https://spacewatch.global/tag/spacex/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:25:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/spacex/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/spacewatchgl-analysis-solar-farms-in-orbit-the-legal-framework-for-addressing-a-new-risk-to-the-kessler-syndrome/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74759
Written by Dr. Anna Hurova
Outer space shall be free for exploration and use. This citation on the Outer Space Treaty (OST) became a pretext of the ambitious projects of constellations promising to shift the quality for the human society, energy efficiency and connectivity on the new higher level. This analysis is an attempt to show broader context of evaluation of such type of projects from the perspective of the common concept for environmental and space law, due regard, and pose the question about the initiation of enforcement of legal requirements for the harmful interference.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/trump-signs-national-security-ai-memorandum-spacex-among-firms-already-cleared-for-classified-networks/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74622 President Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-11 orders the US military and intelligence community to accelerate AI adoption, rescinding the Biden-era NSM-25. While the directive never mentions space, it formalises governance around the Pentagon's classified-network deals with eight firms - SpaceX among them - and sets new rules on autonomy, vendor dependency and accountability.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/seops-unveils-waymaker-rideshare-program-with-inaugural-falcon-9-mission-in-2028/ Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74295 Space access provider SEOPS has announced its Waymaker program, the company’s dedicated rideshare missions to low Earth orbit (LEO) during the SmallSat Europe conference in Amsterdam. Waymaker is designed to provide customers with SEOPS-managed dedicated rideshare capacity to LEO through standardized capacity portions, defined interfaces, and a managed mission process.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/exolaunch-contracts-spacex-for-two-falcon-9-launches-expanding-constellation-and-smallsat-mission-capacity/ Wed, 27 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74228 Exolaunch has signed a contract with SpaceX for two Falcon 9 launches, expanding the company's launch capabilities and establishing a new class of launch access for global satellite operators.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/spacewatchgl-opinion-orbital-ai-compute-why-spacex-thinks-the-future-of-ai-infrastructure-may-leave-earth/ Mon, 25 May 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74139
Written by Lucas Buthion
SpaceX’s IPO filing does not just outline a new business line. It reveals a long-term bet that AI growth will outpace Earth’s ability to power it. Orbital compute is framed not as science fiction, but as a potential next layer of infrastructure, built on the assumption that energy, not chips, becomes the limiting factor.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/nro-launches-thirteenth-proliferated-architecture-mission-with-nrol-172/ Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73847 The NRO has successfully launched its thirteenth proliferated architecture mission, NROL-172, in partnership with Space Force and SpaceX.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/planet-launches-three-high-resolution-pelican-satellites-including-one-for-the-swedish-armed-forces/ Tue, 05 May 2026 06:55:40 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73576 Planet Labs has launched three new Pelican satellites, one of which is the first satellite to orbit as part of the recently-announced satellite services agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF). The spacecraft were launched to orbit aboard the CAS500-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Planet has subsequently begun the commissioning process for the three satellites after successfully making initial contact.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/nasa-welcomes-the-kingdom-of-jordan-as-63rd-artemis-accords-signatory/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73345 Jordan has become the 63rd signatory to the Artemis Accords, signing at NASA headquarters in Washington.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/canadas-joshua-kutryk-assigned-to-nasas-crew-13-mission-to-the-international-space-station/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73332 Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk has been assigned to NASA's Crew-13 mission - the first CSA astronaut to fly under the Commercial Crew Programme.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/lockheed-martin-launches-tenth-and-final-gps-iii-satellite-strengthening-the-gps-constellation/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73213 Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Space Force have successfully launched the final GPS III satellite, completing the series and strengthening the constellation to its highest capability ever.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/spacewatchgl-opinion-the-legal-frontier-of-space-based-data-centres-jurisdictional-challenges-in-the-orbital-economy-part-2/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72792
Written by Pankaj Mehta
Data sovereignty encounters fundamental conceptual challenges in space. When data physically exists on hardware orbiting outside any nation’s territorial bounds, it becomes unclear which sovereignty principles apply.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/a-second-starlink-satellite-has-unexpectedly-disintegrated-in-orbit-within-three-months/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72604 A second Starlink satellite has disintegrated in orbit within three months. LeoLabs detected dozens of debris fragments at 560km - days before Artemis II's crewed launch.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/nasa-adds-mission-to-artemis-lunar-program-and-updates-mission-architecture/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=71603 NASA is increasing its cadence of missions under the Artemis program to achieve the national objective of returning American astronauts to the Moon and establishing an enduring presence. As a result, the Agency is standardizing its vehicle configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/02/astrolight-set-for-first-in-orbit-demonstration-of-atlas-1-laser-communications-terminal/ Mon, 23 Feb 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=71446 Astrolight is set to demonstrate its low-SWaP ATLAS-1 laser communication terminals in space for the first time, launching them on two satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission in March, to facilitate secure, high-bandwidth space-to-ground communication. The two satellites will be part of Greece’s national small satellite initiative, backed by the European Space Agency. Operating within the ERMIS satellite constellation and the PeakSat mission, they will demonstrate gigabit-per-second downlinks to optical ground stations in Greece, helping to advance the country's national space infrastructure.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/02/spacex-proposes-one-million-satellites-system-towards-orbital-ai-capabilities-and-applications/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70904 SpaceX has reached out to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to launch and operate a million satellites with unprecedented computing power to function as orbital data centers that power advanced AI capabilities and applications on Earth. This comes after the space company's acquisition of xAI.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/02/spacex-announces-new-stargaze-space-situational-awareness-system-for-safer-leo-operations/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70838 SpaceX has announced its Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system, Stargaze, to significantly enhance the safety and sustainability of satellite operations in low Earth orbit (LEO). The system aims to deliver a several-order-of-magnitude increase in detection capability compared to conventional ground-based systems.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/varda-space-and-southern-launch-successfully-return-w-5-capsule-from-orbit-onto-the-koonibba-test-range/ Fri, 30 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70819 Southern Launch has successfully supported another orbital re-entry to the Koonibba Test Range with the return of the Varda Space Industries' W‑5 capsule. This is the third capsule to land at the Koonibba Test Range in under 12 months, marking another milestone in Southern Launch’s growing role as a global leader in facilitating orbital returns from space.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/spacewatchgl-opinion-pax-technologica/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70327
Written by Giles Rabin
The year 2025 will be a landmark year, with the confirmed return to flight of Ariane 6 and its remarkable ramp-up, the appointment of a “next-former” NASA administrator, SpaceX's Fordist launch figures, and the arrival of the New Glenn heavy-lift launcher. We are entering an industrial era of space travel, where the former craft of space travel is becoming an industry like any other, producing massively with economies of scale. With New Glenn and Starship, weight is no longer a constraint, and the cost per kg in low orbit is approaching the price per kg of a parcel sent to another continent by express delivery.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/portal-space-systems-selects-atomic-6s-space-armor-to-protect-its-upcoming-mission-from-space-debris/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70483 Portal Space Systems has selected Atomic-6's Space Armor® tiles as the primary Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris protection system for its upcoming spacecraft, marking the first operational orbital deployment of Space Armor® tiles, validating the technology for broader commercial and national security applications.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/vyomas-first-space-domain-awareness-satellite-flamingo-1-has-launched-to-orbit/ Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70422 Vyoma has launched its surveillance satellite, Flamingo-1, into orbit to bolster the company's in-orbit surveillance of debris objects and enable real-time space surveillance and traffic management of orbits around Earth. Flamingo-1, featuring an optical sensor for space-based space surveillance will strengthen SDA efforts directly from orbit. The advanced optical instrument will detect, track and characterize space objects.]]>