Posted: Sat, Apr 5 1:28 PM ET (1728 GMT)
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites Thursday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:02 pm EDT (0102 GMT Friday) and placed 27 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was scheduled for Tuesday but postponed by weather. The launch marked the third flight in 23 days of the same Falcon 9 booster, which conducted launches for NASA and the NRO last month.

Related Links:

•  Noozhawk article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Space.com article

Posted: Sat, Apr 5 1:25 PM ET (1725 GMT)
Spinlaunch, a company best known for work on an unconventional launch system, is now planning a broadband satellite constellation. The company announced plans Thursday for Meridian Space, which would initially feature 280 satellites in low Earth orbit providing broadband services. SpinLaunch signed a contract worth 122.5 million euros ($136 million) with smallsat manufacturer Kongsberg NanoAvionics to manufacture the satellites, a deal that includes a $12 million investment by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace into SpinLaunch. SpinLaunch plans to launch the first demo satellites in 2026, with operational satellites to follow as soon as late 2027. SpinLaunch is continuing work on an orbital launch system that would use a large centrifuge as a first stage, signing a lease agreement for land on Adak Island in Alaska to host that facility. Development of that system, though, will take at least several years.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Ars Technica article
•  SpinLaunch press release

First operational Kuiper satellites scheduled for launch
Posted: Sat, Apr 5 1:21 PM ET (1721 GMT)
The first operational satellites of Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation will launch next week. Amazon and United Launch Alliance announced Wednesday that the first Atlas...

China launches radar calibration satellite
Posted: Sat, Apr 5 1:14 PM ET (1714 GMT)
China launched a radar calibration payload Wednesday night. A Long March 6 lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 10:12 pm EDT (...

MDA Space to acquire SatixFy
Posted: Sat, Apr 5 1:13 PM ET (1713 GMT)
Canadian satellite manufacturer MDA Space announced Tuesday it will buy Israeli satellite chipmaker SatixFy in a $269 million deal. MDA would pay $2.10 per...