All articles tagged with #medium earth orbit
SpaceX successfully launched the final three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on September 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 booster, B1080, completed its 29th flight and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This mission completes the 13-satellite constellation in medium Earth orbit, which will begin full operations by mid-2027.
The U.S. Space Force awarded BAE Systems a $1.2 billion contract to develop 10 missile-tracking satellites for a medium Earth orbit constellation, enhancing missile detection and tracking capabilities, especially against hypersonic threats, with the first satellites expected to be delivered by 2029.
Orbital Composites and Virtus Solis Technologies have announced plans to conduct a space-based solar power demonstration in 2027, aiming to showcase critical power-generation technologies in medium-Earth orbit. The mission is intended to pave the way for large-scale commercial megawatt-class solar installations in space by 2030, with Virtus Solis deploying solar tiles and Orbital Composites focusing on in-space assembly of solar panels and transmission of power to Earth. The partnership aims to pioneer sustainable space-based technologies for renewable energy and contribute to global decarbonization efforts.
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, placing SES O3b mPOWER satellites into medium-Earth orbit. This is the ninth flight of the first-stage booster, which previously supported other missions. The booster will attempt to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.