Top Stories

Blue Origin Targets 2nd New Glenn Launch Before Year-End After Pad Explosion

CEO Dave Limp says Blue Origin is working around the clock to repair the launch pad damaged in the New Glenn explosion and still aims to fly again before the end of 2026. No timeline for pad repairs has been publicly confirmed, and the goal is being described internally as ambitious.

The explosion grounded New Glenn and left LC-36 at Cape Canaveral in unclear condition. A successful return-to-flight would be critical for Blue Origin’s manifest, which includes national security payloads and NASA contracts. Watch this space closely — any pad repair updates will affect launch windows across the board.

Read the full story: Space.com

Rocket Lab Delivers Synspective’s 10th SAR Satellite on June 26

Rocket Lab flew its 10th radar-imaging satellite for Japan’s Synspective on June 26, completing another StriX-series delivery. The mission had been delayed to accommodate a responsive space tasking — details on that mission haven’t been released.

Synspective’s StriX constellation provides synthetic aperture radar SAR imagery, meaning it can image through clouds and at night. A 10-satellite constellation gives the company meaningful revisit rates for maritime and infrastructure monitoring. Defense and intelligence customers are the primary end users for this kind of persistent SAR coverage.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

SpaceX Starlink 17-40 Launching 24 Satellites from Vandenberg

SpaceX scheduled Starlink 17-40 for liftoff at 7:36 a.m. PDT (1436 UTC) from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 24 broadband satellites to low Earth orbit.

This is a routine shell-filling mission for Group 17. Once the satellites complete their orbit-raising maneuvers and reach operational altitude, they’ll join the Starlink constellation in LEO. KeepTrack users can filter by Starlink group to watch the deployment sequence over the following days.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

’Bow-and-Arrow’ Radio Structure Spans 1.8 Million Light-Years

Astronomers identified a radio galaxy structure shaped like a bow and arrow stretching nearly 1.8 million light-years — one of the largest single radio structures observed. Researchers believe it formed from a supersonic collision between galaxy clusters generating an enormous shock wave.

The structure’s scale puts it well beyond any individual galaxy, suggesting the intergalactic medium plays a larger role in shaping extreme radio emission than previously modeled. The findings have implications for how astronomers map large-scale cosmic structure using radio surveys.

Read the full story: Space.com

Pentagon Shaping Next Cyber Strategy Around AI Integration

The Department of Defense is developing its next cyber strategy with AI and automated threat response at the center, based on discussions at TechNet Cyber 2026. Breaking Defense’s coverage highlights a shift toward integrating AI decision-support tools directly into cyber operations workflows.

For the space domain, this matters: satellite command links, ground station networks, and space situational awareness systems are all potential targets. DoD has been explicit that space infrastructure is a priority for hardening against cyber intrusion, and the new strategy is expected to formalize that posture.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Satellite of the Day

YAOGAN-41

YAOGAN-41 is a Chinese Earth observation and signals intelligence (SIGINT) satellite operated by ZZB/CAST, the China Academy of Space Technology. Launched on December 15, 2023, aboard a Chang Zheng 5 heavy-lift rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, this satellite represents China’s continued investment in remote sensing and intelligence-gathering capabilities. At 12,000 kilograms at launch, YAOGAN-41 is a substantial spacecraft featuring deployable solar arrays that extend to roughly 40 meters when fully deployed, powering its suite of sensors and instruments from its near-equatorial orbit.

The YAOGAN series (meaning “Remote Sensing” in Chinese) has long been a cornerstone of China’s space-based Earth observation program, with applications ranging from environmental monitoring and disaster assessment to military reconnaissance. YAOGAN-41’s extremely low inclination of just 3.1 degrees places it in an equatorial orbit ideal for observing tropical and subtropical regions, making it particularly useful for coverage of strategically important areas across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. This satellite’s arrival adds to an increasingly capable constellation of Chinese remote sensing platforms.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track YAOGAN-41

Upcoming Space Launches

June 28

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-40
  • From Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1088 on its 17th flight will land on Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

June 29

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Sirius SXM-11

  • From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (02:25 UTC) The latest geostationary satellite for SiriusXM, built by Lanteris Space Systems on its 1300-class platform. Booster B1085 on its 17th flight will land on A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

• Agency for Defense Development South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV: Demo Flight

  • From Sea Launch — ADD Offshore Launch Platform (05:00 UTC) South Korean solid-fuel small launch vehicle demonstration flight to low Earth orbit. Launch Preview

June 30

• Rocket Lab Electron: The Grain Goddess Provides (iQPS Launch 7)

  • From Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (time TBD) Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle powered by nine Rutherford electric-pump-fed engines.

• China Rocket Co. Ltd. Smart Dragon 3: Unknown Payload

  • From Haiyang Oriental Spaceport (time TBD) Details to be determined. Smart Dragon-3 is a solid-fuel orbital rocket built for the commercial market.

• European Space Agency Themis Demonstrator: T1H-1

  • From Esrange Space Center (time TBD) First low-altitude hop test of the Themis reusable rocket demonstrator, targeting an altitude of up to 100 metres. Themis is powered by the methane-fuelled Prometheus engine and is designed to land vertically for reuse.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 9)

  • From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (time TBD) First of two launches to replenish Globalstar’s HIBLEO-4 fleet, carrying nine satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1090 on its 12th flight will land on A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

• Deep Blue Aerospace Nebula-1: Demo Flight

  • From Haiyang Oriental Spaceport (time TBD) First test launch of Deep Blue Aerospace’s Nebula-1 reusable rocket on a suborbital flight profile. Launch Preview

• Northrop Grumman Space Systems Pegasus XL: Swift Boost Mission

  • From Air Launch to Orbit, Kwajalein Atoll (07:30 UTC) Northrop Grumman’s Stargazer aircraft will air-launch the Pegasus XL at approximately 40,000 feet carrying the Link spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Systems. Link will rendezvous with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and boost it to a safe operating orbit — a mission extension effort supported by NASA. Launch Preview

July 1

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 4C: Unknown Payload
  • From Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (23:38 UTC) Details to be determined.

July 2

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-46

  • From Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (02:00 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1088 on its 17th flight will land on Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live

• United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551: Amazon Leo (LA-08)

  • From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (04:24 UTC) The ninth and final Atlas V rocket booked by Amazon will launch 29 Project Kuiper broadband internet satellites to low Earth orbit. The Atlas V 551 is powered by an RD-180 first stage engine and a Centaur upper stage with an RL10 engine, with five solid rocket strap-on boosters. Watch Live

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A: Unknown Payload

  • From Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (13:46 UTC) Details to be determined. The Long March 8A features an enhanced liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage and is capable of lifting up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit.

July 3

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 10-50
  • From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (11:20 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Watch Live

July 6

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-48
  • From Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) Batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1088 on its 17th flight will land on Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live

Schedule Changes

• Long March 8A | Unknown Payload: Launch status upgraded from To Be Confirmed to Go for Launch for the mission launching from Wenchang Space Launch Site on July 2.

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