| By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: changes ahead for SDA's satellite constellation, another Chinese startup nears its first launch, a shotgun approach to hypersonic missile defense and more.
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| | | | | | Top Stories
A test of repairs to the Space Launch System liquid hydrogen fueling system did not go exactly as planned. NASA said late Friday it conducted a "confidence test" of replaced seals in a fueling interface for the rocket, partially loading the core stage with liquid hydrogen. However, NASA said a problem with ground support equipment reduced the flow of liquid hydrogen into the rocket, raising questions about the effectiveness of the test. Liquid hydrogen leaks ended a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) prematurely earlier this month, and NASA said it would conduct a second WDR before setting a launch date for the Artemis 2 mission. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday there was still plenty of time to resolve the leak problem and support a launch in early March. [SpaceNews]
Procurements of certain elements of the U.S. military's low Earth orbit satellite constellation are on hold for acquisition reviews. GP Sandhoo, acting director of the Space Development Agency, said last week a planned procurement of satellites for the next increment of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture's data transport layer remains paused, along with the acquisition of a separate "custody layer" designed to maintain continuous tracking of mobile targets on Earth's surface. The pause marks a shift from SDA's previous cadence, under which contracts for new tranches of satellites were awarded roughly every other year across different layers of the architecture. The custody layer, he said, might move from SDA to another Space Force office. [SpaceNews]
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he's interested in meeting with the head of Roscosmos. Asked about relations with Roscosmos at a press conference Friday, he said the agency was "making preparations for a discussion with my counterpart at the earliest opportunity." He added he was planning to attend a crewed Soyuz launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome this summer. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov met with NASA's acting administrator, Sean Duffy, last July in the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the space agencies since 2018. While Bakanov said last year he was interested in additional opportunities for cooperation with NASA, Isaacman suggested his focus was on continued operations of the ISS. [SpaceNews]
A Chinese launch startup that has maintained a low profile has completed a key test of its rocket. Zenk Space conducted the static fire test of the Zhihang-1 first stage last week using the HOS-1 mobile sea platform facilities off the coast of Shandong province. Zenk Space said that Zhihang-1 "has fully completed all major ground tests" ahead of a first launch, potentially in the coming weeks. Zhihang-1 is designed to place up to 4,000 kilograms into a sun-synchronous orbit, and Zenk Space plans to recover the engines from the first stage for reuse. [SpaceNews]
A bill intended to streamline FCC satellite licensing passed out of committee last week after revisions. A modified version of the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee last week on a voice vote. The modifications address concerns raised by the committee's ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), about provisions that would allow for automatic approval of applications if the FCC does not act on the applications in 18 months. Under the revisions, the FCC would have to develop rules for what satellite applications would be eligible for "deemed granted" approvals based on the size of the satellite systems and the spectrum they would use. [SpaceNews]
A startup is taking a new approach to hypersonic missile defense that is analogous to a shotgun. Wardstone has raised $5 million in seed funding and is preparing to test its first prototype interceptor vehicle this spring on a suborbital flight. Its technical approach departs from traditional "hit-to-kill" interceptors, which rely on precise tracking to collide directly with an incoming warhead. Instead, its interceptors would deploy large particle clouds shortly before impact, increasing the chances of intercept and reducing the requirements for precision that drive up the cost of conventional interceptors. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | | Other News
The Crew-12 Crew Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Saturday. The spacecraft docked with the station at 3:15 p.m. Eastern, with hatches between the Dragon and the station opening two hours later. The spacecraft delivered a crew of four from NASA, ESA and Roscosmos to the station for an eight-month stay. Their arrival brings the station back up to a seven-person crew after the early departure of Crew-11 a month ago. [CBS]
SpaceX launched a pair of Starlink missions over the weekend. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Saturday, placing 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. The timing of the launch, just after sunset, created a brilliant backlit plume visible as far away as Phoenix. Another Falcon 9 lifted off at 2:59 a.m. Eastern Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, putting 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX delayed the launch to near the end of the window because of stormy conditions at the launch site. [Spaceflight Now]
Thermal imaging company constellr has raised 37 million euros ($44 million). The Munich-based company announced last week it closed a Series A round led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar. The company is developing a satellite constellation that will provide infrared imaging for "thermal intelligence," with a focus on military applications. [constellr]
AST SpaceMobile says it has completed deployment of the largest phased-array antenna in low Earth orbit. The company announced last week that the antenna on BlueBird-6, launched in December, had fully deployed. The antenna has an area of about 220 square meters, and the company says it is the largest communications array antenna deployed in LEO. The antenna will be used for direct-to-device services, including broadband communications. The large size of the array has raised concerns about space sustainability and interference with ground-based astronomy. [AST SpaceMobile]
SpaceX is considering a dual-class stock structure in its planned IPO. The structure would give certain shareholders, like CEO Elon Musk, extra voting power to ensure control even if he only owned a minority stake in the company. A similar approach is used at companies like Alphabet, the parent company of Google, as well as Meta. SpaceX is also adding members to its board of directors in preparation for an IPO that could raise up to $50 billion for the company. [Bloomberg]
| | | | | | | FROM SPACENEWS |  | | Join Leidos and SpaceNews on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. ET to hear how the U.S. Space Force is partnering with industry to accelerate new approaches for collapsing space kill chains through rapid commercial integration and unclassified technology cohorts. In this virtual event, experts from the Space Force and industry will explore how advanced sensors, analytics and workflow automation can deliver faster decision advantage and operational impact. Register now. | | | | | | The Week Ahead
Wednesday: -
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 3 a.m. Eastern. -
Online: The Secure World Foundation hosts a webinar to present the research findings of its 2025 Space Sustainability Research Fellows at 10 a.m. Eastern. -
Cape Canaveral, Fla.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 5 p.m. Eastern. -
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.: No-earlier-than launch of a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket on a demonstration mission. Wednesday-Thursday: -
Austin, Texas/Online: The 12th Annual Space Traffic Conference, held by the University of Texas, International Academy of Astronautics and MITRE, will discuss technical and policy issues regarding space traffic coordination. -
Dallas: The Space Foundation's Innovate Space: Finance Forum will discuss commercial space activities. Wednesday-Friday: Thursday: Saturday: -
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 3 p.m. Eastern. -
Cape Canaveral, Fla.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 9:04 p.m. Eastern.
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