The U.S. Space Force awarded K2 Space a $22.9 million contract to demonstrate laser terminals for direct satellite-to-satellite data transmission. Announced July 31, the agreement tasks K2 with procuring, integrating, launching, and operating two Enterprise Space Terminals as hosted payloads on separate satellites by 2028. K2, based in Torrance, California, will manage terminal integration and spacecraft operations, though specific terminal suppliers remain undisclosed. This effort supports the Space-Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio, aiming to enhance optical communications [...]

On August 1 1968 NASA announced the cancellation of further Saturn V production, ending the assembly of the United States’ most powerful launch vehicle at that time. The Saturn V, which had carried astronauts beyond low‑Earth orbit, had fifteen units built and thirteen flown before the decision, which came roughly a year before Apollo 11’s historic lunar landing. Congressional budget cuts—driven by a federal deficit and escalating Vietnam‑War costs—reduced Apollo funding by nearly three‑quarters, prompting the halt. The final Saturn V launch occurred [...]

A drifting upper stage of a SpaceX launch vehicle will strike the Moon on Wednesday at roughly 5,400 mph—about seven times the speed of sound—creating an impact comparable to three tons of TNT. The collision, predicted to occur near the sunlit western limb close to Einstein Crater, will excavate a crater roughly 90 feet wide and 16 feet deep and loft a plume of dust and debris that could remain visible to telescopes for minutes. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and [...]

China launched two secretive TJS‑27 communication‑technology test satellites, TJS‑27A and TJS‑27B, aboard a Long March 6A from Taiyuan on July 30, placing them in 1,155 km circular orbits with a 64.8° inclination. The United States Space Force identified the orbit as typical for time‑delay‑of‑arrival (TDOA) electronic‑intelligence platforms, akin to the U.S. Naval Ocean Surveillance System. Analysts note the shift from previous TJS missions, which were geosynchronous or Molniya, to this lower‑inclination, medium‑altitude configuration, suggesting a new ELINT/SIGINT capability or a [...]

SpaceX’s Starship completed its 13th test flight on July 24, 2026, deploying the first batch of functional Starlink V3 satellites into space. Six of these next-generation spacecraft carried cameras to monitor the upper stage’s heat shield, capturing detailed video of the vehicle’s ascent. The footage, released on July 31, shows the 171-foot-tall Ship firing three Raptor engines and using reaction control thrusters. While the upper stage successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean and remained intact, the [...]

SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday, July 31. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:08 p.m. EDT, deploying the spacecraft 61.5 minutes later. The mission utilized booster B1081, marking its 26th flight, which successfully landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. These satellites join the existing Starlink megaconstellation, which now comprises more than 10,800 spacecraft. [...]

Satlabs Space Systems, founded in February 2023 by Saisree Eega and Sooraj Gopakumar, is developing a constellation of low‑cost data‑relay satellites to reduce the latency between Earth‑observation imagery capture and delivery. The company’s proof‑of‑concept relay satellite will act as a “floating ground station,” passing data from imaging satellites to users without waiting for a ground‑station pass. Satlabs plans a network of roughly 150 LEO relays that will link to customer satellites via a single API, aiming to [...]