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The Farming Satellite Iran Can't Launch Itself

The Farming Satellite Iran Can't Launch Itself

Iran calls Kowsar 1.5 a private-sector farming satellite. Its 3.45-meter camera, its sun-synchronous orbit, and the Russian rocket that carried it point somewhere else entirely.

Vigoride 5 and the Space Tug That Had to Work

Vigoride 5 and the Space Tug That Had to Work

Object 55056 rode a SpaceX rideshare into orbit carrying more than customer satellites. It carried the survival of Momentus, a company that had already lost its founder to a national security review, settled SEC fraud charges, and watched its first space tug die in orbit.

Object 100000 and the Sky That Outgrew Its Catalog

Object 100000 and the Sky That Outgrew Its Catalog

On July 11, 2026, a Portuguese satellite named after a Nobel laureate became the first object to carry catalog number 100000. It broke a five-digit numbering limit that had held since Sputnik, and exposed how unprepared decades of tracking software is for a sky this crowded.

The $1.5 Million Starlink Jammer That Ukraine Keeps Blowing Up

The $1.5 Million Starlink Jammer That Ukraine Keeps Blowing Up

Russia's Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system was purpose-built to jam Starlink. It costs around $1.5 million per unit, covers just 20 square kilometers, and can only target one satellite at a time. Ukraine has been finding and destroying them within days of deployment.

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Joe Engle and the Youngest Astronaut Wings Ever Earned
Today in Space History

Joe Engle and the Youngest Astronaut Wings Ever Earned

On 29 June 1965, a young Air Force test pilot rode a rocket-powered airplane to 280,600 feet above the California desert. He landed ten minutes later as the youngest person ever to earn astronaut wings.

The Morning a Supply Ship Tore Open Mir
Today in Space History

The Morning a Supply Ship Tore Open Mir

On 25 June 1997, a seven-ton cargo ship under hand control drifted into Mir's Spektr module, breached the hull, and left three crew members listening to their air hiss into space. It remains the worst collision in the history of human spaceflight.

The Afternoon a Blurry Smudge Turned Pluto Into a Double Planet
Today in Space History

The Afternoon a Blurry Smudge Turned Pluto Into a Double Planet

On 22 June 1978, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory looked at photographic plates that had been stamped 'image defective' and noticed a small bump on the side of Pluto. The bump was a moon, and finding it finally let astronomers weigh a planet that had fooled them for half a century.

Mike Melvill, 124 Meters, and the Morning Space Went Private
Today in Space History

Mike Melvill, 124 Meters, and the Morning Space Went Private

On 21 June 2004, a 63-year-old test pilot rode a homebuilt rocket plane to 100,124 meters above the Mojave Desert, clearing the edge of space by about the length of a city block. He came down the first private astronaut in history, holding a sign that read 'SpaceShipOne, GovernmentZero.'

Concise updates on launches, orbital events, and breaking space news

SpaceX Launches 21 SDA Missile-Tracking Satellites | KeepTrack Week in Review

SpaceX Launches 21 SDA Missile-Tracking Satellites | KeepTrack Week in Review

This week: SpaceX launched 21 SDA missile-tracking satellites, Soyuz MS-29 carried a new crew to the ISS, and Europe's space spending rose 12%.

SpaceX's Military Pivot Takes Center Stage, X Report 19 Jul 2026

SpaceX's Military Pivot Takes Center Stage, X Report 19 Jul 2026

This Week In Space Episode 219 examines SpaceX's expanding military ties as Starlink's constellation tops 12,552 satellites launched.

NASA Cancels Draper Lunar Lander; Skyroot Reaches Orbit, Space Brief 19 Jul 2026

NASA Cancels Draper Lunar Lander; Skyroot Reaches Orbit, Space Brief 19 Jul 2026

NASA terminated Draper's commercial lunar lander after development delays. Meanwhile, Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 became India's first commercial rocket to reach orbit on July 18.

Four Raptors Fail, Starship 13 Scrubbed at T-0, X Report 18 Jul 2026

Four Raptors Fail, Starship 13 Scrubbed at T-0, X Report 18 Jul 2026

Four Raptor engines failed to ignite at T-0, scrubbing Starship Flight 13 on July 16; SpaceX now targets July 20 for next attempt.

Skyroot's Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit, Breaks Indian Launch Monopoly, Space Brief 18 Jul 2026

Skyroot's Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit, Breaks Indian Launch Monopoly, Space Brief 18 Jul 2026

Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket achieved orbit on July 18, becoming the first Indian commercial rocket to do so and breaking ISRO's launch monopoly.

Starship Flight 13 Aborts at Ignition, X Report 17 Jul 2026

Starship Flight 13 Aborts at Ignition, X Report 17 Jul 2026

Four Raptor engines failed to ignite, scrubbing Starship Flight 13 at Starbase; SpaceX also launched 21 SDA satellites from Vandenberg.

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