Space Brief 17 Aug 2025
Today's space news features major US Space Force satellite launches, regulatory changes supporting private space initiatives, and updates on SpaceX's Starship advances.
Launch Date
January 22, 1975
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
SLC2W
Launch Vehicle
Delta 2910
NORAD ID
09298
International Designator
1975-004DZ
Decay Date
2/9/1977
Name
DELTA 1 DEB
Alternative Name
deb Delta 107
Type
Status
Owner
GSFC
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.071
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Unknown
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's space news features major US Space Force satellite launches, regulatory changes supporting private space initiatives, and updates on SpaceX's Starship advances.
Today's brief covers an increase in Chinese satellite launches, the operational status of the Space Force's ATLAS software, and a significant fundraising event in the defense sector.
NRO awards three commercial satellite contracts, expanding scope to dynamic military target tracking. Former NASA chief Bridenstine joins Quantum Space for cislunar operations.
Starbase Pad 2 passes water-cooled deck test ahead of Booster 19. Starlink restrictions disrupt Russian battlefield communications. California city weighs banning Musk companies.
Space Force projects 30,000-satellite orbital architecture by 2040 amid combat integration revelations. Gen. Saltzman confirms space operations were critical in Iran conflict.
ULA launches the final Atlas 5 551 configuration—its heaviest variant with 5 solid boosters—carrying Amazon's Project Kuiper satellite to low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy flew for the first time in 18 months on April 29, while Starlink hit 51 Falcon 9 launches in 2026 with 10,280 satellites working.
On 22 June 1978, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory looked at photographic plates that had been stamped 'image defective' and noticed a small bump on the side of Pluto. The bump was a moon, and finding it finally let astronomers weigh a planet that had fooled them for half a century.