Top Stories

New Glenn Static Fire Anomaly Grounds Amazon Satellite Launch, Complicates NASA Moon Schedule

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly during a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 on Florida’s Space Coast. The test was conducted without a payload — a batch of Amazon LEO internet satellites had been pulled before the test and were scheduled to fly in early June. Both that commercial launch and NASA-related missions using New Glenn are now in question.

The downstream effects on NASA’s lunar program depend on how long New Glenn stays grounded and whether Blue Origin can diagnose and fix the root cause quickly. Until Blue Origin publishes a failure review or return-to-flight timeline, any manifested payloads should be treated as indefinitely delayed.

Read the full story: Space Explored

NRO Funds BlackSky for AROS Broad-Area Collection Satellites and AI Detection System

The National Reconnaissance Office awarded a contract modification to BlackSky Technology to accelerate development of AROS broad-area-collection satellites. The NRO described the award as funding “a direct path toward a flight” configuration. A separate Breaking Defense report confirms the contract also covers an AI-optimized image detection system.

BlackSky’s expanded NRO relationship puts more of its constellation into intelligence service. Trackers monitoring BlackSky’s existing Gen-3 satellites can follow current assets through KeepTrack while new AROS birds work through development.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Space Force Awards Viasat and Intelsat $437.7M for Anti-Jam Communication Satellites

Space Systems Command awarded contracts to Viasat and Intelsat collectively worth $437.7 million for the first of a new class of anti-jam communication satellites. The awards represent the opening procurement action for a program designed to harden military SATCOM against electronic warfare threats.

No orbital parameters or launch timelines were disclosed. Once manifested and launched, these satellites will be trackable assets of direct interest to defense users monitoring protected military communications architecture.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

NRO Also Funding BlackSky AI-Optimized ISR Detection — Second Contract Stream Confirmed

Separate from the AROS contract modification, the NRO confirmed to Breaking Defense that it is funding BlackSky to build an AI-optimized image detection system for space-based ISR. An NRO spokesperson stated the agency is “at the forefront of integrating AI into space-based ISR.” The two contract streams together suggest BlackSky is becoming a more central commercial vendor for the intelligence community.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Coast Guard and Saildrone Deploy Voyager USV for Northern Border Surveillance

The U.S. Coast Guard and Saildrone are operating the Voyager uncrewed surface vehicle in northern waters for persistent coastal surveillance and nearshore mapping. The Voyager can remain at sea for roughly 100 days at a time without resupply. The mission targets border security and domain awareness in areas where manned patrols are resource-intensive.

While not a space asset, Saildrone operations rely on satellite communications and GPS for navigation and data relay — making this a downstream consumer of the SATCOM and PNT infrastructure the broader military space community supports.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

McConnell and Collins Say Third Defense Reconciliation Bill Is Off the Table

Senators Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins, two senior Republican appropriators, publicly stated that a third reconciliation bill carrying additional defense funding is unlikely to pass. Collins called it “not an option.” This closes off one budget pathway that some defense programs — including space procurement — had been counting on for supplemental funding.

Programs without locked-in appropriations, including some early-stage space systems, may face timeline pressure if alternative funding mechanisms aren’t identified before the next budget cycle.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Satellite of the Day

COSMOS 1961

COSMOS 1961, also known as Kosmos-1961, is a Soviet-era military relay satellite that has been operating in geostationary orbit since its launch on August 1, 1988. Manufactured by NPOPM and deployed via Proton-K/DM-2 from the Tyuratam Cosmodrome, this spacecraft was part of the Geizer series and represents a significant component of the USSR’s space-based communications infrastructure. The satellite measures 5.5 meters in length with a 9-meter solar panel span and carries Slav-2 and Sintez C-band transponders, enabling it to relay military communications across vast distances. Its low 11.47° inclination orbit keeps it positioned near the equator, ideal for continuous coverage of strategic regions.

What makes COSMOS 1961 particularly notable for satellite trackers is its remarkable longevity—now over 35 years in orbit and still operational. With a launch mass of 2,100 kg and equipped with four SPT-70 stationary plasma thrusters for station-keeping, this spacecraft exemplifies the durability of Soviet/Russian geostationary platforms. For those monitoring space domain awareness and military space assets, COSMOS 1961 remains an important reference point in tracking the evolution of Russian strategic communications capabilities and the long operational lifespans achievable with geostationary relay satellites.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track COSMOS 1961

Upcoming Space Launches

June 11

• Rocket Lab HASTE | Curveball:

  • Curveball from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C), Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA (04:00–09:15 UTC) Sub-orbital hypersonic test launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program. The Electron-derived HASTE vehicle serves as a suborbital testbed for hypersonics research. Mission details remain classified. Launch Preview

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 5 | Unknown Payload:

  • Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (07:22 UTC) A Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket — China’s most powerful launch vehicle, capable of lifting up to 25,000 kg to low Earth orbit — launches an undisclosed payload. Mission details have not been announced. Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-44:

  • Starlink Group 17-44 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (14:00–18:00 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1071 flying for its 34th time, landing on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

June 12

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3-30 | H3-30 Test Flight:

  • H3-30 Test Flight from Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan (00:53–02:52 UTC) Test flight of the H3-30 variant, featuring 3 LE-9 engines in the first stage and no solid rocket boosters. The rocket will carry the Vehicle Evaluation Payload 5 (VEP-5) dummy main payload along with several small hitchhiking satellites: PETREL, STARS-X, BRO-22, VERTECS, and HORN-L/R. The H3 is developed jointly by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA as Japan’s next-generation expendable launch vehicle. Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-54:

  • Starlink Group 10-54 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (12:27–16:27 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1071 flying for its 34th time, landing on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. Watch Live Launch Preview

June 15

• CAS Space Kinetica 1 | Unknown Payload:

  • Unknown Payload from Launch Area 130, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (03:34–03:55 UTC) Launch of an undisclosed payload aboard the Kinetica 1 (Lijian-1) solid-propellant light launch vehicle, developed by CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit, it is the largest Chinese solid-propellant launcher to date. Launch Preview

• Isar Aerospace Spectrum | Onward and Upward (To Be Confirmed):

  • Onward and Upward from Orbital Launch Pad, Andøya Spaceport (20:00–21:00 UTC) Second test flight of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum small launch vehicle, developed in Germany. The two-stage rocket carries six payloads: CyBEEsat (TU Berlin), TriSat-S (University of Maribor), Platform 6 (EnduroSat), FramSat-1 (NTNU), SpaceTeamSat1 (TU Wien Space Team), and “Let it Go” from Dcubed. Payload integration and deployment managed by Exolaunch. Previously delayed from January 21 due to a pressurization valve issue. Watch Live Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-54:

  • Starlink Group 17-54 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (14:00–18:00 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1071 flying for its 34th time, landing on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

June 16

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 3B/E | Unknown Payload:
  • Unknown Payload from Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (09:37–10:23 UTC) Launch of an undisclosed payload aboard the Long March 3B/E, the most capable variant of the CZ-3 series, purpose-built for delivering heavy communications satellites to geostationary transfer orbit. It features stretched boosters, extended first-stage fuel tanks, and a larger payload fairing compared to the standard CZ-3B. Launch Preview

June 17

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 12 | Unknown Payload (To Be Confirmed):
  • Unknown Payload from Commercial LC-2, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (02:00–06:00 UTC) Launch of an undisclosed payload aboard the Long March 12, a medium-lift vehicle developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology using kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants. Capable of lifting up to 12,000 kg to low Earth orbit, the rocket made its maiden flight in November 2024. Launch Preview

Schedule Changes

• Isar Aerospace Spectrum | Onward and Upward: Status downgraded from Go for Launch to To Be Confirmed, indicating increased uncertainty around the June 15 launch attempt.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.