Top Stories
NASA pulls the plug on Draper’s lunar lander
NASA and Draper have terminated their commercial lunar lander mission after development delays pushed the spacecraft off schedule. No new timeline or replacement contractor has been named.
The cancellation trims NASA’s CLPS lineup by one more vehicle, following a string of setbacks across the program’s private landers. Fewer landers means fewer new objects for KeepTrack to catalog in cislunar space this year.
Read the full story: SpaceNews
GAO: Navy and Army hypersonic push lacks a shared game plan
The Government Accountability Office found the Navy running roughly two years behind schedule on Zumwalt-class destroyer modernization, part of a hypersonic weapons effort now topping $50 billion. GAO says the two services are developing capability without a unified strategy, risking duplicated spending.
The report lands as the Pentagon pushes multiple hypersonic tracks simultaneously - common-hardware programs shared across services, plus separate Navy and Army efforts. No unified oversight structure currently ties them together.
Read the full story: Breaking Defense
Skyroot’s Vikram-1 becomes first Indian commercial rocket to reach orbit
Skyroot Aerospace launched its Vikram-1 rocket July 18 on its debut flight, reaching orbit and becoming the first Indian-built commercial launch vehicle to do so. The mission caps years of development by the Hyderabad-based startup, which has raised funding as India opens its launch sector to private players.
Expect a new object or objects in low Earth orbit tied to this launch to show up in tracking catalogs shortly. India’s private space sector now has its first orbital proof point to build on.
Read the full story: SpaceNews
Japan lands its RV-X reusable rocket prototype on first flight test
Japan’s RV-X experimental vehicle completed its inaugural flight test and landed successfully, marking the country’s first demonstrated reusable rocket hardware. The test targets technology for future reusable launch systems rather than orbital delivery.
Japan joins a short list of nations with flown reusable rocket hardware, though RV-X remains a suborbital testbed rather than an operational vehicle. Further test flights are expected to expand the flight envelope.
Read the full story: Space.com
Space Force triples Lane 1 launch contract ceiling to $17 billion
The Space Force raised the maximum value of its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract from $5.6 billion to $17 billion. The increase reflects rising demand for national security launches beyond original program estimates.
Lane 1 covers less-demanding national security missions open to a wider pool of launch providers than the more restrictive Lane 2. The higher ceiling gives the Space Force room to award more missions without renegotiating contract terms.
Read the full story: SpaceNews
Satellite of the Day
COSMOS 2038
COSMOS 2038, also known as Kosmos-2038, is a Soviet military communication satellite that has been in orbit since September 14, 1989. Launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome using a Tsiklon-3 rocket, this 225-kilogram spacecraft was manufactured by NPOPM to support secure military communications for the Soviet Union. With its cylindrical body, modest 7-meter antenna span, and highly inclined polar orbit, COSMOS 2038 represents the era of Cold War-era military space infrastructure that remains in operation decades after the USSR’s dissolution.
Operating at an inclination of 82.57 degrees, this satellite provided broad coverage across high northern and southern latitudes - ideal for communicating with far-flung military assets across Soviet territory and beyond. Though now over three decades old, COSMOS 2038 continues to be tracked by space surveillance networks worldwide, serving as a reminder of the longevity of some space-based military systems and the persistent legacy of Soviet space technology.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| NORAD ID | 20232 |
| Operator | Soviet Union (UNKS) |
| Launch Date | September 14, 1989 |
| Orbit | Polar, 82.57° inclination |
| Purpose | Military Communication |
| Status | Active |
Track this satellite in real-time: Track COSMOS 2038
Upcoming Space Launches
July 20
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
- Starlink Group 17-39 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base (14:00 UTC) A batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites will be deployed to low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster, tail number B1082, will be flying for the 23rd time and is set to land on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live
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SpaceX Starship:
- Flight 13 from Orbital Launch Pad 2, SpaceX Starbase (22:45 UTC) The third development iteration of SpaceX’s fully reusable super heavy-lift Starship system will fly a suborbital test mission. Booster 20 and Ship 40 will not be recovered, instead attempting controlled splashdowns in the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean, respectively. The flight will also deploy 20 V3 Starlink satellites during the suborbital trajectory. Watch Live Launch Preview
July 21
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
- MRV-1 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (21:15 UTC) This mission extension flight will deliver another batch of Space Development Agency Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites, designated T1TL-E. The Falcon 9 first stage will land on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live
July 22
- Orienspace Technology Gravity-1:
- Unknown Payload from Yellow Sea (Launch Location 5), Haiyang Oriental Spaceport (02:44 UTC) Details of the payload are yet to be confirmed. The Gravity-1 is a four-stage solid-fueled launch vehicle developed by the Chinese private company OrienSpace, featuring five clustered solid rocket motors for its first stage. Launch Preview
July 23
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China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 3B/E:
- Unknown Payload from Launch Complex 2, Xichang Satellite Launch Center (11:52 UTC) Payload details remain undisclosed. The Long March 3B/E is one of China’s most capable medium-lift launchers, specially developed for transporting heavy communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit. Launch Preview
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CAS Space Kinetica 1:
- Unknown Payload from Launch Area 130, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (23:24 UTC) Mission details are pending confirmation. Kinetica 1, also known as Lijian-1, is China’s largest solid-propellant launcher to date, capable of placing roughly 2 tons into low Earth orbit. Launch Preview
July 24
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China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A (Status: To Be Confirmed):
- Unknown Payload from Commercial Launch Complex 1, Wenchang Space Launch Site (11:00 UTC) Payload details are yet to be released. The Long March 8A is an upgraded orbital launch vehicle featuring a larger diameter hydrogen/oxygen second stage and enhanced YF-75H engines, capable of delivering up to 7 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit.
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
- Starlink Group 17-51 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base (14:00 UTC) A batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites will be deployed to low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster, tail number B1082, will be flying for the 23rd time and is set to land on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live
July 28
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
- Starlink Group 17-52 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base (02:00 UTC) A batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites will be deployed to low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster, tail number B1082, will be flying for the 23rd time and is set to land on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live
July 31
- Rocket Lab Electron (Status: To Be Determined):
- LOXSAT 1 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (00:00 UTC) LOXSAT 1 is a demonstration satellite testing a complete cryogenic oxygen fluid management system in orbit, developed by Eta Space and sponsored by NASA’s Tipping Point program. The satellite will collect cryogenic fluid management data for 9 months in support of future commercial in-space depot technology.
Schedule Changes
- Kinetica 1 | Unknown Payload status updated from “To Be Confirmed” to “Go for Launch.”
Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.
