Vol 45, Week 38

NASA & NEWSPACE

• Rocket Lab has fully financed its pending acquisition of Iridium, expected to close in mid-2027, through a $1.944B equity program.
• SpaceX Starship Flight 14 was pushed to September 28; for this flight, the upper-stage will attempt its first true orbital insertion maneuver.
• Intuitive Machines states IM-3 Trinity should launch to the Moon in Q1 2027, IM-4 at the end of 2027, IM-5 in 2028, and IM-6 in 2030.
• The Republic of Djibouti became the 72nd country to join the Artemis Accords.

GLOBAL REPORTS

• ISRO continues to clarify its plans for private partnerships which includes transferring the operations of certain launch complexes, and the manufacturing of PSLV + SSLV, some communication satellites and lithium-ion battery technologies.
• ESA signed 18 contracts, involving 80 companies and totaling €20 million, to study ways to expand the “Low-LEO” layer of the EU’s upcoming IRIS² satellite network. 
• China In Space is tracking China’s six mega-constellations, which “are expected to have a combined satellite count of 50,730 once fully deployed”.

BEYOND EARTH

• A new study shows that Venus lacks a moon because its slow rotation likely caused any former natural satellite to spiral inward and collide with the planet.
• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered the 222-meter-wide and 43-meter-deep McGetchin lunar crater, which was formed by an impact between April-May 2024.
• The U.S. openly confirmed it has deployed on-orbit space-control weapons, triggering concern over a potential acceleration of a space arms race.