avilakona

The European Commission and European Space Agency signed contracts with an industrial consortium Dec. 16 to develop a secure connectivity constellation with a total cost of 10.6 billion euros ($11.1 billion).

SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink is projected to reach $11.8 billion in revenue next year, driven by strong consumer demand and growing U.S. military contracts, according to a new market analysis. The forecast, released by the market research firm Quilty Space, represents a substantial increase from the estimated $7.7 billion in revenue for 2024, highlighting Starlink’s rapid growth trajectory in the satellite communications market.

T-Mobile has opened beta registration for Starlink’s direct-to-smartphone satellite service, enabling text messaging early next year on select newer devices in most U.S. cellular dead zones with a clear sky view. The free beta program is available to all T-Mobile customers with compatible devices and postpaid voice plans, the telco announced Dec. 16, although first responders will receive priority access due to limited initial capacity.

In a mission veiled in secrecy, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Dec. 16 at 7:52 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, sending a military Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite to a medium orbit about 12,000 miles above Earth.

The Adelaide, Australia-based startup raised the new funding to accelerate the development of ExoSphere, a platform to enable real-time mineral prospecting from space. The company currently has two satellites in low Earth orbit that connect to ground sensors; using artificial intelligence, the sensors and satellite data can generate predictive insights and drill targeting for prospectors.

The Federal Aviation Administration is taking a step to streamline licensing for launch operators as the agency faces continues pressure to accelerate that process.

In a move to differentiate itself from rival SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is proposing a new military application for its Vulcan Centaur rocket: a “space interceptor” capable of thwarting potential threats to U.S. assets in orbit.

Gilmour Space has secured the launch permit for Eris Test Flight 1 that the company says is the first orbital launch attempt of an Australian-made orbital launch vehicle from a licensed commercial launch site in Australia. 🇦🇺 The launch is set for no earlier than late January 2025.

Defense contractor L3Harris is scaling up satellite manufacturing and is moving to automate the production of infrared sensor payloads, a senior company executive said. L3Harris, one of the primary contractors for the U.S. military’s missile-tracking satellite constellation, has secured orders for 38 satellites from the Space Development Agency (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) program. The agency aims to deploy a Tracking Layer of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit to enhance missile detection and tracking capabilities.