On February 27th 2023, SpaceX it launched its first batch of its Starlink Version-2 satellites – 21 of them were launched into their transfer orbits. However, SpaceX has steadily increased the number of these V2 craft on each rocket. A few months after that debut launch it managed to carry an extra satellites, and placing […]

SpaceX has been accused of denying its Starlink broadband service to Taiwan in order not to upset China, and in so doing may be in violation of its obligations to the US government, reports the WSJ. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.) has written to Elon Musk that multiple sources told a House committee he leads […]

Last weekend there were multiple launches made by SpaceX with its Falcon 9 rocket making its 300th successful mission. However, the company has also started de-orbiting some of its Starlink satellite while at the same time explaining its plans for its work with T-Mobile and telephony. A tweet from company President, Gwynne Shotwell, said: “Falcon […]

The Bahaman government’s Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (MOTIA) has announced the successful negotiation and execution of a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with SpaceX, marking what it describes as a “revolutionary leap” for The Bahamas into the realm of space tourism. SpaceX is currently finalising mission designs where one of the company’s floating droneships […]

Telkomsat-113BT (Merah Putih 2) is due for a launch today [February 20], weather permitting, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3.11pm Florida-time when the launch window opens. The High Throughput Satellite launch will happen from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. The customer is PT Telkom Satelit Indonesia (Telkomsat) and will be placed […]

SpaceX has informed the FCC of its plans to expand its current broadband-by-satellite service to include Text and ultimately Voice services. On February 13th SpaceX wrote to the FCC saying it wanted to take another step towards realising the FCC’s own vision of a ‘Single Network Future’ which would bring ubiquitous mobile connectivity to consumers […]

Elon Musk says that SpaceX will deorbit approximately 100 of its early version Starlink satellites which have a design problem and could fail, and not be manoeuvrable. Musk also stated that the 3rd test launch of its Starship giant rocket was about 3 weeks away. SpaceX, in a February 12th statement, said these “early version” […]

It is always fun going back a few years and Pierre Lionnet, director of research at ASD Eurospace, has done exactly that and gone back to Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) forecasts for the space industry as they saw things in 2015. Lionnet is too polite to say the forecasts were rubbish, but points out that […]

SpaceX’s Starlink broadband services is officially not allowed in South Africa. However, various reports suggest that it already has around 14,000 users. One report says that StarSat Africa, the Mozambique-based Starlink importer, will be servicing South Africa with equipment, is set to cut prices for Starlink equipment by 13-20 per cent by the end of […]

Currently SpaceX’s Starlink system dominates satellite-based broadband and the potential for ‘direct-to-device’ (MSS: Mobile Satellite Service) communications. However, Globalstar is rolling out its smaller constellation and has Apple helping finance its expansion. The initial problem is that both outfits use the same frequencies (as does Dish Network). SpaceX formally complained to the FCC on February […]