NASA SETS COVERAGE FOR SPACEX 32ND STATION RESUPPLY LAUNCH, ARRIVAL - NASA and SpaceX are targeting 4:15 a.m. EDT, Monday, April 21, for the next launch to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This is the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbiting laboratory for the agency. Filled with more than 6,400 pounds of supplies, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   More
(Source: PR Newswire - Apr 15)

REPORT: GLOBAL LEO SATELLITE GROWTH TO HIT 42,600 BY 2032 - The number of active low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites is expected to grow dramatically over the next decade, increasing from 7,473 in 2023 to about 42,600 by 2032, according to a new report from technology intelligence firm ABI Research. The report cites growing investment from China and Europe as key drivers of expansion, as both regions prioritize space technologies for national security and commercial strategies. The rapid growth is also fueled by increasing demand for satellite-based services, including internet connectivity, remote sensing, and the Internet of Things (IoT).   More
(Source: Military Aerospace - Apr 15)

SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCHES 27 STARLINK SATELLITES TO ORBIT ON RECORD-BREAKING 27TH FLIGHT - SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of rocket reuse. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites lifted off at midnight (0400 GMT) on Monday (April 14) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the 27th launch for the rocket's first stage, breaking a reflight record that this same booster set two months ago. Sixteen of its liftoffs have been Starlink flights, SpaceX wrote in a mission description.   More
(Source: Space.com - Apr 15)

KATY PERRY AND GAYLE KING LAUNCH TO SPACE WITH 4 OTHERS ON HISTORIC ALL-FEMALE BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET FLIGHT - Jeff Bezos' aerospace company launched its NS-31 mission today (April 14), sending the pop star and her five female crewmates on a brief mission to suborbital space. Liftoff occured at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT) from Blue Origin's West Texas launch site. It was the first all-female spaceflight since June 16, 1963, when the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova launched on a three-day mission to Earth orbit. Tereshkova flew by herself, however, so NS-31 was the first-ever multiperson human spaceflight not to feature a male crewmember.   More
(Source: Space.com - Apr 14)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 400TH FLIGHT-PROVEN FALCON BOOSTER WITH SATURDAY STARLINK MISSION - After being stymied by back-to-back scrubs on consecutive nights, SpaceX managed to launch the Starlink 12-17 mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Saturday night. The mission marked the 400th launch of a flight proven booster. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A took place at 8:53 p.m. EDT (12:53 UTC) against a cloudless night sky.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Apr 13)

SPACEX LAUNCHES STARSHIELD SATELLITES FOR THE NRO ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG - The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched its ninth mission supporting its so-called proliferated architecture satellite constellation using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed NROL-192, also marked a big milestone for SpaceX. It will be the 400th launch of a previously flown Falcon booster. It is the third such launch so far in 2025. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred on time at 5:25 a.m. PDT (8:25 a.m. EDT, 1225 UTC) Saturday, April 12.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Apr 12)

A NEW SATELLITE WILL MAP THE CARBON CONTENT OF RAINFORESTS FROM SPACE, AND IT’S SET TO LAUNCH THIS MONTH - After more than ten years of development, the European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch a satellite that will map the carbon content of the world’s rainforests. The probe, named Biomass, was recently shipped to French Guiana, where it’s slated to lift off from Europe’s Spaceport on April 29 aboard a 230-ton Vega-C rocket. Over the next five years, the spacecraft will orbit the Earth and monitor forests’ above-ground biomass—think trunks and large branches—as well as the height of trees in Africa, Asia and South America. Those measurements, captured with the help of a first-of-its-kind radar, can then serve as a proxy for tracking stored carbon.   More
(Source: Smithsonian Magazine - Apr 12)

NOAA BUDGET PROPOSAL WOULD AFFECT WEATHER SATELLITE, OTHER SPACE PROGRAMS - The White House’s budget proposal for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would seek to make major changes in a weather satellite program as well as transfer space weather and space traffic management efforts. NOAA received a draft of the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) April 10. The document, known as a passback, offers the agency a chance to seek any final changes in the proposal before the budget proposal is formally released by the administration.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Apr 12)

SPACEX DELAYS LAUNCH OF STARLINK SATELLITES FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket early Friday for undisclosed reasons. It had been scheduled to loft 21 satellites for the company’s Starlink network. Liftoff from pad 39A was rescheduled for later on Friday at 9:15 p.m. EDT (0115 UTC). This will be the 28th launch of the company’s internet satellites so far in 2025. Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour before liftoff.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Apr 11)

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