https://rbtfl.xyz/en/track/space Launch, satellites, orbital congestion, navigation and the militarisation of orbit. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/india-astrobase-everest-0808 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/india-astrobase-everest-0808 Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Bengaluru-based Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST, an 800 kN liquid-oxygen-methane engine using full-flow staged combustion, which the company calls India's first privately developed engine in this class; a full hot-fire test is planned in 2026, with a first flight of its reusable launch vehicle targeted for December 2028 [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-moon-crash-0806 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-moon-crash-0806 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Astronomers confirmed on August 5, 2026 that a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage, drifting in deep space since the previous year, struck the Moon at approximately 8,700 km/h; no instrument recorded the impact directly, but a telescope in Chile detected a dust plume consistent with the predicted crash site, which astronomers say constitutes confirmation of the collision; the crash adds to a growing body of uncontrolled commercial space debris reaching cislunar space [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/uzbekistan-samarkand-2028-launch-0805 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/uzbekistan-samarkand-2028-launch-0805 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT China's Star Vision Technology launched the Samarkand-2028 hyperspectral Earth observation satellite on August 5 alongside Indonesia's Lampung-1; the Samarkand-2028 carries an artificial intelligence module developed by Uzbekistan's space agency Uzcosmos, marking a shift from Uzbekistan buying Chinese satellites to contributing core software components [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-northrop-mrv-0721 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-northrop-mrv-0721 Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on July 21 carrying Northrop Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle and three Mission Extension Pods, designed to spend a decade servicing satellites owned by Optus and SES that have run out of maneuvering fuel in geosynchronous orbit [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/russia-roscosmos-treason-0720 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/russia-roscosmos-treason-0720 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Moscow's Meshchansky Court ordered the pre-trial detention of Maxim Kravchuk, 35, a physicist at TsNIIMash, a Roscosmos space-research institute, on July 19-20, on treason charges; Meduza and The Moscow Times report the case as the latest in a series of criminal prosecutions targeting Russian scientists [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/india-vikram1-skyroot-jul18 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/india-vikram1-skyroot-jul18 Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-1 rocket on July 17-18, reaching Low Earth Orbit and becoming the first Indian private company to complete an orbital mission, opening the country's launch market to commercial competition [success] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-starship-f13-jul16 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-starship-f13-jul16 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX is set to launch Starship Flight 13 from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on July 16, the second flight of the Starship V3 configuration and the first to deploy V3 Starlink satellites [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-flight-13-jul13 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-flight-13-jul13 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX set July 16 as the launch date for Starship's 13th integrated flight test, with a 90-minute window opening at 5:45 pm CT from Starbase in South Texas, seven weeks after the Flight 12 booster crash on May 22; Flight 13 will test fixes applied after the previous launch's problems and will deploy functioning Starlink satellites, described as operational payloads for the first time on a Starship test [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-spacesail-g60-polar-launch-jul5 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-spacesail-g60-polar-launch-jul5 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Shanghai-backed Qianfan constellation added a new polar-orbit group on July 5, one day after a Long March 6A placed 18 Qianfan satellites from Taiyuan; China is running two concurrent build-out tracks to challenge SpaceX's Starlink dominance [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/long-march-6a-5th-debris-jul4 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/long-march-6a-5th-debris-jul4 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The rocket lifted off from Taiyuan at 09:30 UTC July 4 carrying 18 Qianfan internet-constellation satellites; four previous upper-stage fragmentation events with no disclosed root cause have made this variant the most debris-prone active launch system in service [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-haiyang-2e-launch-jul2 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-haiyang-2e-launch-jul2 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A Long March-4B lifted off from Jiuquan at 23:46 UTC on July 1 (07:46 CST July 2), placing the HY-2E satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit; the spacecraft is the first replacement for China's aging ocean-observation trio and begins a three-satellite renewal [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/ula-atlas-v-551-final-jul2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/ula-atlas-v-551-final-jul2026 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The last Atlas V in the 551 heavy-lift configuration launched 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites from Cape Canaveral at 12:30 a.m. EDT on July 2, completing the 110th mission of the 24-year Atlas V programme with a perfect success record [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/south-korea-add-slv-postponed-jun30 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/south-korea-add-slv-postponed-jun30 Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Agency for Defense Development canceled the debut flight of its classified 'Mir' solid-fuel space launch vehicle on June 30 after issues were detected during final preparations aboard the sea-launch platform off Jeju Island; a successful flight would have made South Korea the sixth country to hold independent solid-fuel orbital launch capability. [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/swift-boost-scrub-jun30 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/swift-boost-scrub-jun30 Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Unfavorable weather at Kwajalein Atoll forced NASA to stand down the Pegasus XL on both June 30 and July 1; a third window opens at 9:09 p.m. local time July 2 (05:09 EDT), representing the Pegasus XL's 46th and final flight and the first attempt to autonomously boost a satellite not designed for docking [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/rocket-lab-iridium-acquisition-jun29 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/rocket-lab-iridium-acquisition-jun29 Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The June 29 announcement gives Rocket Lab control of Iridium's 66-satellite LEO network, globally licensed L-band spectrum, and 2.55 million subscribers; Iridium shareholders receive $27 cash plus Rocket Lab stock for each share, valuing the deal at roughly $54 per share [pending-decision] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/nasa-swift-rescue-pegasus-jun29 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/nasa-swift-rescue-pegasus-jun29 Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The last Pegasus XL air-launched from Stargazer at 08:36 UTC on July 3 carrying Katalyst Space's LINK servicing vehicle; the mission must now rendezvous with Swift over two to three weeks before attempting the first-ever capture of an unprepared satellite [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/botswana-artemis-jun25 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/botswana-artemis-jun25 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Botswana's minister of communications signed in Washington on June 25, bringing a sixth African nation into the US-led framework for civil space exploration amid growing competition between American and Chinese lunar programmes [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-17-45-vandenberg-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-17-45-vandenberg-2026 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX's 74th launch of the year adds 24 V2 Mini satellites from Vandenberg [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/counterspace-asat-arms-race-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/counterspace-asat-arms-race-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT 35+ states pledge no destructive ASAT tests; US fields satellite jammers; Russia's nuclear-ASAT concern persists [worsening] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-force-missile-warning-budget-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-force-missile-warning-budget-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT FY26 adds $1.2B for R&D; reconciliation pours $7.2B into space sensors and $5.6B into interceptors [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/tianwen3-mars-sample-return-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/tianwen3-mars-sample-return-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT With US funding cut in January, China could be first to return Martian samples, by 2031 [transition] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/artemis-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/artemis-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The US-led crewed return to the Moon, pairing the SLS rocket and Orion capsule with commercial landers and a 68-nation governance framework. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/asat-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/asat-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Anti-satellite weapons, fielded by the US, China, Russia, and India, can destroy or disable the orbital infrastructure that modern militaries and economies depend on. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/beidou-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/beidou-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT China's state-owned global satellite navigation system, now embedded in over 2 billion devices and challenging US GPS dominance in positioning, timing, and strategic influence. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-launch-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-launch-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT China's Long March rocket program, CASC's state-run orbital fleet, is setting national cadence records and driving Beijing's military, constellation, and deep-space ambitions. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-lunar-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-lunar-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT China's state-run campaign to land humans on the Moon by 2030 and maintain a crewed orbital station, in direct competition with the US-led Artemis coalition. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-megaconstellation-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-megaconstellation-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT China's two state-linked low-Earth-orbit broadband programs, Guowang and Qianfan, plan more than 28,000 satellites combined to compete with Starlink for global spectrum and connectivity market share. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/europe-launch-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/europe-launch-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Europe's sovereign-launch capability, built around ESA, ArianeGroup, and Arianespace, centers on Ariane 6, the continent's sole operational heavy-lift rocket, flying from Kourou, French Guiana. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/galileo-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/galileo-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The EU's global navigation satellite system, built for European autonomy from US GPS, now the world's most accurate civilian GNSS and a pillar of European strategic independence. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/golden-dome-space-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/golden-dome-space-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The US Golden Dome's orbital layer, combining space-based sensors and interceptors to detect and destroy ballistic and hypersonic missiles before they reach US territory. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/gps-jamming-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/gps-jamming-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT GPS jamming blinds navigation receivers while spoofing fakes their position; deployed by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and India, the attacks now threaten global aviation, shipping, and weapons guidance. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/kuiper-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/kuiper-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon's US-based low Earth orbit satellite constellation, authorized for 3,236 satellites in 2020, competing with SpaceX Starlink to deliver global broadband. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/launch-cadence-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/launch-cadence-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The rate and unit cost of reaching Earth orbit, dominated by US-based SpaceX and China's state launch industry, set the pace for satellite megaconstellations and the global space race. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/mars-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/mars-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The fourth planet from the Sun and primary destination for robotic exploration, Mars anchors an intensifying US-China race to return the first samples to Earth. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/missile-warning-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/missile-warning-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The US space-and-radar network that detects missile launches within seconds, giving leaders 25 minutes or less to decide how to respond to a nuclear attack. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/oneweb-eutelsat-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/oneweb-eutelsat-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The only large-scale Western non-Starlink LEO broadband constellation, formed by the 2023 France-UK merger driving Europe's sovereign satellite strategy. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/orbital-congestion-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/orbital-congestion-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The progressive crowding of Earth's orbital shells, primarily low-Earth orbit, by satellites and debris, raising collision risk globally and threatening a shared orbital commons. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-constellations-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-constellations-backgrounder Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Four operators plan more than 70,000 satellites in the same narrow orbital band, making LEO broadband the most contested frontier in spectrum politics and connectivity geopolitics. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-debris-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-debris-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Orbiting debris from US, Chinese, Russian, and European launches crowds low Earth orbit shells, raising collision risk for active satellites and requiring new national and international removal standards. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-exploration-cislunar-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-exploration-cislunar-backgrounder Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Two crewed Moon programs compete for the same south-pole landing site; Mars sample return is next; together they define the frontier of space geopolitics. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-force-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-force-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The US Space Force, established December 2019, is the youngest US military branch, protecting GPS, missile warning, and orbital infrastructure against Chinese and Russian counterspace threats. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-launch-access-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-launch-access-backgrounder Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The race to lower launch costs and raise cadence, led by SpaceX and China, determines who can operate at scale in space and who gets left behind. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-military-space-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-military-space-backgrounder Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT How counterspace weapons, warning constellations and space-based interceptors are turning low Earth orbit into the newest contested military domain. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-navigation-pnt-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-navigation-pnt-backgrounder Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Four global satellite constellations compete to position phones, ships, and weapons, while jamming and spoofing have made signal integrity a front-line security question. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-orbital-congestion-backgrounder https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-orbital-congestion-backgrounder Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT LEO is filling faster than debris can clear; this beat tracks the collision risk, the fragmented pile of debris, and the contested rules meant to manage both. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-traffic-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-traffic-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The set of rules, tracking systems, and coordination processes governments use to manage orbital objects and prevent collisions, with no binding international regime in place. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-ventures-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-ventures-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Private investment in commercial space globally hit a record US$55.3 billion in 2025, driven by launch-cost collapse, defence demand, and US-China competition for orbital infrastructure. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/spacex-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX is a US private aerospace company that controls over 60% of commercial orbital launches globally and operates Starlink, the world's largest satellite internet constellation. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX's US-based low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband constellation, the world's largest with 10,000 active satellites across 160 countries, at the center of LEO spectrum politics and congestion debates. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-dossier https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-dossier Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX's fully-reusable US launch vehicle, contracted as NASA's Artemis lunar lander, central to commercial satellite deployment and crewed Moon and Mars ambitions. https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-bian-zhigang-ccdi-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-bian-zhigang-ccdi-2026 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Bian Zhigang, deputy head of SASTIND and deputy director of CNSA, is being investigated for "serious violations of discipline and law" [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-launch-cadence-140-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-launch-cadence-140-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Megaconstellation batches and a surprise Long March 12B maiden flight push cadence to one launch every ~2.5 days [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/golden-dome-space-layer-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/golden-dome-space-layer-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT 12 firms hold $3.2B in SBI work; a new $4.16B contract and Northrop-Apex push a 2028 integration target [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/ariane6-kuiper-cadence-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/ariane6-kuiper-cadence-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Upgraded P160C boosters and an Amazon contract give Europe a working, if thin, sovereign launch base [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/kuiper-leo-367-satellites-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/kuiper-leo-367-satellites-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Third-largest constellation, beta in five countries late 2026, but spectral priority demoted for slow build [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-megaconstellation-batches-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-megaconstellation-batches-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Qianfan jumps back ahead at 182 to Guowang's ~168–190; two constellations planning 28,000+ spacecraft [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/gps-jamming-aviation-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/gps-jamming-aviation-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT ~40% of European air traffic hit; Russia's spoofing antennae up from 3 to 36; ministers' jets jammed [worsening] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/tianwen-2-kamooalewa-sample-attempt-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/tianwen-2-kamooalewa-sample-attempt-2026 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT After a June rendezvous with Kamo'oalewa, the probe lines up an anchor-and-attach sampling no one has tried before [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-tiangong-shenzhou-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-tiangong-shenzhou-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Shenzhou 23 takes over with China's first yearlong stay; a Pakistani astronaut due on Shenzhou 24 [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-flight-12-booster-failure-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starship-flight-12-booster-failure-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Flight 12 proves the upper stage while the new booster flips and fails, investigation halts the program [contested-result] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/artemis-3-post-flyby-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/artemis-3-post-flyby-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Record-setting crewed flyby flew in April; the moon landing now hinges on Starship and a grounded V3 [transition] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/orbital-congestion-leo-collision-risk-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/orbital-congestion-leo-collision-risk-2026 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Rising avoidance manoeuvres, a $25.8–42.3B decade cost, and a 95% disposal-compliance bar to avert cascade [worsening] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/galileo-beidou-pnt-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/galileo-beidou-pnt-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT EU starts Galileo Gen-2 launches; China consolidates BeiDou to 37 satellites and eyes global adoption [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/eutelsat-oneweb-iris2-funding-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/eutelsat-oneweb-iris2-funding-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT €960M equity raise, €2.3B for 440 OneWeb follow-ons, €10.6B IRIS² concession, but services slip to 2030 [pending-decision] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT 650+ direct-to-cell satellites, 16M reached, voice and data added, SpaceX rebrands DTC as 'Starlink Mobile' [active] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-traffic-management-fcc-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/space-traffic-management-fcc-2026 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commerce expands space situational awareness as active-debris-removal market and ADR insurance emerge [contested-result] https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-lunar-change7-2026 https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/china-lunar-change7-2026 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water-ice hunt at Shackleton with a shadow-diving hopper; Long March 10, Mengzhou and Lanyue in testing [active]