| Verified by Website (Gunter's Space Page) | https://space.skyrocket.de |
| https://twitter.com/Skyrocket71 | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunter-krebs-4b4b9a20/ | |
| Wikipedia | https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:GDK |
Firefly Alpha successfully returned to flight. The last flight of the Block 1 version tested systems for Block 2 and put a Lockheed Martin Technology Test payload (possibly similar to the one lost in the last launch failure) in orbit.
HEO (@heospace) has imaged @AST_SpaceMobile 's Bluebird 6 satellite in orbit. It looks significantly different from the illustrations on AST Space Mobile's website.
A SpaceX Falcon-9 booster has launched the large EchoStar 25 direct broadcasting satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The 6800 kg satellite was built by Lanteris (formerly Maxar).
Space One's KAIROS small solid fueled launch vehicle has launched for the 3rd time from Spaceport Kii and again failed to reach orbit. About 1 min into the flight an energetic event was observed.
5 small satellites were lost.
And here are the launch statistics for 2025 by launch vehicle families:
Note:
* includes the marginally suborbital Starship launches
* includes Iranian Zoljanah launch, which is unclear, if it was orbital attempt
This leaves a small number of LEO sats:
USA 320, ..., 323
USA 328, ..., 331
USA 350, 351
USA 485, 486
Any thoughts?
(2/2)
This article confirms that the USA are already testing satellites to track aircraft as a replacement for AWACS. Question is which are the satellites? Likely not the NRO or SDA missions. Unlikely also GEO sats and small sats.
(1/2)
