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Perth: (The Conversation) Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University's <keyword id="23932163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Binar-Space-Program" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Binar Space Program" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Binar Space Program">Binar Space Program</keyword> burned up in Earth's atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means "fireball" in the Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. When a satellite is in low Earth orbit (2,000km or less), it experiences orbital decay as it drags closer and closer to the surface, eventually burning up. But these cube satellites (<keyword id="21533654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CubeSats" source="keywords">CubeSats</keyword>), known as Binar-2, 3 and 4, entered the atmosphere much sooner than originally planned. They only lasted for two months - a third of what was expected. This significantly reduced valuable time for science and testing new systems. The reason for their untimely demise? Our Sun has kicked into high gear, and the Binar satellites are far from the only casualty. Recent high <keyword id="20792842" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Solar-activity" source="keywords">solar activity</keyword> has been causing an unexpected headache for satellite operators in the last few years, and it's only increasing. <h2>Why is the Sun so active? </h2> Solar activity includes phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares and solar wind - the stream of charged particles that flows toward Earth. This activity is a product of the Sun's ever-changing magnetic field, and approximately every 11 years, it completely flips. At the midpoint of this cycle, solar activity is at its highest. While this cycle is known, specific solar activity is challenging to predict - the dynamics are complex and solar forecasting is in its infancy. In the last few months, indicators of solar activity were more than one and a half times higher than predictions for this point in the current cycle, labelled <keyword id="22712826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-cycle-25" source="keywords">solar cycle 25</keyword>. <h2>The impact of <keyword id="20087207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-weather" source="keywords">space weather</keyword> </h2> Space weather refers to the environmental effects that originate from outside our atmosphere (mostly the Sun). It affects us on Earth in a variety of noticeable and unnoticeable ways. The most obvious is the presence of auroras. In the past few months, auroras have been visible far more intensely and closer to the equator than in the last two decades. This is a direct result of the increased solar activity. Space weather, and solar activity in particular, also creates additional challenges for satellites and satellite operators. Higher solar activity means more solar flares and stronger solar wind - resulting in a higher flux of charged particles that can damage or disrupt electrical components on satellites. It also means an increase in ionising radiation, resulting in a higher dose for astronauts and pilots, and potential disruptions to long-distance radio communications. But for satellites in low Earth orbit, the most consistent effect of solar activity is that the extra energy gets absorbed into the outer atmosphere, causing it to balloon outward. As a result, all satellites less than 1,000km from Earth experience a significant increase in <keyword id="23473319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atmospheric-drag" source="keywords">atmospheric drag</keyword>. This is a force that disrupts their orbit and causes them to fall towards the planet's surface. Notable satellites in this region include the International Space Station and the Starlink constellation. These satellites have thrusters to counteract this effect, but these corrections can be expensive. Low Earth orbit also contains many university satellites, such as the Binar CubeSats. Cube satellites are rarely equipped with tools that can adjust their altitude, so they're entirely at the mercy of space weather. <h2>What happened to Binar? </h2> The Binar Space Program is a satellite research program operating out of Curtin University. It aims to advance our understanding of the Solar System and lower the barrier for operating in space. The program began operations with its first satellite, Binar-1, in September 2021. This was less than a year into solar cycle 25 when solar activity was relatively low. In these conditions, the ten-centimetre cube satellite started at an altitude of 420km and survived a full 364 days in orbit. The program's follow-up mission - Binar-2, 3, and 4 - were three equally sized CubeSats. However, they were expected to last approximately six months owing to the extra surface area from new deployable solar arrays and a forecast increase in solar activity. Instead, they only made it to two months before burning up. While cube satellite missions are relatively cheap, the premature ending of a mission will always be costly. This is even more true for commercial satellites, highlighting the need for more accurate space weather forecasting. The good news is the Sun will calm down again. Despite the current unexpectedly high solar activity, it will likely slow down by 2026, and is expected to return to a solar minimum in 2030. While this was not an explicit goal of the mission, the Binar Space Program has now poignantly demonstrated the dramatic effects of solar activity on space operations. While the untimely loss of Binar-2, 3 and 4 was unfortunate, work has already begun on future missions. They are expected to launch into far more forgiving space weather. (The Conversation).

Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted - and small satellites are paying the price

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the US military's space operations, warned of China's threat in orbit.</li><li>He said he was more worried about China than the risk of Russian nuclear weapons in space.</li></ul>China is developing military space gear at a "mind-boggling" pace, according to the US Space Force chief."The number of different categories of space weapons that [China has] created and . . . the speed with which they're doing it is very threatening," said Gen. Chance Saltzman, per the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ft.com/content/509b39e0-b40c-41b3-9c6a-9005859c6fea">Financial Times.</a>In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/china-mind-boggling-space-capabilities-worry-us-says-space-force-chief-b-chance-saltzman-russia-nasa/">interview with Politico</a>, Saltzman added that China's progress in military space technology posed a bigger challenge than possible Russian nuclear weapons in orbit.He said he is also worried that China <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-building-satellite-network-target-us-troops-intel-chief-gagnon-2024-5">has developed a network of hundreds of military satellites that could be used as a targeting system for military missions on Earth.</a>It's one of a series of warnings from top US military officials in recent months about the growing threat in space posed by China.<h2 id="0f474078-d3ca-4ee9-9170-2398d1a8bf55">Space warfare is a growing risk</h2>Space dominance has been an important issue for Chinese premier Xi Jinping, who has frequently expressed his desire for China to be a <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/china/2016-12/27/c_135935416.htm#:~:text=To%20build%20China%20into%20a%20space%20power,effectively%20and%20reliably%20guarantee%20national%20security%2C%20to">"space power in all respects."</a>And it seems China is rapidly catching up to the US. In recent years, China has developed a sophisticated military program in space, where for decades, the US has been the dominant force.In April, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-chief-says-secretive-china-hides-military-space-projects-2024-4">NASA chief Bill Nelson</a> warned that China was passing off military endeavors in space as civilian projects.China has repeatedly denied that it intends to establish any military presence in outer space. "Space war can not be won and must never be fought," its <a target="_blank" href="http://un.china-mission.gov.cn/eng/chinaandun/disarmament_armscontrol/unga/202105/t20210501_9126875.htm">ambassador to the UN said in 2021.</a>However, it is believed to be developing a hypersonic glide vehicle and other weapons capable of evading air defense systems and satellite warnings. It has also developed technology capable of targeting US satellites.<h2 id="727abea4-0338-45bf-9713-46e5ce3f64ed">'A pivotal moment in history'</h2>"We are at a pivotal moment in history," Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, which builds and operates the US fleet of spy satellites, said at an April conference in Colorado, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.space.com/china-space-progress-breathtaking-speed-space-force">as quoted by </a><a target="_blank" href="http://Space.com">Space.com</a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.space.com/china-space-progress-breathtaking-speed-space-force">.</a>"For the first time in decades, US leadership in space and space technology is being challenged," Meink added. "Our competitors are actively seeking ways to threaten our capabilities, and we see this every day."According to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.asiapacific.ca/publication/china-global-powers-celestial-ambitions#:~:text=The%20steep%20increase%20in%20its,Earth%20remains%20to%20be%20seen">Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada</a>, China's expenditure on space endeavors increased from $2.15 billion in 2022 to $14 billion in 2023.Meanwhile, the US Space Force has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/FM-Resources/Budget/">requested a budget</a> of $29.4 billion for the 2025 financial year.As the FT notes, the US space defense capabilities are heavily reliant on private companies, such as SpaceX. Last week, SpaceX secured new contracts worth $733.5 million for national security space missions."The truth is, whoever controls the space domain will dominate the future global economy," wrote analyst Arthur Herman for the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute in February."If America was the preeminent space power from Presidents John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, we've let our edge slip away, while China and Russia aim to displace us all together."

China is sending military gear into orbit at a 'mind-boggling' pace, says US Space Force chief

Washington DC: <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword> astronauts Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore will put a call to Earth and participate in a press conference aboard the <keyword id="19985509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Space-Station" source="keywords">International Space Station</keyword> in low Earth orbit, the US space agency said. The space call is scheduled at 2:15 p.m. EDT (local time) on September 13 to the newsroom at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston. The pair had launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. A decision was made to return Starliner to Earth without its crew and the spacecraft successfully returned on September 6 after more than three months in space. It made a safe landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Both astronauts <keyword id="21544825" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunita-Williams" source="keywords">Sunita Williams</keyword> and Butch Wilmore called down to flight controllers to thank teams for their support before the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth. "You guys it's time to bring Calypso home. We have your backs and you have got this. Bring her back to Earth," Sunita Williams said in the radio message referring to the spacecrafts nickname. Both the astronauts will remain on the international space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and return home in February 2025 aboard the <keyword id="19905255" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpaceX" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SpaceX" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SpaceX">SpaceX</keyword> Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members on NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Meanwhile, crew of the Polaris Dawn the Elon Musk-led private charted spaceflight created history when they completed the first commercial spacewalk. Donning newly-designed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits, the crew began their approximately two-hour operation at 3:12 a.m. EDT while traveling at 17,500 miles per hour in an elliptical orbit of 190 x 700 km above the EarthThe spacewalk represents an important milestone of the Polaris Program, a developmental program designed to further the advancement of human spaceflight. After opening the hatch, the Polaris Dawn crew became the first four astronauts to be exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time, the company said in a statement. Over approximately twenty minutes, Commander Jared Isaacman and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis egressed the vehicle, completed a series of tests designed to evaluate the suit's mobility, thermal systems and the Dragon mobility aid "Skywalker" before returning to the cabin and closing the hatch. Mission Pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon supported Isaacman and Gillis throughout the entire operation monitoring vital support systems. Once the hatch was closed, Dragon was re-pressurized, cabin oxygen and pressure levels confirmed. Reflecting on his experience, mission commander and billionaire Isaacman, who financed the mission reflected on the experience: "SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world." NASA Administrator Bill Nelson relayed good wishes to SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew in a statement on X. "Congratulations @PolarisProgram and @SpaceX on the first commercial spacewalk in history!" Nelson wrote. "Today's success represents a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and @NASA's long-term goal to build a vibrant U.S. space economy." The Polaris Dawn mission targeted splashdown off the coast of Florida, however SpaceX has not yet released details about the upcoming landing.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams to address Earth from orbiting international Space Station

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASA approved the $19.5 million Landolt Space Mission to send an artificial star into Earth's orbit.</li><li>It will be the first astronomical tool of its kind that could revolutionize the way we study space.</li></ul>Astronomers typically deal with the very, very large — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blueprints-giant-telescopes-moon-nasa-astronomers-2024-2">big telescopes</a>, giant galaxies, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-cosmic-explosion-visible-naked-eye-nasa-space-2024-3">massive exploding stars</a>.But one of the more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-best-images-from-first-year-2022-12">revolutionary astronomy tools</a> of the decade is a mini satellite about the size of a bread box. The satellite will act as an artificial star for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomers-discover-fastest-runaway-stars-in-milky-way-galaxy-2023-6">astronomers to observe from the ground,</a> allowing them to more accurately measure a space object's brightness and better understand some of the biggest mysteries in our universe, like dark energy.NASA recently approved the $19.5 million Landolt Space Mission to launch the mini satellite into Earth's orbit."This is some really awesome science that NASA is supporting," Tyler Richey-Yowell, a postdoctoral researcher at Lowell Observatory who studies stellar astronomy and exoplanets, told Business Insider. "It's something that's going to help out all astronomers."<h2 id="850dab02-cefa-4f6a-b198-ab2890924c14">A revolutionary new tool for astronomers</h2><div type="image" title="illustration of Landalt satellite firing lasers at an observatory on Earth" height="1030" width="2048" msid="111091999" hostid="261"></div>The mini satellite, called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planet-mars-image-nasa-marco-cubesat-2018-10">CubeSat</a>, is designed to orbit Earth from 22,236 miles away. At that distance, its speed will match Earth's spin so the satellite will appear fixed in the night sky and be an easy target for telescopes to track.You won't be able to see it with the naked eye. But to telescopes, it'll look like a star. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2029. It will be the first tool of its kind."This is really new for us to have some sort of artificial star, quote, unquote, up there that we can go and rely on and use," Richey-Yowell told BI.What makes this "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-fusion-artificial-star-hotter-sun-2016-2">artificial star</a>" better than a real one is that astronomers will know exactly how much light it's emitting.The CubeSat, named Landolt for the late astronomer Arlo Landolt, will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-laser-beam-message-10-million-miles-away-streaming-mars-2023-11">fire lasers</a> with a specific number of light particles, or photons, which astronomers can use to calibrate their telescopes for measuring light.This can help eliminate a lot of the guesswork that astronomers do now when using real stars to calibrate their instruments.The problem is that there's no way of knowing exactly how much light real stars emit, because we can't send a probe to one to accurately measure its brightness, Richey-Yowell said. Moreover, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stratosphere-shrinking-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change-2021-5">Earth's atmosphere</a> absorbs a lot of light from space, which can also affect astronomers' calibrations."That's why this Landolt mission is so important," Richey-Yowell said, adding that "if we send up a mission like this one where we know exactly how many photons, how much light per second, is coming from this CubeSat," then it could be used to compare and more precisely measure the light from other objects, like real stars.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/nasa-will-put-a-new-star-in-the-sky-by-the-end-of-the-decade-in-1st-of-its-kind-mission">Live Science reported</a> that the mission is expected to help astronomers measure the light emitted from stars with 10 times the accuracy of current estimates.It's like if you were given a 1,000-piece puzzle with only half the pieces and then someone gifted you a few hundred more pieces. Landolt can help astronomers catch minute details they've otherwise been missing in the data.<h2 id="497f43a9-311c-42dd-b3e3-da5a0877850f">How Landolt could revolutionize astronomy</h2><div type="image" title="Illustration of an exoplanet floating in space surrounded by clouds of white and blue cosmic gas and dust" height="1322" width="2266" msid="111091996" hostid="261"></div>"All of our astronomy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flare-billion-times-sun-baffles-scientists-2023-11">based on light</a>, and so we really need to know how much light we are actually receiving," Richey-Yowell said.You can learn a lot from a ray of light: a star's temperature, its mass, the types of exoplanets orbiting it and whether they could harbor life.For example, knowing how hot a host star is can tell you how far an exoplanet must be in order to sustain liquid water on its surface, Richey-Yowell said. Water is a main ingredient of life as we know it and a key feature astrobiologists search for when scoping out potential planets that could harbor life.Finding more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomers-find-earth-like-planet-sun-like-star-2020-6">Earth-like planets</a> is just the beginning. Astronomers can also use Landolt to measure light from distant exploding stars, called supernovae, that can help calculate the expansion rate of the universe.Right now, cosmologists studying the universe's expansion face a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cosmic-glitch-makes-scientists-rethink-einstein-greatest-theory-2024-5">huge challenge</a>: They can't settle on a single value for the expansion rate. Some methods lead to one value, while others lead to a slightly different one. This conundrum could be key to figuring out some of the biggest mysteries of the universe, like understanding the invisible force ripping our universe apart that we call <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/largest-cosmic-map-new-understanding-dark-energy-universe-expansion-einstein-2024-4">dark energy</a>."So really anything from small, tiny planets to the whole scale of the universe relies on our understanding of stars and how bright they are and what kind of light they're emitting," Richey-Yowell said. "I really do think it will be revolutionary for astronomy."

NASA is putting an 'artificial star' in orbit around Earth

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US X-37B and China's Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft that play secretive roles in space.</li><li>Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge.</li></ul>Just before the start of 2024, the United States and China <a target="_blank" href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37-chinese-space-plane-launch/">launched</a> what may be their most secretive spacecraft into orbit to little fanfare.Commonly referred to as space planes, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missions-experiments-for-space-force-mysterious-x-37b-space-plane-2020-5">American X-37B</a> and the Chinese Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft so secretive that their launches were marked with little more than vague general statements from their governments.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launched-a-top-secret-military-spaceplane-into-orbit-2023-12">launches</a> are the seventh and third missions for the respective spacecraft, and although they are highly classified, observers have had limited success in tracking some of their movements.The missions demonstrate exceptional leaps in the development of space planes, and come at a time when both the Chinese and US militaries have ramped up their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-must-control-space-in-future-wars-top-marine-general-2023-12">space operations</a> — a new frontier that can determine the course of war.Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge. It can track the movements of enemy weapons with powerful <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manned-orbiting-laboratory-crewed-us-spy-satellite-never-sent-to-space-2024-1">spy lenses</a> and provide the navigation and communications systems ships, aircraft, and troops in the field depend upon.Enter the space plane. From one vantage, they could be robot keepers who keep these large networks fueled and functional, but from another, they could be orbiting spies and saboteurs.What's clear is that their missions are getting more complex, as is their centrality to the strategies of the two countries that fly them.<div type="image" title="The uncrewed X-37B, seen here after its 2019 landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, is believed to be about 30 feet long." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761598" hostid="261" sizebytes="82008"></div><h2 id="3dc83e63-5cf2-42d5-8174-a6f3d2577c69">X-37B</h2>A space plane is a reusable spacefaring craft that can maneuver in space independently and also fly and glide within Earth's atmosphere. They are sent into space via a detachable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-launch-secret-spy-satellites-space-force-government-2022-8">rocket booster</a>, and contain a cargo bay to deploy satellites and other objects for use and experimentation.After completing their mission, they independently return to Earth's atmosphere, land at a designated landing site on their own power, and prepare for their next mission. The most well-known space planes are the American <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/challenger-video-nasa-space-shuttle-program-2016-1">Space Shuttle</a> and the Soviet <a target="_blank" href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/soviet-buran-shuttle-one-flight-long-history">Buran</a>. But in contrast to the Space Shuttle, the X-37B is owned and operated by the military.The X-37B's origin begins in 1999, when the civilian space agency NASA awarded Boeing a contract to develop a small unmanned spacecraft capable of fitting inside the Space Shuttle. What they created was a small space plane measuring approximately 30 feet long and with a wingspan of 15 feet — roughly one-fourth the size of the now-retired Space Shuttle.It also contains a cargo bay measuring about 7 feet by 4 feet, which, in addition to housing satellites and other space cargo also holds a solar panel enabling the space plane to recharge. Boeing says the plane's avionics automate its descent from orbit and landing.In 2004, before a working prototype had even been built, the project was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/337-nasa-transfers-37-project-darpa.html">transferred</a> to the US Defense Department, specifically the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Glide tests on the first testing prototypes (known as the X-37A), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/1226-rutan-white-knight-carries-37-space-plane-aloft.html">began in 2005</a>, with the first fully successful free glide occurring in 2006.That same year, the project was transferred from DARPA to the United States Air Force Space Command, which then built another model, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/details-about-air-force-space-plane-that-spent-2-years-in-space-2017-5">the X-37B</a>. Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), two X-37Bs have been built.They have flown seven flights so far, with each being <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">longer</a> than the previous one. Though most of the details of the flights and their results remain classified, some information has been released to the public.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 2017." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761595" hostid="261" sizebytes="88120"></div>The first flight began on April 22, 2010, and saw the first X-37B remain in orbit for a total of 224 days. The second flight, which was the second X-37B's inaugural mission, began on March 5, 2011, and was extended well beyond its original 270-day limit to a total of 468 days. The third flight, beginning on December 11, 2012, marked the first time an X-37B had been reused, and lasted 674 days.The fourth flight began on May 20, 2015. Over the course of 717 days, the space plane tested new propulsion technology for satellites as well as the effects of radiation on certain objects.The X-37B's fifth flight on September 7, 2017 was launched atop Space X's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">Falcon 9</a> rocket (all previous launches were with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/atlas-v">Atlas V</a> rocket). Over the course of 780 days — a little over two years — the space plane performed a number of activities and experiments, including the deployment of multiple <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/topics/cubesats">CubeSat</a> satellites, which NASA foresees as an orbiting sensory network that can solve complex tasks with a "powerful central spacecraft."The sixth flight began on May 17, 2020, and lasted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">908 days</a>. It was the first mission conducted under the command of the newly formed U.S. Space Force and may have been one of the busiest missions yet. It exposed select materials to space, tested the effects of space radiation on seeds, and deployed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usafa.edu/research/research-centers/space-systems-research-center/">FalconSat-8</a>, a satellite built by US. Air Force Academy cadets to conduct five experiments.The X-37B's most recent and current flight began on December 28, 2023. Its mission is classified, with the Space Force <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3583347/department-of-the-air-force-scheduled-to-launch-seventh-x-37b-mission/">stating</a> only that it will be "operating the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-force-guardian-nick-hague-spacex-rocket-iss-2024-2">Space Force</a> has not given the X-37B's flight path, but because it was launched atop SpaceX's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-spacex-falcon-heavy-launchpad-blasted-lightning-rocket-spaceflight-musk-2023-5">Falcon Heavy rocket</a>, there has been speculation that the space plane could be headed for a much higher orbit than previous missions, as the rocket is one of the most powerful in the world.<div type="image" title="A Long March-2F rocket blasted off in October carrying a manned spaceship from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenlong was launched on December 14 from the same center without images or fanfare." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761594" hostid="261" sizebytes="201664"></div><h2 id="ef23e953-67f4-4399-8bc9-c452d0019685">Shenlong</h2>Named after the most important dragon god in Chinese mythology and first revealed in 2007, the Shenlong is thought to be a direct Chinese response to the X-37B.The program is surrounded in such extreme secrecy that there are no known images of the space plane in its current form. Images of what is believed to be a Shenlong test prototype <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/18410-china-space-plane-project-mystery.html">mounted under the fuselage of an H-6 strategic bomber</a> in 2007 indicate that the craft is likely to be similar in appearance to the X-37B.Though its specific capabilities remain classified, it is known that, like the X-37B, the Shenlong is unmanned, that it is deployed via a rocket, that it is capable of adjusting its position and maneuvering in space, and that it can carry and deploy satellites and other space objects.Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Shenlong is the speed of its development. Though the exact start date is unknown, academic models of a Chinese space plane were reported as far back as 2000.Years of modelling, wind tunnel testing, and prototype test fights via deployment from H-6 bombers followed, and in 2011, the Shenlong reportedly made its first suborbital flight.On September 4, 2020, the Shenlong made its <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinese-reusable-experimental-spacecraft-releases-object-before-returning-to-earth/">first orbital flight</a>, which lasted two days and saw it release an object into orbit before returning to China on its own power. A second orbital flight began on August 4, 2022, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-lands-secretive-space-plane-after-months-in-orbit-2023-5">lasted</a> nine months.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched on its sixth flight in May 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station." height="1280" width="2000" msid="112761596" hostid="261" sizebytes="165564"></div>In addition to being considerably longer, the Shenlong's second flight was far more eventful. About two months into its flight, the space plane <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-spaceplane-conducted-proximity-and-capture-maneuvers-with-subsatellite-data-suggests/">deployed a subsatellite and then practiced recovering it</a> at least two (and possibly even three) times, a capability for so-called proximity operations that may allow it to snatch an enemy's satellite.The Shenlong embarked on its third and current flight on December 14, 2023, just seven months after its second mission. In May, the Shenlong <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-secretive-spaceplane-conducts-proximity-operations-with-small-spacecraft/">released an object from its cargo hold, and began proximity operations</a>, possibly even recapturing it.How much longer the Shenlong will remain in orbit, as well as its future plans more broadly, remain secrets that the Chinese government has shown little appetite for divulging. The government has only <a target="_blank" href="https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=b9141bb29a221c45ac2ad0d44dc87fc6">said</a> that the space plane will eventually land in China, and that "reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space."The vague wording resembles previous statements, like those of its builder, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which has previously said that the Shenlong "will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to access space for the peaceful use of space in the future."<div type="image" title="The satellite networks of the US and its allies could be targeted by enemy spaceplanes." height="1280" width="1920" msid="112761592" hostid="261" sizebytes="362914"></div><h2 id="2f25d6b5-fe78-4384-a750-e76f8663eacb">Satellite threat</h2>Given the immense secrecy of the crafts and what is known about their capabilities, it's easy to understand speculation that the two space planes could be orbiting weapons platforms.The very fact that the US Department of Defense is in charge of the X-37B instead of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a> confirms that the US government believes that there is a military application for the space plane. Similarly, the fact that the Chinese government has been so silent on the Shenlong's activities despite its penchant for boasting about its other space accomplishments may be a tacit indication that there is more to the Shenlong than the 'peaceful use of space.'One of the most impactful possible uses of the space planes is as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-condemns-irresponsible-russian-anti-satellite-test-threatening-space-station-2021-11">anti-satellite assets</a>. Both have deployed satellites from their cargo bays, and the Shenlong's proximity operations may be training runs for attacks on hostile satellites in orbit.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-inspector-satellite-chasing-secret-us-military-satellite-cat-mouse-2023-4">Proximity operations</a> are murky. They could be dress rehearsals for disrupting or eavesdropping on an enemy's satellite, just as they could be drills for missions to refuel and repair one of the country's own satellites.Satellites are among the most important assets for any first-rate military, as they are essential for secure communications, navigation, and intelligence gathering via orbital imaging and communication intercepts. They are even sometimes used to guide smart munitions to hostile targets as well.Neutralizing an enemy's satellites would be one of the most important objectives in any potential conflict between the world's foremost military powers. <a target="_blank" href="https://swfound.org/media/9550/chinese_asat_fact_sheet_updated_2012.pdf">China</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4198/1">US</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/04/indias-asat-test-an-incomplete-success?lang=en">India</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2021/11/the-dangerous-fallout-of-russias-anti-satellite-missile-test?lang=en">Russia</a> have each demonstrated a capability to destroy satellites in orbit with anti-satellite missiles, but each of those tests resulted in the creation of large debris fields in orbit that took sometimes took years to disappear. Such debris fields could also pose a very severe threat to friendly satellites as well. China's anti-satellite missile test in 2007 triggered a space debris cloud that was an <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/hollywood-space-disaster-gravity-uses-kessler-syndrome-for-scares">inspiration</a> for the blockbuster film "Gravity."Having a way to neutralize or even capture satellites, then, could be a better alternative. Tapping into enemy satellites to eavesdrop or shut down their data streams and communications could also serve as a better alternative, and may also be possible with the assistance of space plane (similar to the tapping of underwater cables by submarines).With the militarization of space <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/there-path-counter-russias-space-weapons">seemingly fast becoming</a> reality and with China's space program demonstrating that it can <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-shijian-21-spacecraft-docked-with-and-towed-a-dead-satellite/">tow away satellites</a>, it is likely that space planes will only become more important in the years ahead.Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist covering international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has appeared in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

America's X-37B vs. China's Shenlong: Top space planes and their shadowy role in orbital war

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk finally achieved <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-elon-musk-rocket-launch-flight-three-2024-3">Starship's first successful flight to orbit</a> early Thursday morning.</li><li>But despite achieving a major milestone for his company, the SpaceX CEO wasn't seen at the launch.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-praised-spacex-for-exciting-starship-launch-after-explosion-2023-4">Elon Musk</a> was nowhere to be seen as SpaceX's Starship mega-rocket finally flew into orbit, cruised above Earth, and plummeted back through the atmosphere on Thursday.<div type="image" title="starship flying live view of earth below" height="1080" width="1920" msid="108501521" hostid="261" sizebytes="66970"></div>Musk has been quite hands-on in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-mega-rocket-too-powerful-first-orbital-launch-2023-4">Starship-Super Heavy</a> launch system's development and testing process.<div type="image" title="A photomontage shows Starship blowing up on one side and a picture of Elon Musk sitting in the control room on the other." height="1500" width="2000" msid="108501523" hostid="261" sizebytes="53840"></div>He was in the control room for SpaceX's first two attempts to launch the rocket to orbit last year, in April and November. He even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-son-x-starship-launch-amid-grimes-custody-dispute-2023-11">brought his son, X Æ A-12</a>, for the November attempt.<div type="image" title="side by side images show kimbal musk picking up and holding a child in spacex starship control room" height="1500" width="2000" msid="108501525" hostid="261" sizebytes="75604"></div>On both of those previous test flights, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-starship-rocket-exploded-five-times-2023-4">Starship exploded in mid-air</a>.As Starship finally proved it could fly to the heavens, though, Musk was nowhere to be seen on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-rocket-launch-watch-live-2024-3">SpaceX's livestream of the flight</a>, which periodically showed the control room.<div type="image" title="starship launching" height="1080" width="1920" msid="108501527" hostid="261" sizebytes="41062"></div>According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.threads.net/@elonmusksjet?hl=en">bot</a> that famously <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-employees-elon-musk-jet-tracking-account-2024-2">tracks Musk's private jet</a>, the aircraft landed in New Jersey just hours before Starship launched.Musk seemed to be watching closely though, as he posted about the flight live on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.He posted a "Congratulations" to the team once Starship reached its orbital goal.Musk has big ambitions for Starship. He hopes the mega-rocket will eventually <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-land-humans-mars-10-years-worst-case-2021-12">fly people and cargo to Mars</a> to build a human settlement there. By all accounts, this successful launch was a dream come true for Musk. But apparently, it wasn't an achievement he wished to celebrate in the public eye.

Elon Musk was nowhere to be seen at Starship's first successful launch to orbit

<keyword id="20021374" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sriharikota" source="keywords">Sriharikota</keyword> (Andhra Pradesh), India on Monday ushered in the New Year in a grand manner by orbiting its X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (<keyword id="18080438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="xposat" source="Orion">XPoSat</keyword>). At about 9.10 a.m. on the first day of the calendar year 2024, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C58 (PSLV-C58) standing 44.4-metre tall, with a lift off mass of 260 ton blasted off from the first launch pad at the <keyword id="6356967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satish-dhawan-space-centre" source="Orion">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</keyword>, here. The rocket carried XPoSat and 10 other experimental payloads on its fourth stage. Slowly rising up towards the skies with a thick orange flame at its tail, the rocket gained speed with a sound resembling rolling thunder and went up and up leaving a thick plume while the people assembled at the viewing gallery clapped their hands with pride. Interestingly, this is the first space mission for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 1. At about 21 minutes into its flight, the rocket ejected XPoSat at an altitude of about 650 km. Speaking after the launch ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said: "The orbit accomplished for XPoSat is excellent as the deviation is just three kilometres. The solar panels of the satellite have been deployed." In its normal configuration, the PSLV is a four-stage/engine expendable rocket powered by solid and liquid fuels, alternatively, with six booster motors strapped onto the first stage to give higher thrust during the initial flight moments. The ISRO has five types of PSLV rockets -- Standard, Core Alone, XL, DL, and QL. The major difference between them is the use of strap-on boosters which, in turn, largely depends on the weight of the satellites to be orbited. The PSLV uses 6,4,2 solid rocket strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage in PSLV-XL, QL &amp; DL variants, respectively. However, strap-ons are not used in the core-alone version (PSLV-CA). The XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from the ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. The satellite configuration is modified from the IMS-2 bus platform. The configuration of the mainframe systems is derived based on the heritage of IRS satellites. It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). The POLIX is realised by the Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by the <keyword id="20021857" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="space-astronomy-group" source="keywords">Space Astronomy Group</keyword> of the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). According to the ISRO, the three objectives of XPoSat are: (a) To measure polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through <keyword id="20021856" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="thomson-scattering" source="keywords">Thomson Scattering</keyword> by POLIX payload. (b) To carry out long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources in the energy band 0.8-15keV by XSPECT payload and (c) To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources by POLIX and XSPECT payloads, respectively, in the common energy band. After orbiting the XPoSat in 650km, the rocket's fourth stage -- PS4 stage -- will be lowered to 350km, about 9.6 deg orbit, by restarting it twice. The left-out propellant in the PS4 will be disposed of through the main engines as a precursor to enabling the safety of the PS4 stage in atmosphere reentry experiments planned in future. The oxidiser will be let out first followed by fuel in a predetermined sequence of operations. The existing scheme of spent stage passivation by venting the tank pressure will also be active. Post passivation of PS4, the control of the stage is transferred to the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) avionics, the ISRO said. The POEM is configured as a 3-axis stabilised orbital platform for conducting experiments to space qualify systems with novel ideas. The orbital platform's electrical power requirements are catered by a Flexible Solar Panel in conjunction with 50Ah Li-Ion battery in battery tied configuration. The orbital platform consists of avionic systems to take care of navigation, guidance, control and telecommands and Orbital Platform Attitude Control System to cater to control of the platform to test the payloads, the ISRO added. The 10 payloads are from TakeMe2Space, LBS Institute Technology for Women, K J Somaiya Institute of Technology, Inspecity Space Labs Private Ltd, Dhruva Space Private Ltd, Bellatrix Aerospace Private Ltd (two payloads) and three payloads from the ISRO.

Space success: India ushers in 2024 by orbiting XPoSat successfully

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a mysterious military spaceplane into orbit Thursday.</li><li>The X-37B spaceplane holds the record for the longest time spent in orbit.</li></ul>A mysterious military spaceplane has blasted off on the back of one of Elon Musk's rockets.The billionaire's rocket company SpaceX launched X-37B, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missions-experiments-for-space-force-mysterious-x-37b-space-plane-2020-5">a top-secret spaceplane operated by the US Space Force</a>, into orbit using one of its Falcon Heavy rockets on Thursday.The launch, which has been delayed several times, is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/38067-spacex-launches-x-37b-space-plane.html">the second time</a> that Elon Musk's rocket company has launched the mysterious spacecraft.The uncrewed, shuttle-shaped vessel holds the record for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">the longest time spent in orbit</a> at 908 days, and frequently spends months on end circling the Earth conducting unspecified military operations — leading some to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/x37b-secret-space-plane-facts.html">speculate it is being used for spying</a>.X-37B's true purpose is a closely guarded secret, but the Boeing-built space plane is also used by NASA to conduct experiments such as examining the impact of long-term cosmic radiation on plant seeds.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-launch-space-force-secretive-plane-x-37b-2023-12">A Space Force statement previously said</a> that X-37B would be "operating in new orbital regimes" for this mission, possibly suggesting that the space plane could attempt to reach higher and spend longer times in orbit than its previous record.Space Force, which was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/were-getting-the-first-details-of-trumps-proposed-space-force-2018-8">announced as the first new branch of the US military</a> in over half a century by then-president Donald Trump in 2018, has become a major customer for SpaceX in recent years.The military command, which faced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-space-force-logo-trump-mocked-star-trek-rip-off-2020-1">ridicule over its Star Trek-esque logo</a> when it was first unveiled, awarded Elon Musk's rocket company<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/01/space-force-awards-spacex-ula-with-2point5-billion-for-21-launches.html"> $1.23 billion in launch contracts in November</a>.It's another sign of just how dominant SpaceX has become in the rocket industry, with the US government's reliance on the California-based company furthered by the fact it is the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/05/spacex-dominance-space-industry">only US provider that can currently carry astronauts into orbit</a>.SpaceX has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-x-37b-space-plane-launch-success">conducted 96 launches this year</a>, averaging one every few days. That's more than any of its competitors, with big-name challengers such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-new-glenn-move-faster-2023-12">Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin struggling to catch up</a>.SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

SpaceX launched a top-secret military spaceplane into orbit

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk doesn't think aliens are out there.</li><li>The SpaceX owner has launched rockets and put thousands of satellites into space.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a> owner <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> doesn't think aliens exist."I have seen no evidence for aliens and, with ~6000 satellites orbiting Earth, I think I would know," Musk <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1782315032056926621">wrote</a> on X on Monday.The billionaire responded to a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfTU5LA_kw8&amp;ab_channel=PowerfulJRE">interview</a> that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-host-tucker-carlson-biography-of-right-wing-superstar-2020-7">Tucker Carlson</a> gave on the podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," which aired on April 19.Carlson told host <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-rogan-experience-podcast-draws-huge-audience-spotify-2024-3">Joe Rogan</a> that he thinks aliens "have been here a long time" and claimed that "there's a ton of evidence that they're under the ocean and under the ground." It seems, however, that Musk disagrees with Carlson's theory.This isn't the first time Musk has publicly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fermi-paradox-drake-equation-aliens-elon-musk-2018-6">contemplated the existence of extraterrestrials</a>. In June 2018, Musk said in an <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1011085383239589888">X post</a> that "it is unknown whether we are the only civilization currently alive in the observable universe."But this, Musk said, meant there was "added impetus for extending life beyond Earth.""The scariest answer to the Fermi Paradox is that there are no aliens at all," Musk <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1682945360572948484">wrote</a> in July, referencing physicist <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-aliens-have-not-contacted-humans-2015-9">Enrico Fermi's</a> questions about why humans have yet to discover aliens.Musk has a vested interest in discovering what's out there in space beyond what appears to be a personal interest in aliens. His work at SpaceX to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-military-contracts-dod-space-force-2020-10">launch rockets and satellites for the US military</a> has made him <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-and-starlink-critics-question-billionaires-control-2023-9">a huge defense contractor in the US</a>.Starlink has played a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/officials-worry-about-ukraines-reliance-on-elon-musks-starlink-2023-7">critical role in the Ukraine war,</a> where Ukrainian soldiers have used it to operate its drone fleet and communicate in conflict zones. Musk hopes to send up to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-starlink-satellites-internet">42,000 Starlink satellites</a> into space eventually.Representatives for SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Elon Musk says he 'would know' if there are aliens out there with all the Starlink satellites he has orbiting Earth

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon struck a deal with SpaceX to use Falcon 9 rockets to launch Amazon's low orbit satellites.</li><li>The financial terms of the deal between the satellite internet competitors were not disclosed.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-project-kuiper-satellite-internet-dish-smaller-spacex-starlink-2023-3">Amazon and SpaceX</a>, competitors in the satellite internet space, have inked a deal to launch satellites supporting Amazon's Project Kuiper.Three launches of SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rockets are planned for early to mid-2025, according to a Friday <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/amazon-project-kuiper-spacex-launch">statement</a> from Amazon, though financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.According to Amazon's statement, the launches with SpaceX's rockets will increase the company's capacity to support full-scale deployment of its own low Earth orbit satellites, which are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2024.As part of its $10 billion plan to create a satellite constellation to rival SpaceX's Starlink, Amazon has also announced partnerships with Arianespace, United Launch Alliance, and Jeff Bezos' aerospace manufacturing company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-tightens-rto-policy-work-from-work-2023-8">Blue Origin</a> for as many as 83 launches to carry a majority of its satellites into orbit.An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that, while the previously announced launch contracts will provide enough capacity to launch the majority of the company's planned constellation, "we always planned to add more capacity to support our long-term deployment schedule, and these launches are part of that strategy."In response to the news breaking on X, formerly Twitter, SpaceX CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1730680623625392540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1730680623625392540%7Ctwgr%5E5a76dabbfe0752c5d8a26305a95419aed00d4019%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2023-12-01%2Famazon-contracts-rival-spacex-to-launch-internet-satellites">Elon Musk said</a>: "SpaceX launches competitor satellite systems without favor to its own satellites. Fair and square."Representatives for SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-launches-first-satellites-to-challenge-elon-musk-starlink-spacex-2023-10">Two prototypes for Amazon's Project Kuiper satellite</a> constellation, a direct competitor of SpaceX's Starlink, launched in early October. The prototype launch of the KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 was delayed from late 2022 due to changes being made to the rocket-delivery system that launches the devices.The prototypes — which Amazon said helped validate the design and network architecture — are the first of more than 3,200 satellites intended to be launched over the next six years that Amazon plans to use to provide orbital broadband internet.Starlink began launching satellites in 2019 and has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-starlink-satellites-internet">over 4,000 satellites in orbit,</a> with plans to eventually build a constellation of about 42,000.In September, the company <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Starlink/status/1705695980325323023">announced</a> it had achieved internet connectivity on all seven continents, providing high-speed internet to more than 2 million people across 60 countries.

Amazon launches partnership with rival SpaceX to send competing satellites into orbit

Bengaluru, The ISRO on Tuesday said <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword> has completed its orbits around the earth and is now heading towards the Moon. "A successful <keyword id="18224854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="perigee-firing" source="Orion">perigee-firing</keyword> performed at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network). ISRO has injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit," it said. The key manoeuvre was carried out early on Tuesday to slingshot the spacecraft towards the moon. "Chandrayaan-3 completes its orbits around the Earth and heads towards the moon," the national space agency said, adding, "Next stop: the moon." "As it arrives at the moon, the Lunar-Orbit Insertion is planned for August 5, 2023," ISRO said. An ISRO official told PTI that following the trans-lunar injection, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft escaped from orbiting the Earth and is now following a path that would take it to the vicinity of the moon. The ISRO had said it would attempt softlanding on the lunar surface on August 23. The spacecraft's orbit was progressively increased five times after the Chandrayaan-3 mission to Moon was launched on July 14.

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