Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)
The United States and United Kingdom militaries have conducted their first coordinated satellite maneuvers. US Space Command said Thursday the maneuvers with the United Kingdom took place Sept. 4 through 12, when a U.S. satellite repositioned into close range of a UK spacecraft to inspect, monitor and validate its status. No further details about the spacecraft were disclosed. The operation marks an expansion of allied cooperation in the increasingly militarized space domain, where nations are developing capabilities to protect critical satellite infrastructure from potential threats. This operation occurred just months after the US revealed it had conducted similar operations with France, and is part of Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender, a US-led initiative aimed at bolstering international cooperation in space defense.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Washington Examiner article
•  The Independent article
•  US Space Command press release

Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT)
Blue Origin is retiring a New Shepard capsule after a 12th flight on Thursday. The New Shepard vehicle lifted off at 9:00 am EDT (1300 GMT) from the company’s West Texas launch site on the NS-35 mission, carrying several dozen research payloads. The capsule landed a little more than 10 minutes later after completing a typical flight profile to about 105 kilometers. The capsule, called RSS H.G. Wells, will be retired after this flight, the company said, after making 12 suborbital trips since its introduction in 2017. Blue Origin has two other New Shepard capsules it currently uses for crewed suborbital flights.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  KTSM-TV El Paso, TX article
•  Space.com article

Astra planning first Rocket 4 launch in mid-2026
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:21 AM ET (1221 GMT)
Astra is targeting the summer of next year for the first launch of its Rocket 4 vehicle. Astra CEO Chris Kemp said Wednesday at World...

Cygnus spacecraft arrives at ISS after one-day delay
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:20 AM ET (1220 GMT)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Thursday morning after a one-day delay. The station’s robotic arm grappled the NG-...

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:18 AM ET (1218 GMT)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Thursday morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 am EDT (...