Plus: The next Starship launch and the program formerly known as Iron Dome for America
| | | A SpaceNews daily newsletter | | 03/03/2025 | | | | | Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon early Sunday. The spacecraft touched down at its planned location in Mare Crisium, a basin in the northeastern quadrant of the near side of the moon, at 3:34 a.m. Eastern. Company officials said the landing went according to plan, with the spacecraft touching down within its planned ellipse 100 meters across. Firefly called the landing the first "fully successful" one by a commercial mission; Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission landed on the moon a year ago but tipped on its side. The Blue Ghost 1 carries 10 NASA science and technology demonstration payloads that will operate for two weeks. [SpaceNews]
NOAA layoffs have hit the Office of Space Commerce, slowing its work on commercial remote sensing licensing and space traffic coordination. Sources say up to a quarter of the staff of the office was laid off last week as part of broader firings within NOAA of so-called "probationary" employees directed by the administration. The layoffs include leadership of the parts of the office handling licensing of commercial imaging satellites as well as development of its Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) space traffic coordination system. Companies with remote sensing licenses were informed Friday there may be "significant delays" because there are no senior personnel remaining in that division of the office. Industry sources also expect delays in the development of TraCSS, currently in beta testing. [SpaceNews]
Skylo has raised $30 million to expand its efforts to provide direct-to-smartphone communications through GEO satellites. The funds will help Skylo deploy the network hardware geostationary operators need in their gateways to connect compatible smartphones using the latest cellular standards, such as the Google Pixel 9 series. Skylo currently provides commercial services in 35 countries across five continents and the funds will allow the company to "double down" on expansion into more markets. [SpaceNews]
The FCC is beginning efforts to explore new uses of upper C-band satellite spectrum. The commission approved last week a public consultation to identify ways to spur investments and incentivize new communications services in the 3.98-4.2 gigahertz band, primarily used by satellite operators for TV distribution services. The consultation could lead to an auction like the one for lower C-band spectrum that raised more than $80 billion, $13.4 billion of which went to satellite operators to cover costs of new satellites and equipment. A similar auction could take place for upper C-band, although the FCC's authority to conduct auctions lapsed in 2023 and would have to be renewed by Congress. [SpaceNews]
An astronaut from Pakistan will train for a potential flight to China's Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Engineering Office signed an agreement with Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO to train a Pakistani astronaut. According to the plan, the selection process will be completed within approximately one year, after which the Pakistani astronaut will undergo comprehensive and systematic training in China. The selected astronaut could later fly to Tiangong on a short-duration mission. The agreement marks the first time that China will select and train international astronauts. [SpaceNews]
A Varda Space Industries capsule landed in Australia. The capsule from Varda's W-2 mission landed in the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on Friday, about six weeks after its launch. The capsule carried a specialized sensor payload from the Air Force Research Laboratory to monitor the plasma environment on reentry, collecting data that offers insights into how materials and systems perform under extreme hypersonic conditions. The capsule was the first commercial spacecraft to land in Australia. [SpaceNews]
The Air Force plans to build landing pads on a remote Pacific island as part of a "rocket cargo" program. In a notice published in the Federal Register, the Air Force said it was starting the environmental review process to build two landing pads on Johnston Atoll, about 1,300 kilometers southwest of Hawaii, that would be used for the Rocket Cargo program. The pads would be used for up to 10 landings annually over four years. It is part of a program to test the ability to use space systems for the rapid delivery of cargo to remote locations. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | SpaceX is preparing to launch its next Starship test flight later today. The FAA gave its approval Friday for the launch of the Flight 8 mission, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern today from SpaceX's Starbase test site in South Texas. The FAA provided that approval, along with an updated launch license, even though the mishap investigation into the previous flight in January is not yet complete. SpaceX will attempt to demonstrate on Flight 8 some test objectives it could not carry out on Flight 7, including deployment of Starlink satellite mass simulators and thermal protection system technologies. [SpaceNews]
A Falcon 9 launched Starlink satellites Sunday night. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:24 p.m. Eastern and placed 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. The next Starlink launch is scheduled for as soon as early Wednesday from the same pad. [Florida Today]
Russia launched a Glonass navigation satellite Sunday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 5:22 p.m. Eastern carrying a Glonass-K2 navigation satellite. Russian officials called the launch a success but provided no other details about the mission. [RussianSpaceWeb.com]
A Progress cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on Saturday. The Progress MS-30 spacecraft, designated Progress 91 by NASA, docked with the station's Zvezda module at 6:02 p.m. Eastern, a little more than two days after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft delivered about 2,600 kilograms of supplies and fuel for the station. [Space.com]
The proposed 'Iron Dome for America missile-defense system has a new name. The Pentagon now refers to the system, proposed by the Trump administration, as "Golden Dome for America," according to a recent advisory to defense contractors. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Missile Defense Agency responded to inquiries about the reasoning behind the name change, but one official said the name change was directed by the White House. The system is expected to make extensive use of space-based technologies to detect and intercept missiles. [SpaceNews]
NASA's Europa Clipper made a flyby of Mars Saturday on its way to Jupiter. The spacecraft passed 884 kilometers above the surface of Mars at 12:57 p.m. Eastern. The gravity assist tweaked the spacecraft's trajectory, setting up a flyby of Earth in December 2026 that will provide the final push needed to get the spacecraft to Jupiter in 2030. Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and make dozens of close approaches to its icy moon Europa to see if that moon is potentially habitable. [X @EuropaClipper]
An ESA astronomy mission has come to an end. ESA formally ended science operations of the Integral gamma-ray observatory on Friday. The spacecraft launched in 2002 and studied gamma-ray bursts and other energetic phenomena. Integral will remain in orbit until a projected reentry in early 2029. [ESA]
| The Week Ahead | |
Monday:
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Kourou, French Guiana: Rescheduled launch of an Ariane 6 carrying the CSO-3 reconnaissance satellite at 11:24 a.m. Eastern.
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Boca Chica, Texas: Rescheduled launch of SpaceX's Starship/Super Heavy on its eighth suborbital test flight at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
Monday-Wednesday:
Monday-Saturday:
Tuesday:
Tuesday-Wednesday:
Wednesday:
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Cape Canaveral, Fla.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 1 a.m. Eastern.
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London/Online: Chatham House hosts the 2025 Space Security Conference event to discuss space security and related topics.
Thursday:
Friday:
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