grain Goddess Provides", and since then it's been unusually quiet. We also haven't had any updates on other launches that were scheduled for July, such as LOXSAT. Hopefully Electron will be back flying soon. 🤞

NROL-95 is vertical for launch tomorrow at 07:09 UTC. NROL-95 is the 4th NRO launch this year, following 3 Starshield launches. The NRO was also set to debut on Vulcan, but those missions have all delayed to 2027. However we might still see the NRO debut on Falcon Heavy this year.

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · last wk.

The next "traditional" NRO launch is coming up! This will be NROL-95 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 NET July 30th at 07:09 UTC. The hazard area's are pretty much identical to NROL-77, so the payload likely is another what's presumed to be a 4th generation Naval Ocean Surveillance System satellite.

Awesome pictures of Starship still afloat in the Indian Ocean almost 4 days after launch! It'll be interesting to see whether they'll tow it to shore to recover it. Looking ahead, if the data looks good, we could see a full orbital flight and first catch attempt on Flight 14!

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · last wk.

Following Starship's 13th Flight Test, Ship 40 didn't blow up upon splashdown. The ship and recovery vessel GO Australis, which has been following it, have now been imaged by a SAR satellite from Umbra earlier today at 03:56 UTC!

The next "traditional" NRO launch is coming up! This will be NROL-95 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 NET July 30th at 07:09 UTC. The hazard area's are pretty much identical to NROL-77, so the payload likely is another what's presumed to be a 4th generation Naval Ocean Surveillance System satellite.

Following Starship's 13th Flight Test, Ship 40 didn't blow up upon splashdown. The ship and recovery vessel GO Australis, which has been following it, have now been imaged by a SAR satellite from Umbra earlier today at 03:56 UTC!

Harry Stranger@spacefromspace.com · last wk.

Following a request from my friends at @nasaspaceflight.com, we attempted to capture the splashed down SpaceX Starship in the Indian Ocean using Umbra satellites. We seem to have caught it and its recovery ship. 2026-07-27 03:56 UTC. spacefromspace.com/spaceport-im...

Following a request from my friends at @nasaspaceflight.com, we attempted to capture the splashed down SpaceX Starship in the Indian Ocean using Umbra satellites. We seem to have caught it and its recovery ship. 2026-07-27 03:56 UTC. spacefromspace.com/spaceport-im...

Missile defense from wherever it's needed 🚀❄️ We're officially headed to Alaska to establish our fourth launch complex to support our largest launch contract yet: $266M for up to 18 suborbital launches for missile defense with the Space Force's Space Systems Command. Full details: bit.ly/4x4Soiv

The Vulcan rocket for Amazon Leo LV-01 has rolled to SLC-41 for pre-launch testing! This series of testing will commission the new Vulcan Launch Platform and help teams get familiar with the new 85K "LEO-Optimized" Centaur V stage. Launch is NET September, but could be delayed.

Falcon 9 First Stage B1069 was spotted around KSC today, as the booster was rolling out to SLC-40 for the launch of MRV-1 NET July 21st at 21:15 UTC. This will be its 32nd and final launch, so its gridfins and landing legs have been removed. 📸 Luke Leisher

According to newly published hazard area's, the next launch attempt for Starship 13th Flight Test is now NET July 20th, with the same 90-minute window from 22:45 to 00:15 UTC. Ship 40 has already been destacked, as SpaceX prepares to swap 2 Raptor engines on Booster 20.

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · 3w ago

ABORT AT IGNITION That will be a scrub for today as they need to refill the water for the flame diverter.

The next launch for the SDA will be either T1TL-A with satellites from Northrop Grumman, or T1TL-F with satellites from Lockheed Martin. Rather then following a fixed monthly schedule like before, the SDA will now launch whoever is ready, even if that means some launches delay.

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · 3w ago

Falcon 9 First Stage B1103-4 is vertical at SLC-4E ahead of launch of the SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer-E mission later tonight at 20:32:27 UTC. This is the 1st launch since October due to a “strategic pause” to fix issues with the satellites that were discovered after launch.

ABORT AT IGNITION That will be a scrub for today as they need to refill the water for the flame diverter.

Lukas C. H.@gewoonlukas.bsky.social · 3w ago

Starship is ready for its 13th flight test later tonight @ 22:45 UTC! The profile is similar to flight 12, but instead of simulators, S40 will deploy actual Starlink V3 satellites! They will attempt to deploy solar array's & antennas, and to communicate with the ground & network.

Starship is ready for its 13th flight test later tonight @ 22:45 UTC! The profile is similar to flight 12, but instead of simulators, S40 will deploy actual Starlink V3 satellites! They will attempt to deploy solar array's & antennas, and to communicate with the ground & network.

Falcon 9 First Stage B1103-4 is vertical at SLC-4E ahead of launch of the SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer-E mission later tonight at 20:32:27 UTC. This is the 1st launch since October due to a “strategic pause” to fix issues with the satellites that were discovered after launch.