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NASA awards launch service task order for the Pandora mission  

NASA has selected SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, to provide the launch service for the agency’s Pandora mission, which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars to find out how changes in stars affect our observations of exoplanet atmospheres.

The selection is part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards during VADR’s five-year ordering period, with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts.

During its one-year primary mission, Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times, observing for 24 hours each visit. It will capture critical data about the planet and its host star during transits, an event where a planet crosses in front of the star it orbits.

The satellite will use an innovative 17-inch (45-centimeter)-wide all-aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near-infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near-infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This will allow scientists to cleanly separate star and planetary signals, knowledge that will enhance observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions searching for habitable worlds, like the agency’s Habitable Worlds Observatory.

Pandora is a joint effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Astrophysics Pioneers program, from the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, funds Pandora and other astrophysics science missions using smaller, lower cost hardware and payloads. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract.

Almagest Space successful launch + deployment of their ELEVATION-1 E-Band satellite

Almagest Space Corporation has announced the successful launch and deployment of ELEVATION-1, a demonstration satellite carrying the world’s first E-band communications payload with the foundational technology for Almagest to develop innovative, high performance, bulk data solutions.

ELEVATION-1 was launched, with support from Almagest’s launch partner D-Orbit S.p.A., on January 14th as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission from Vandenberg Space Base. The spacecraft was manufactured by XDLINX Space Labs in India, is powered by Antaris’ Cloud Platform and SatOS™, and was assembled, integrated, and tested by Ananth Technologies. The E-band payload was built by XDLINX using key components and subsystems from Filtronic, Flann, and IQ Wireless. ELEVATION-1 was delivered within 9 months of kick-off, an extraordinary achievement for such a challenging mission.

ELEVATION-1 represents a major advancement in satellite communication capabilities. The spacecraft will test the world’s first miniaturized space-grade E-band communication payload, and measurement and other transmission data will be used to develop advanced propagation models for Almagest’s global high-speed and ultra-high throughput (UHTS) LEO constellation. Almagest plans to deploy its constellation in phases, commencing in 2026- 2027 with its TWINSTAR Mission, consisting of two, FSO-connected satellites providing two- way high-throughput point-to-point services for latency tolerant applications, and gradually expanding to a network of more than 100 satellites by 2030 as demand for these services increases.

The untapped lower (71-76 GHz) and upper (81-86 GHz) E-Band spectrum can be harnessed to meet the ever-growing data traffic requirements of commercial UHTS and other SATCOM systems for secured high-capacity channels. The 10 GHz of available E-band spectrum is far greater than available spectrum in congested legacy lower frequencies like S-, Ku-, and Ka-band. E-band solutions will greatly enhance space-based communication capabilities by delivering unprecedented fiber optic-like speeds of up to 100 Gbps, enabling secure high-system capacity networks and high data throughput applications. Almagest has a senior multi-orbital global ITU filing in E-band.

Raghu Das, Almagest’s CEO and Co-Founder, said, “Almagest is thrilled to announce the successful launch of ELEVATION-1 on the Transporter-12 mission. Our focus now is on demonstrating the E-band payload’s space-to-earth transmission capabilities, which will form the foundation for our quantum key distribution (QKD)-enabled ‘zero trust’ high- capacity UHTS network. This network will deliver speeds complementing fiber-optic systems. We are committed to working with technology and strategic partners— including terrestrial wireless carriers and independent global satellite network operators— to provide cutting-edge, global space/earth and in-space bulk data relay services. These services will cater to government and commercial applications requiring ultra-high capacity and speed.”

About Almagest Space
Almagest Space is building a high-capacity and ultra-high throughput satellite data relay network utilizing E-band radio frequency and Free Space Optical communications. This revolutionary approach will deploy ultra-efficient inter-connected satellites operating in LEO orbit and establish large pipes for secured data transfer bypassing congested and vulnerable terrestrial networks. The thematic network architecture will support multiple independent satellite operators, each addressing a specific market segment such as aerospace & defense, oil & gas, financial, content distribution, and telecommunication backhaul. This “space backbone” will also function as a relay network for space data downloads and a conduit for in-space communications.

Pixxel has launched Firefly hyperspectral satellite

Pixxel has successfully launched the first three satellites of its Firefly constellation. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and launched aboard the Transporter-12 rideshare mission via SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

Pixxel’s smallsats, image courtesy of the company.

This marks a significant milestone for Pixxel as it begins commercial operations, delivering critical climate and Earth insights to industries worldwide and solidifying its position as a global leader in Earth Observation. 

SpaceX Transporter-12 launch,
image courtesy of the company.

The Fireflies, currently the world’s highest-resolution commercial-grade hyperspectral satellites, bring unprecedented precision to monitoring the planet and setting a new benchmark for hyperspectral imaging capabilities. With an 5-meter resolution attained for the first time in a hyperspectral spacecraft, Fireflies are six times sharper than the 30-meter standard of most existing hyperspectral satellites, capturing fine details previously invisible to conventional systems. 

This cutting-edge resolution is paired with the ability to capture data across 150+ spectral bands, enabling Fireflies to detect subtle changes in chemical compositions, vegetation health, water quality, and even atmospheric conditions with unmatched accuracy. Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites that rely on broader spectral bands, Firefly’s narrowband sensors uncover hidden patterns and anomalies critical for applications ranging from agriculture to climate action.

Pixxel’s satellites also feature a 40-kilometer swath width and a daily revisit capability, enabling consistent monitoring of vast areas without compromising on detail and ensuring that no critical event goes unnoticed. This combination of high spatial resolution, spectral richness, and frequent global coverage positions Firefly as the world’s most advanced commercial hyperspectral imaging system.

Orbiting in a sun-synchronous orbit at roughly 550km, the Fireflies will form the cornerstone of Pixxel’s mission to build a health monitor for the planet.

“The future of our planet depends on how deeply we understand it today. The successful deployment of our first commercial satellites is a defining moment for Pixxel and a giant leap toward redefining how we use space technology to address the planet’s challenges,” said Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel. “By investing in the health of our planet now, Pixxel hopes not just to shape the trajectory of Earth observation but also to help write the next chapter in the story of our shared future.”

“The Fireflies represent years of rigorous research, engineering, and innovation aimed at unlocking critical insights about our planet and are a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team and the transformative potential of hyperspectral imaging,” said Kshitij Khandelwal, Founder and CTO of Pixxel. “Their ability to detect subtle changes in Earth’s ecosystems will provide industries and governments with the precise information needed to address critical global challenges confidently.”

This launch marks the first phase of Pixxel’s commercial constellation, with three additional Firefly satellites scheduled to launch in Q2 2025. Together, these satellites will deliver comprehensive, real-time data collection and analysis, equipping industries and governments with insights to address global concerns, manage resources responsibly, and drive climate action.

The Firefly constellation’s advanced hyperspectral imaging capabilities open new possibilities across sectors. From empowering environmental agencies to monitor deforestation and ocean pollution in near real-time to helping industries like mining, oil, and gas enhance resource management and infrastructure safety, the applications are vast and transformative. By detecting subtle changes in soil composition, water quality, or atmospheric conditions, Firefly will change how humanity interacts with and protects our planet’s resources.

As part of its larger mission, Pixxel plans to integrate hyperspectral data with machine learning and artificial intelligence tools, further amplifying the impact of Earth Observation technology. This fusion of advanced satellite imagery and predictive analytics will enable businesses to anticipate disruptions and governments to implement proactive policies, paving the way for a new era of precision decision-making.

Pixxel has already launched three successful demo hyperspectral satellites before this launch and raised $95 million in funding, making it the most well-funded hyperspectral imaging space startup globally. With this commercial launch, Pixxel takes a decisive step toward operationalizing its vision of a hyperspectral-powered future where advanced Earth Observation drives solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

SpaceX’s bittersweet seventh flight test, the loss of Starship but successful catch of booster

All began smoothly as SpaceX’s Starship tore through the skies from Boca Chica, Texas with 33 out of 33 engines working to send it on it’s seventh flight test. All photos provided by Satnews.

As the journey continued ground control lost its live stream and all communications with Starship. Word continued informing all that several engines had been lost and telemetry, and that the ship had been lost. A new rocket was used on this mission. As a result the plan to deploy 10 Starlink satellite simulators for the first time was scrubbed.

SpaceX issued this statement: Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.

Despite the loss of Starship, the enormous first-stage booster successfully conducted a controlled descent returning to the launch tower as the launch robotic arms caught the engine making it the second such catch for SpaceX.

This was the second successful catch as Starship’s previous capture was on the fifth launch test. During Starship’s sixth launch test in November, the spacecraft splashed down in the Indian Ocean but an attempted catch of its Super Heavy booster was skipped.

SpaceX’s Starship flight test seven now on Thursday

The seventh flight test of Starship is preparing to launch Thursday, January 16. The 60-minute launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT.

SpaceX was scheduled to launch Starship from Boca Chica, Texas, at around 5 p.m. EST, but announced around 10 a.m. Wednesday they were now targeting Thursday for the launch due to weather.

The seven-day forecast from the nearest National Wather Service station showed it was 55 degrees with fog and mist around the scheduled time of the launch Wednesday, and the forecast for Thursday said it would be cloudy in the mid morning before clearing in the afternoon.

Starship’s Super Heavy booster will reuse one of its 33 engines for the first time and if conditions are optimal, SpaceX will attempt to catch the booster with two mechanical arms much like the successful catch of Starship’s fifth launch test. During Starship’s sixth launch test in November, the spacecraft splashed down in the Indian Ocean but an attempted catch of its Super Heavy booster was skipped.

SpaceX has requested approval from the FAA to increase the maximum number of annual Starship launches from five to 25. The FAA is expected to rule on the proposal after a public comment period ends on Jan. 17.

SpaceX now plans launch of Starship’s seventh test flight on Wednesday

The seventh flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Wednesday, January 15, from Starbase in South Texas.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 35 minutes before liftoff on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.

SpaceX plans Monday launch of Starship’s seventh test flight

The seventh flight test of SpaceX’s Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Monday, January 13, at 2:00 PM – 3:38 PM PST from Starbase in South Texas.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 35 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.

SpaceX announced today (January 8) that it’s targeting Monday (January 13) for Flight 7 of Starship, the 400-foot-tall (122 meters), fully reusable megarocket designed to help humanity settle the Moon and Mars.

Starship is scheduled to lift off Monday at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) from Starbase, SpaceX‘s manufacturing and launch site in South Texas. Orbital Launch Mount A has witnessed the launch of 6 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts, while SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA, has been the site for 15 rocket launches.

For the first time, Starship will attempt to deploy payloads in space consisting of 10 mock satellites, “similar in size and weight to next-generation Starlink satellites as the first exercise of a satellite deploy mission,” SpaceX wrote in a Flight 7 mission description.

SpaceX gets ready for Starship’s seventh flight test as soon as Friday

SpaceX has great plans for 2025 with as many as 25 launches this year. On January 10 SpaceX is preparing to launch the seventh flight test of Starship. For the first time Starship will launch the first deployable payload, and plans to fly 10 so-called “Starlink simulators,” which it said are “similar in size and weight to next-generation Starlink satellites.”

In its “Progress 2024” report on Starlink, SpaceX wrote that the Starlink V3 satellites will have 160 Gbps of uplink capacity and 1 Tbps of downlink speed, “which is more than 10x the downlink and 24x the uplink capacity of the V2 Mini Starlink satellites.”

In a response to a user on X, formerly Twitter, SpaceX Founder Elon Musk said that SpaceX was aiming for January 10. The Federal Aviation Administration approved a launch license modification on December 17, which paved the way for SpaceX to proceed with the mission’s launch.

“The FAA continues to increase efficiencies in our licensing determination activities to meet the needs of the commercial space transportation industry,” said the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin Coleman, in a statement. “This license modification that we are issuing is well ahead of the Starship Flight 7 launch date and is another example of the FAA’s commitment to enable safe space transportation.”

The upcoming flight test will launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades, attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster.

SpaceX said it did this in order to reduce the flaps’ “exposure to reentry heating while simplifying the underlying mechanisms and protective tiling.”

“Redesigns to the propulsion system, including a 25 percent increase in propellant volume, the vacuum jacketing of feedlines, a new fuel feedline system for the vehicle’s Raptor vacuum engines, and an improved propulsion avionics module controlling vehicle valves and reading sensors, all add additional vehicle performance and the ability to fly longer missions,” SpaceX wrote.

A block of planned upgrades to the Starship upper stage will debut on this flight test, bringing major improvements to reliability and performance. The vehicle’s forward flaps have been reduced in size and shifted towards the vehicle tip and away from the heat shield, significantly reducing their exposure to reentry heating while simplifying the underlying mechanisms and protective tiling. The ship’s heat shield will also use the latest generation tiles and includes a backup layer to protect from missing or damaged tiles.

The vehicle’s avionics underwent a complete redesign, adding additional capability and redundancy for increasingly complex missions like propellant transfer and ship return to launch site. Avionics upgrades include a more powerful flight computer, integrated antennas which combine Starlink, GNSS, and backup RF communication functions into each unit, redesigned inertial navigation and star tracking sensors, integrated smart batteries and power units that distribute data and 2.7MW of power across the ship to 24 high-voltage actuators, and an increase to more than 30 vehicle cameras giving engineers insight into hardware performance across the vehicle during flight. With Starlink, the vehicle is capable of streaming more than 120 Mbps of real-time high-definition video and telemetry in every phase of flight, providing invaluable engineering data to rapidly iterate across all systems.

While in space, Starship will deploy 10 Starlink simulators, similar in size and weight to next-generation Starlink satellites as the first exercise of a satellite deploy mission. The Starlink simulators will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship, with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned.

The flight test will include several experiments focused on ship return to launch site and catch. On Starship’s upper stage, a significant number of tiles will be removed to stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle. Multiple metallic tile options, including one with active cooling, will test alternative materials for protecting Starship during reentry. On the sides of the vehicle, non-structural versions of ship catch fittings are installed to test the fittings’ thermal performance, along with a smoothed and tapered edge of the tile line to address hot spots observed during reentry on Starship’s sixth flight test. The ship’s reentry profile is being designed to intentionally stress the structural limits of the flaps while at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure. Finally, several radar sensors will be tested on the tower chopsticks with the goal of increasing the accuracy when measuring distances between the chopsticks and a returning vehicle during catch.

The Super Heavy booster will utilize flight proven hardware for the first time, reusing a Raptor engine from the booster launched and returned on Starship’s fifth flight test. Hardware upgrades to the launch and catch tower will increase reliability for booster catch, including protections to the sensors on the tower chopsticks that were damaged at launch and resulted in the booster offshore divert on Starship’s previous flight test.

Distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch of the Super Heavy booster, requiring healthy systems on the booster and tower and a final manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only take place if conditions are right.

The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers.

This new year will be transformational for Starship, with the goal of bringing reuse of the entire system online and flying increasingly ambitious missions as we iterate towards being able to send humans and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

Exolaunch delivers 34 satellites to orbit during the Transporter-12 Rideshare Mission with SpaceX

Exolaunch successfully delivered 34 satellites for its global customers across 17 countries.
Artistic rendition of the smallsats on-orbit is courtesy of SpaceX.

Exolaunch has successfully delivered 34 satellites into orbit during the Transporter-12 rideshare mission with SpaceX which launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on January 14, 2025 at 11:09 am PT.

This event marks Exolaunch’s first launch of 2025 and the company’s 32nd mission overall, continuing the company’s track record of providing reliable and precise satellite integration and deployment services.

Exolaunch’s satellites on the mission included 20 cubesats and 14 microsats for its customers across 17 countries. These satellites represent a wide range of missions, including Earth observation, climate monitoring, connectivity, and scientific research.

Using its flight-proven CarboNIX separation rings and EXOpod Nova deployers, Exolaunch successfully deployed over 1,500 kg of satellite mass into orbit, each on a mission to improve life on Earth. Additionally, multiple other deployments are planned in the weeks following launch.

Photo is courtesy of SpaceX

“Our first mission of 2025 sets the stage for another active year at Exolaunch,” said Jeanne Allarie, chief commercial officer at Exolaunch.

“Transporter-12 is a testament to the trust our customers place in us and the strength of our partnership with SpaceX. We are proud to support the success of such a diverse group of missions.”

Payload positions

Exolaunch provided its end-to-end services in launch procurement, mission management, global shipping and logistics, integration, and hardware to the following customers:

In addition, Exolaunch provided hardware and integration services for the following satellites:

Photo of the EXOpod deployers aboard the Transporter-12 mission. Photo is courtesy of SpaceX.

Transporter-12 continues Exolaunch’s long-standing collaboration with SpaceX, with the company launching on every Transporter mission since the program’s inception.

With its first mission of the year successfully completed, Exolaunch is poised to deliver multiple launches in 2025, further advancing its mission to enable access to space for a wide range of customers worldwide.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn reaches orbit after successful Thursday launch, “Today marks a new era”

New Glenn safely reached its intended orbit during today’s NG-1 mission, accomplishing our primary objective.

New Glenn’s seven BE-4 engines ignited on January 16, 2025, at 2:03 a.m. EST (0703 UTC) from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.  The second stage is in its final orbit following two successful burns of the BE-3U engines. The Blue Ring Pathfinder is receiving data and performing well. We lost the booster during descent. 

“I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin. “We knew landing our booster, So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance, on the first try was an ambitious goal. We’ll learn a lot from today and try again at our next launch this spring. Thank you to all of Team Blue for this incredible milestone.”  

New Glenn is foundational to advancing our customers’ critical missions as well as our own. The vehicle underpins our efforts to establish sustained human presence on the Moon, harness in-space resources, provide multi-mission, multi-orbit mobility through Blue Ring, and establish destinations in low Earth orbit. Future New Glenn missions will carry the Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander and the Mark 2 crewed lander to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.  

The program has several vehicles in production and multiple years of orders. Customers include NASA, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and several telecommunications providers, among others. Blue Origin is certifying New Glenn with the U.S. Space Force for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program to meet emerging national security objectives. 

“Today marks a new era for Blue Origin and for commercial space,” said Jarrett Jones, Senior Vice President, New Glenn. “We’re focused on ramping our launch cadence and manufacturing rates. My heartfelt thanks to everyone at Blue Origin for the tremendous amount of work in making today’s success possible, and to our customers and the space community for their continuous support. We felt that immensely today.” 

Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch adjusted to Thursday with a weather proviso

Frost is seen coating the upper stage of Blue Origin’s fully fueled New Glenn rocket.
Image: Blue Origin via livestream

In this afternoon’s email the following message, “The vehicle looks good for tonight’s window, but we’re watching weather closely as clouds build over the Space Coast. If we’re unable to launch, we’ll make an attempt on Friday, January 17, in the same 1-4 a.m. EST (0600-0900 UTC) window.“

Florida’s cold front hasn’t gone unnoticed as Blue Origin once again adjusts the possible launch of New Glenn now to Thursday. will take another shot at launching its inaugural New Glenn rocket early Thursday morning, weather permitting.

Monday’s launch was scrubbed due to “ice forming in a purge line on an auxiliary power unit that powers some of [New Glenn’s] hydraulic systems.” While teams attempted to clear the systems during the three-hour window they proved unsuccessful. Tuesday’s weather prevented the launch as well.

An attempt will be made to launch the New Glenn rocket early Thursday morning, weather permitting, however, it doesn’t look promising. According to launch weather officers with the 45th Weather Squadron the weather would improve in a 24-hour backup,

“A developing area of low pressure situated across the western Gulf of Mexico will bring increasing clouds to Central Florida today and tonight, with upstream observations and model guidance suggesting a higher risk of Thick Cloud Layers concerns compared to yesterday’s forecast for tonight’s launch attempt,” meteorologists wrote.

“This slug of mid-level moisture is expected to get stripped off from the parent low and thin out by Thursday night as surface high pressure builds south into Florida, yielding improved weather prospects for the backup launch opportunity.”

In an attempt to land the first stage booster weather officials stated, “For booster recovery conditions, seas will build into the 6-7 feet range for the primary window, with similar to slightly lower seas for Friday morning,” meteorologists wrote. “Winds will be acceptable for landing on both primary and backup landing opportunities although an increase in winds is expected for the backup day.”

Blue Origin scrubs Monday’s launch of New Glenn moments before launch

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket stands at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station prior to the rocket’s inaugural flight on the NG-1 mission. Image: Blue Origin

“We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window. We’re reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt. ” Blue Origin wrote regarding the scrub of their debut launch of the new rocket early on Monday because of technical trouble. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket. A new launch date is yet to be determined (YTBD).

During an interview with Aviation Week before the start of fueling Sunday night, Bezos reflected on the enormity of the moment calling it “a very big night.”

“We’re ready. We don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. I think trying to land the booster on the first mission is a little crazy of us and it may not work. It’ll certainly be icing on the cake,” Bezos said.

“If it does, I do hope, I think we all hope, that we successfully deploy the Blue Ring Pathfinder into the correct orbit. So you know, that would be success, but we’re also prepared for anything to go wrong,” he added. “If there is an anomaly of any kind, at any stage of the mission, we’ll pick ourselves up and keep going.”

The 320ft (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was scheduled to launch before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral space force station. The launch was scrubbed as launch controllers attempted to determine an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown, thus running out of time.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch delayed again until Monday due to rough waters

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A visualization depicts the New Glenn rocket’s launch, separation of the first and upper stage, and separation of the nose cone, or payload fairing. The nose cone is a protective shell that shields the cargo. Blue Origin

Blue Origin is opting to delay again the launch of New Glenn due to unfavorable weather conditions. Blue Origin’s spokesperson said, “Sea state conditions are still unfavorable for booster landing. We’re shifting our NG-1 launch date by one day to no earlier than January 13. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC).” released in a Saturday afternoon email. 


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Single Configuration for Maximum Flexibility and Savings

The importance of smooth waters is that after stage separation the New Glenn first stage will descend and try to land atop the drone ship Jacklyn, named for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ mother. Rough waves can reach heights of 10 feet making the mission impossible.

Blue Origin scrubs and reschedules New Glenn’s first launch due to rough Atlantic seas, and pays a fine

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Blue Origin‘s scrub at the countdown of the launch of its first New Glenn heavy-lift rocket at 1:00 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Friday, January 10, was called due to rough weather in the Atlantic Ocean — where part of the rocket is expected to land, resulting in a two-day delay.

The launch is now set for Sunday, January 12, at the same time from Blue Origin’s pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. You’ll be able to watch the New Glenn launch live on Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin.

“We’re shifting our NG-1 launch date to no earlier than January 12 due to a high sea state in the Atlantic where we hope to land our booster,” Blue Origin wrote in a statement on the social media site X today, January 9. “Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Sunday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC).

Additional news:

Just days before Blue Origin’s launch the company was fined for a previous New Glenn test conducted without a permit in which the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued a $3,000 fine, adding up to a $3,250 plus costs, to Blue Origin for the unauthorized use of a water deluge system during a static fire test of its New Glenn rocket, according to local media reports.

In September 2024, Blue Origin ran a fueling test of its upcoming rocket at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The hot fire test lasted for 15 seconds, and its purpose was to “validate interactions between the subsystems on the second stage, its two BE-3U engines, and the ground control systems,” Blue Origin wrote in a statement at the time. The FDEP, however, had not yet issued Blue Origin the required permission to use the launch pad’s water deluge system, but the company went ahead and used it anyway, resulting in the fine.

New Glenn’s first launch now on for ‘no earlier than Friday’

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New Glenn’s inaugural mission (NG-1) is targeting no earlier than Friday, January 10, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). NG-1 is our first National Security Space Launch certification flight.  The payload is our Blue Ring Pathfinder. It will test Blue Ring’s core flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities as part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Orbital Logistics prototype effort.  

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Blue Origin received a contract to demonstrate a heavy utility-OLV system utilizing their ‘Blue Ring’ platform.

Our key objective is to reach orbit safely. We know landing the booster on our first try offshore in the Atlantic is ambitious—but we’re going for it. “This is our first flight and we’ve prepared rigorously for it,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP, New Glenn. “But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations are a replacement for flying this rocket. It’s time to fly. No matter what happens, we’ll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch.” 

Blue Origin’s payload for New Glenn’s first mission will carry the company’s Blue Ring Pathfinder and mark the rocket’s first National Security Space Launch certification flight. The encapsulated payload will be integrated onto the launch vehicle following the hotfire. New Glenn will lift off from Blue Origin’s Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The pathfinder was developed by Blue Origin’s In-Space Systems business unit. It will test Blue Ring’s core flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities. NG-1 will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload as part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Orbital Logistics prototype effort. DIU funding is helping to enable future Department of Defense missions. 

Blue Origin ready for the first launch of New Glenn rocket on Thursday

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Blue Origin concluded its test campaign and is ready to launch its New Glenn rocket, the company’s first orbital launch vehicle, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, January 9 from 10:00 pm – 1:45 am PST. The successful test campaign included fueling the massive rocket’s seven engines with liquefied natural gas, liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

“This is a monumental milestone and a glimpse of what’s just around the corner for New Glenn’s first launch,” said Blue Origin’s Jarrett Jones in a statement. “[Friday’s] success proves that our rigorous approach to testing–combined with our incredible tooling and design engineering–is working as intended.”

The New Glenn will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder which is hardware to test the company’s ability to communicate with and control hardware in space, and helps certify the vehicle for future national security missions for the U.S. Space Force.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket completes integrated launch vehicle hot fire

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Blue Origin’s New Glenn has successfully completed an integrated launch vehicle hotfire test, the final major milestone on the firm’s road to first flight—NG-1 will carry a Blue Ring Pathfinder as its first manifested payload and will launch from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

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The Blue Ring Pathfinder for New Glenn’s first mission, NG-1. Photo: Blue Origin.

The seven-engine hotfire lasted 24 seconds and marked the first time we operated the entire flight vehicle as an integrated system. The multi-day test campaign leading up to the hotfire included numerous inert functional and tanking tests. The integrated launch vehicle included the first and second stages of the NG-1 flight vehicle, and a payload test article comprised of manufacturing test demonstrator fairings, a high-capacity fixed adapter flight unit, and a 45,000 lb payload mass simulator. 

One of the primary goals of the test campaign was to demonstrate day-of-launch operations in our NG-1 test configuration. Additionally, the team conducted several tests to validate vehicle and ground systems in the fully integrated, on-pad configuration. This data will be used to finalize day-of-launch timelines, confirm expected performance, and correlate our models to real-world test data.

“This is a monumental milestone and a glimpse of what’s just around the corner for New Glenn’s first launch,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP, New Glenn. “Today’s success proves that our rigorous approach to testing–combined with our incredible tooling and design engineering–is working as intended.” 

The tanking test included a full run-through of the terminal count sequence, testing the hand-off authority to and from the flight computer, and collecting fluid validation data.

The first stage (GS1) tanks were filled and pressed with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX), and the second stage (GS2) with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen–both to representative NG-1 set points. 

The formal NG-1 Wet Dress Rehearsal demonstrated the final launch procedures leading into the hotfire engine run. All seven engines performed nominally, firing for 24 seconds, including at 100% thrust for 13 seconds.

The test also demonstrated New Glenn’s autogenous pressurization system, which self-generates gases to pressurize GS1’s propellant tanks. 

This test campaign captured a number of firsts for the New Glenn launch system, including the first seven-engine operations, the first integrated GS1-GS2 tanking demonstration, the first LNG/LOX fill for GS1, as well as first chilled helium operations for GS2. 

The campaign met all objectives and marks the final major test prior to launch.

Blue Origin has several New Glenn vehicles in production and a full customer manifest.

Customers include NASA, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, several telecommunications providers, and a mix of U.S. government customers.

Blue Origin is certifying New Glenn with the U.S. Space Force for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program to meet emerging national security objectives.

SpaceX sends Firefly’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s RESILIENCE lunar landers on mission to the Moon

On Wednesday, January 15 at 1:11 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also on board this mission was ispace’s RESILIENCE lunar lander. Satnews provided these photos.

Fairings release the lunar landers

This was the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions.

After it deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander begins its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

RESILIENCE Lander

This will be the second attempt for the Tokyo-based ispace, whose first lander crashed into the Moon two years ago. Their RESILIENCE lander will gather up lunar dirt for study with a scoop and will test possible food and water sources for future explorers.

Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is working 10 experiments for NASA, that include a vacuum to gather dirt, a drill to measure the temperature below the surface and a tool that might serve to protect spacesuits to keep sharp, abrasive particles off their spacesuits and equipment.

After its deployment, the ispace RESILIENCE lander begins its 4-5 month journey to the Moon. During their mission, ispace aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, deploy its TENACIOUS Micro Rover, explore the Moon’s surface, and collect regolith.

SpaceX to send Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 to the moon on Wednesday

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One lander will carry 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon’s near side as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Credit: Firefly Aerospacev

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, January 15 for Falcon 9’s launch of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 to the Moon from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) in Florida. Also on board this mission is ispace’s RESILIENCE lunar lander. Liftoff is targeted for 1:11 a.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Thursday, January 16 at 1:09 a.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about one hour prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

This will be the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Once deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander will begin its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

After its deployment, the ispace RESILIENCE lander will begin its 4-5 month journey to the Moon. During their mission, ispace aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, deploy its TENACIOUS Micro Rover, explore the Moon’s surface, and collect regolith.

SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission sends 131 smallsats soaring near California’s beach

On a beautiful Tuesday, January 14, California morning, at 11:09 a.m. PT, with blue skies and the ocean and beach in the background SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched the Transporter-12 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-126.

Transporter-12 is a dedicated smallsat rideshare mission with 131 payloads, including CubeSats, MicroSats, and orbital transfer vehicles carrying 30 of those payloads, 14 of which will be deployed at a later time. To date, SpaceX has launched more than 1,100 payloads to orbit for 130+ customers across our entire Rideshare program.

The rocket’s first stage booster did a traditional landing back at Vandenberg about 7.5 minutes after liftoff in a ground landing at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base. With the ocean and sand in the background it was SpaceX’s 397th landing of an orbital class rocket.

Varda’s W-2 spacecraft launched to orbit with SpaceX with Koonibba Test Range up next

Varda Space Industries has announced the successful launch of the company’s second orbital processing spacecraft and re-entry capsule, W-2, which lifted off aboard the Transporter-12 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The W-2 capsule will orbit Earth for the next few weeks before re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere and landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. This will be Australia’s first ever commercial spacecraft re-entry and marks an exciting new chapter in our nation’s spacefaring history.

The W-2 capsule carries payloads from Varda partners, including a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and employs a heat shield with a Thermal Protection System (TPS) developed in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. These payloads are in addition to Varda’s expanded pharmaceutical reactor.

Southern Launch was responsible for securing all required Australian approvals for the mission and has coordinated an end-to-end service for managing the re-entry process and retrieval of the capsule from the Australian desert once it lands back on Earth.

Photo of the Koonibba Test Ranger, courtesy of Southern Launch

Varda Space Industries are pioneers in developing orbital manufacturing capsules and have selected Southern Launch for their next three W-Series missions. The natural advantages of the space environment, in particular microgravity, enables the production of improved pharmaceutical formulations that cannot be produced anywhere on Earth.

The W-2 capsule carries payloads from Varda partners, including a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and employs a heat shield with a Thermal Protection System (TPS) developed in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. These payloads are in addition to Varda’s expanded pharmaceutical reactor. Southern Launch operates the Koonibba Test Range in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.

The Koonibba Test Range offers the greatest return flexibility given the low airspace and uninhabited land. Until the first Varda mission in 2023, all in-space manufacturing was carried out on the International Space Station. The W-Series missions will usher in a new era of commercial in-space manufacturing.

The return authorization for the mission was granted by the Australian Government in October 2024 and was the first authorization approved for a domestically returning spacecraft under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018.

Lloyd Damp, CEO, Southern Launch, said, “The successful launch of the W-2 capsule is only the beginning of this incredibly exciting mission. Our team is now focused on the safe return and recovery of the capsule to the Koonibba Test Range.’ ‘By the end of this decade, it is predicted that we will all be using items that contain some element that is produced off Earth we are incredibly proud to bring this industry to South Australia.’ ‘In-space manufacturing is the next evolution of our industry capacity as humans. We are so proud to bring this mission to Australia and this first mission signals a new wave of excitement as to what is possible both here on Earth and in space.“

Will Bruey, CEO, Varda Space Industries, said, “Varda is honored to perform Australia’s first commercial space re-entry, and we’re excited to partner with our friends at Southern Launch to support the development of a thriving Australian space sector. Australia is clear-eyed about the promise of orbital pharmaceutical processing, and Southern Launch have led the way for the future of space infrastructure on Earth.”

Corey McLennan, CEO, Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, said, “The Koonibba Test Range offers more than 41,000 square kilometres of uninhabited land to accept the re-entry of in-space manufacturing capsules,’ says Corey. ‘This open space is essential to accept spacecraft returns and for low-earth orbit to be the genesis of a new era of advanced manufacturing in Australia.”

About Southern Launch
Southern Launch is a launch and range service provider, headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. Southern Launch operates the Koonibba Test Range and Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex. The Koonibba Test Range is one of the largest commercial rocket testing facilities in the world. The range is used to launch sub-orbital missions and accept re-entries of space technology. The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia supports high-cadence orbital launches into the highly sought after polar and sun synchronous orbits. Southern Launch expands space exploration from the Southern Hemisphere with end-to-end launch services for every space mission.

FOSSA Systems launches their new generation of nanosatellites

FOSSA Systems has launched the company’s new generation of satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The aerospace startup is placing three FOSSASats into orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the Transporter 12 mission.

This milestone, aimed at achieving “satellite roaming for IoT connectivity,” coincides with the inauguration of FOSSA’s first international subsidiary in Lisbon, Portugal.

Once launched, the nanosatellites will eject from their dispenser and enter LEO at an altitude of approximately 500 km. They will circle the Earth 15 times a day, traveling at 27,000 km/h. Within a few hours, the satellites will establish a connection with FOSSA’s ground stations in Madrid and across the globe. Following this, a commissioning phase lasting several weeks will begin to ensure the systems are operational and ready for commercial use.

FOSSA’s new generation of nanosatellites, developed and manufactured entirely at its Madrid headquarters, measures 30x10x10 cm when folded, with a deployed wingspan of 54 cm, a mass of 6 kg, and a power generation capacity exceeding 30W. These satellites are 24 times larger than FOSSASat-1, the company’s first picosatellite, and 12 times larger than the FOSSASat-2E series launched in January 2022. Each satellite can serve thousands of assets in Spain and hundreds of thousands worldwide.

In addition to size, durability has also improved. Unlike their predecessors, which had a lifespan of 12-18 months, the new FOSSASats can remain on-orbit for 5 to 7 years, after which they will disintegrate without leaving space debris.

FOSSA Systems, an European aerospace startup specializing in global IoT connectivity solutions for remote asset and infrastructure management, has launched 17 nanosatellites since its founding. With this launch, the number rises to 20, and many more are planned for 2025 as the company works toward deploying a constellation of 80 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide global coverage for clients in industries such as energy, utilities, construction, agriculture, logistics, oil & gas, and national security.

Additionally, FOSSA offers dedicated satellites and constellations for companies, governments, and institutions requiring proprietary infrastructure for IoT, radiofrequency, and other payloads.

FOSSA Systems is the first and only company in Spain to manufacture satellites and provide its own satellite communication service. By developing its own space technology and using proprietary networks, FOSSA guarantees advanced data encryption and compliance with global security standards. This also reduces costs and development time.

FOSSA Systems recently opened its first international subsidiary in Portugal, focused on R&D. Coordinated from its Madrid headquarters, this new office aims to increase the company’s global presence and access new markets

“These satellites mark another milestone in our mission to deliver cutting-edge IoT solutions from space. They also signify the beginning of FOSSA’s commercial phase,” said Julián Fernández, CEO and co-founder of the company. “FOSSA is the only European company to vertically integrate satellite design, production, and operation for IoT and communication with standardized protocols. This is a strategic capability essential for Spain and Europe, considering the advancements in other regions. From its headquarters on Madrid’s Gran Vía, FOSSA manufactures and assembles its devices to provide satellite connectivity in remote and inaccessible areas, covering approximately 80% of the planet. FOSSA’s constellation allows you to manage your assets anywhere in the world.”

About FOSSA Systems
FOSSA Systems is a European company specializing in satellite development to provide comprehensive remote asset management solutions using low-power IoT technologies for industrial applications. FOSSA has expertise in the design, development, and operation of satellite platforms, ground stations, and IoT devices. Since 2022, the company has launched 17 satellites and is deploying a constellation of 80 in low Earth orbit to provide global coverage for clients in sectors such as energy, utilities, oil & gas, logistics, and national security. Founded in July 2020 by Julián Fernández and Vicente González, FOSSA has partnered with Microsoft R&D to provide accessible satellite IoT connectivity for agricultural use cases.