Top Stories

GAO Warns Space Force Satellite Costs Are Rising, Workforce Cuts Add Launch Risk

The Government Accountability Office has flagged growing cost problems across the Space Force satellite portfolio, with missile-warning programs specifically cited. The report also identifies digital engineering gaps and workforce reductions as compounding risks that could slow national security launches.

Workforce reductions are the sharpest concern — if Space Force loses experienced personnel during active development cycles, schedule recovery becomes expensive and slow. For KeepTrack users tracking national security payloads, delays to missile-warning constellations like NGG or SWAT directly affect infrared surveillance coverage in geosynchronous orbit.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Starlink 10-50 Carries Two Besxar Semiconductor Manufacturing Pods

A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 on a Starlink 10-50 mission, with two semiconductor manufacturing test pods from Besxar Space Industries riding along. Liftoff was scheduled for 6:50 a.m. EDT (1050 UTC).

This is a rideshare to a Starlink shell, meaning the Besxar pods will deploy into the same orbital plane as the batch. The payloads are distinct from the Starlink satellites and will catalog separately — worth watching as new NORAD IDs populate post-launch.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Vast’s Haven-1 Commercial Station Targeting Q1 2027 Launch

Vast Space reports Haven-1 is on track for a Q1 2027 launch after clearing several recent development checkpoints. Haven-1 is a single-module commercial station intended to host short-duration crew missions.

If it launches as planned, Haven-1 would become one of the first privately owned crewed orbital platforms. Once it reaches orbit, it will be trackable as a distinct object — comparable in observability to other low Earth orbit station modules.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight

SpaceX Targeting First Starship Launch from Cape Canaveral in 2026

SpaceX is actively working toward a Starship launch from Cape Canaveral this year, with contractors and ground support infrastructure pushing toward that goal. No specific launch date has been confirmed.

A Florida Starship launch would use different range assets than Boca Chica and would add a second active Starship launch site. Flight profiles from Kennedy Space Center would likely involve different orbital inclinations than Texas launches, depending on mission profile.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight

Space.com Runs America 250 Series on U.S. Space History

Space.com published a retrospective series tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary, covering American space achievements from 1776 to present and looking ahead to upcoming lunar missions.

The series is editorial rather than breaking news, but it includes historical framing of U.S. human spaceflight and the Artemis program’s context within the longer arc of American aerospace development.

Read the full story: Space.com

Satellite of the Day

ONEWEB-0422

ONEWEB-0422 is part of the OneWeb constellation, an ambitious mega-constellation project designed to provide global broadband coverage from low Earth orbit. Operated by OneWeb (UK) and manufactured by OneWeb US, this satellite launched on February 10, 2022, aboard a Soyuz-ST-B rocket from French Guiana. With its Ku-Band payload and Hall effect thrusters for station-keeping, ONEWEB-0422 is one of hundreds of satellites working together to deliver high-speed internet to underserved regions worldwide. The constellation approach means no single satellite is critical—instead, the network’s redundancy ensures continuous service even as individual satellites reach end-of-life.

This particular satellite features a compact trapezoid bus design with a 148 kg launch mass and an impressive 5-meter solar panel span to power its communications equipment. Positioned in a near-polar orbit at 87.9° inclination, it provides coverage at high latitudes where traditional geostationary satellites struggle. With an expected operational lifespan of seven years, ONEWEB-0422 represents the new generation of satellite internet providers competing with established players and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based connectivity.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track ONEWEB-0422

Upcoming Space Launches

July 5

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 10-50 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (10:36 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Booster B1090 will land on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

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

  • SpaceSail Polar Group TBD from Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (13:32 UTC) A Long March 8A rocket will deploy a batch of SpaceSail polar broadband constellation satellites into polar orbit. The Long March 8A is an enhanced variant of the Long March 8, capable of lifting up to 9,800 kg to low Earth orbit, featuring an upgraded liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage with twin YF-75H engines and a 5.2-meter payload fairing. Launch Preview

July 7

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Transporter 17 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (07:10 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 81 payloads on a dedicated rideshare mission to sun-synchronous orbit. Booster B1097, flying for the 11th time, will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live

July 9

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 10-42 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (09:05 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Watch Live

July 10

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 10B:
  • Demo Flight from Commercial LC-2, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (05:12 UTC) Demonstration flight of the Long March 10B, a reusable launch vehicle derived from the Long March 10A first stage core. The 10B features seven YF-100 series kerosene/liquid oxygen engines on its first stage, which is designed to be recovered downrange via an arrestor net on a recovery barge. The second stage is powered by a single YF-219 methane/liquid oxygen engine. The vehicle is capable of delivering up to 16,000 kg to low Earth orbit.

July 11

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-48 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (02:00 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Watch Live

July 12

• Orienspace Technology Gravity-1:

  • Unknown Payload from Haiyang Offshore Launch Location, Haiyang Oriental Spaceport (02:00 UTC) Details for this mission are to be determined. Gravity-1 is a four-stage all-solid orbital launch vehicle developed by Chinese private company OrienSpace, with a launch mass of 405 tonnes and a low Earth orbit capacity of 6,500 kg.

• Skyroot Aerospace Vikram-I:

  • Demo Flight from Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India (05:00 UTC) First orbital launch attempt of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I vehicle, carrying an undisclosed manifest of cubesats. Vikram-I is a four-stage launch vehicle with three solid-fuel stages and a hypergolic upper stage, capable of delivering up to 350 kg to low Earth orbit.

July 13

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 15-14 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (22:38 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Watch Live

July 14

• Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz 2.1a:
  • Soyuz MS-29 from Launch Pad 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan (14:47 UTC) Soyuz MS-29 will carry Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, along with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, to the International Space Station. The Soyuz 2.1a features a fully digital flight control system and is the current standard vehicle for crewed Soyuz and Progress ISS missions. Part of the International Space Station programme, a multinational partnership conceived in 1984 involving sixteen nations.

Schedule Changes

• Long March 6A | SpaceSail Polar Group #13: Status updated from Go for Launch to Launch Successful. This mission has been removed from the upcoming launches calendar.

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