Tag

Low Earth Orbit

All articles tagged with #low earth orbit

technology21 hours ago•6 min saved

NASA opens door to private space stations as ISS horizon narrows

NASA released a draft RFP outlining requirements and funding for privately operated space stations in low-Earth orbit, aiming to fill the post-ISS gap by around 2030. Industry players such as Axiom Space, Vast, Voyager, Blue Origin, and SpaceX welcome the clarity but express concern about the heavy requirements (thousands of items), funding levels (possibly up to $1.5 billion over five years), and how many winners will win contracts. The final RFP could arrive by September with bids next spring, signaling a race to establish a commercial space station market with NASA as a key customer.

via Ars Technica|

#draft-rfp #low-earth-orbit #nasa

technology6 days ago•4 min saved

Amazon’s Leo Satellite Network Edges Toward Global Internet Service

Amazon says its Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) constellation has surpassed 390 satellites after 29 new spacecraft, moving toward commercial service later this year. The project aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet with up to about 7,700 LEO satellites, a major challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink. Launches involve ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX, with a shift from Atlas V to Vulcan to enable larger satellite batches. Despite supply chain delays and a Blue Origin test-vehicle explosion, Amazon has built ready-to-fly spacecraft and an integration center to speed deployments, and initial service will roll out in limited geographies while AWS integration could open enterprise use. Expansion is planned to span dozens of countries as the network scales.

via | Cord Cutters News|

#amazon #broadband #low-earth-orbit

space13 days ago•13 min saved

ISS retirement could place Tiangong as Earth’s only permanently crewed orbital outpost

The Wolf Amendment of 2011 blocked NASA-Chinese cooperation, steering China to build its own space station, Tiangong, while the ISS remains the international hub. With the ISS planned to retire around 2030 and no proven commercial crewed replacement ready, Tiangong could become the only permanently crewed outpost in low Earth orbit—though that outcome depends on whether commercial stations can reach readiness in time and on how NASA shifts to private operators. Tiangong’s ongoing crew rotations and infrastructure contrast with the ISS’s multi-country governance, creating a real strategic reshuffle in who occupies and controls the near-Earth space lab landscape.

via Space Daily|

#commercial-space-station #iss #low-earth-orbit

space14 days ago•15 min saved

Megaconstellations shrink Low Earth Orbit’s safety margin from months to days

Researchers introduce the CRASH Clock to estimate how long low Earth orbit could remain safe if satellites could no longer dodge each other; the margin fell from 164 days in 2018 to 5.5 days in 2025 as megaconstellations expanded, underscoring that LEO is now an infrastructure-like shared space requiring continuous coordination, accurate tracking, and robust data to prevent a rapid cascade of near-misses.

via Space Daily|

#collision-avoidance #crash-clock #low-earth-orbit

space-and-spaceflight17 days ago•16 min saved

Shenlong Spaceplane Deploys Mysterious Object in Orbit

China’s Shenlong reusable spaceplane, on its fourth orbital mission, released an unidentified object in Earth orbit. LeoLabs confirmed the deployment near the spacecraft on June 22, 2026, noting the object did not match any catalog entry. Past Shenlong missions included long-duration orbits and sub-satellite deployments, but China has disclosed little about the program, fueling speculation about potential military, surveillance, or early-warning roles. Observers will monitor the object’s trajectory and any further spaceplane activity as the secrecy around Shenlong continues.

via Gizmodo|

#china #leolabs #low-earth-orbit

science18 days ago•15 min saved

Tiny Solar Storm, Big Starlink Loss: 40 Satellites Burn Up

A February 2022 G1 geomagnetic storm briefly thickened Earth's thermosphere, increasing drag at the 210 km deployment altitude and causing 40 of 49 Starlink satellites from a single launch to reenter and burn up within days. The event prompted SpaceX to adjust deployment and attitude strategies, pushed space-weather forecasting to the forefront of risk planning for LEO assets, and led insurers to reassess satellite risk under variable solar activity.

via Space Daily|

#drag #geomagnetic-storm #low-earth-orbit

space-exploration23 days ago•96 min saved

Ariane 6 lifts 36 Amazon Leo satellites, setting a new payload record

An Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou launched on June 17 with 36 Amazon Leo broadband satellites—the heaviest payload ever lofted by an Ariane launcher and the 100th Amazon Leo satellite—advancing Amazon’s planned low‑Earth‑orbit megaconstellation. The upgraded four P160C solid-rocket boosters boosted the launcher’s capacity by more than two tons, with the 36 satellites weighing about 45,900 pounds (roughly 20,820 kg) in total. Deployment is expected about 289 miles (465 km) up, roughly 1 hour 51 minutes after liftoff. This was Ariane 6’s eighth flight and Amazon Leo’s 14th launch overall, though SpaceX’s Starlink remains far larger in total satellites.

via Space|

#amazon-leo #ariane-6 #low-earth-orbit

technology1 month ago•6 min saved

SpaceX Wins $2.29B Space Force Contract to Build Military Space Internet Backbone

The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to build the SDN Backbone, a low‑Earth‑orbit satellite system that will serve as the military’s space‑based internet and enable real‑time, high‑capacity, secure communications for joint forces worldwide. SpaceX must deliver a fully operational prototype by the end of 2027, and the backbone will operate in concert with the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer within an open‑architecture framework. The move underscores SpaceX’s central role in U.S. space and defense programs as NASA expands crew missions with SpaceX amid Boeing delays.

via Teslarati|

#low-earth-orbit #military-communications #space-data-network

space1 month ago•10 min saved

Atomic Oxygen: The Hidden Material Menace in Low Earth Orbit

Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit aggressively erodes carbon-based polymers, carbon composites, and optical surfaces on spacecraft such as the ISS. NASA tests exposed material trays outside the station to study damage and variations in material properties, leading to protective coatings like silicon dioxide or aluminum oxide to mitigate reactions with single oxygen atoms. In LEO, the atmosphere is a thin, UV-driven environment rather than a hard vacuum, so long-duration missions require careful material selection and protective measures; very low orbits demand extra care for satellites. Deep space exposure to atomic oxygen is much less of a concern, making this primarily a LEO issue.

via Hackaday|

#atomic-oxygen #coatings #low-earth-orbit

science1 month ago•14 min saved

Atomic Oxygen’s Subtle Attack: How the ISS Survives Through Coatings and Upkeep

In low Earth orbit, reactive atomic oxygen slowly erodes exposed spacecraft materials, especially carbon-based polymers and coatings. NASA’s MISSE experiments on the ISS provide real flight data to guide protective coatings, material choices, and maintenance practices. The station endures decades of exposure by thoughtful design, orientation, inspections, and replacements, a living example of how space weather shapes durability.

via Space Daily|

#atomic-oxygen #low-earth-orbit #materials-degradation

technology1 month ago•5 min saved

SpaceX lofts 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 21, 2026, delivering 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit.

via Florida Today|

#cape-canaveral #falcon-9 #low-earth-orbit

space1 month ago•5 min saved

Solar Activity Quickens Space Debris Decay in Low Earth Orbit

A 36-year study of 17 debris objects in low Earth orbit shows that when solar activity rises to a certain level, heating of the thermosphere expands the atmosphere and increases drag, causing debris to lose altitude faster. The researchers identify a transition threshold near two-thirds of solar maximum and note stronger extreme ultraviolet emissions around solar peaks, with practical implications for satellite operators who may need more frequent orbit corrections and greater fuel reserves during active solar phases.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#low-earth-orbit #orbital-decay #solar-activity

space-and-spaceflight2 months ago•16 min saved

A Crowded Sky: Artemis II Visualizes the LEO Traffic Jam

NASA's Artemis II composite animation visualizes a crowded low Earth orbit, showing thousands of objects— active satellites, dead satellites, rocket bodies and debris— streaking around Earth at about 17,550 mph and underscoring the collision risks as LEO traffic has surged in recent years.

via Gizmodo|

#artemis-ii #debris #low-earth-orbit

space2 months ago•5 min saved

Russia Demonstrates Ultra-Precise Satellite Rendezvous in Low Earth Orbit

Two Russian satellites COSMOS 2581 and 2583 performed an unprecedented 10-foot close approach in low Earth orbit on April 28, 2026, as part of a coordinated trio with COSMOS 2582 and a subsatellite Object F; tracked by COMSPOC and LeoLabs, the highly controlled rendezvous and proximity operations signal advanced space maneuvering with potential military or strategic implications and highlight growing space awareness capabilities.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cosmos-satellites #low-earth-orbit #rendezvous-proximity-operations

science2 months ago•34 min saved

Russia's COSMOS sats perform a 3-metre orbital pass, sparking space-surveillance concerns

Two Russian military satellites, COSMOS 2581 and COSMOS 2583, came within about three metres of each other during a proximity manoeuvre in low Earth orbit (around 585 kilometres altitude), a complex pass tracked by COMSPOC and described as sophisticated. The event, linked to Russia’s inspector-satellite program, highlights risks from space debris and potential collisions in crowded orbits, with experts noting such precise, non-cooperative passes are impressive but not unprecedented and warning that debris could trigger cascading collisions (Kessler syndrome). Russia has not disclosed the satellites’ exact purpose; reports also mention a sub-satellite dubbed Object F.

via Yahoo|

#comspoc #cosmos-2581 #cosmos-2583