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The Star
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Trouble in orbit? China's Starlink rival faces long delays amid rocket shortage
A Chinese mega-constellation of communications satellites is facing serious delays that could jeopardise its ambitions to compete with SpaceX's Starlink for valuable orbital resources. Only 90 satellites have been launched into low Earth orbit for the Qianfan broadband network – also known as the Thousand Sails Constellation or G60 Starlink – well short of the project's goal of 648 by the end of this year. Under international regulations to prevent spectrum hoarding, satellite operators must deploy a certain proportion of their constellation within set times after securing orbits and radio frequencies. Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology, the company leading the project, plans to deploy more than 15,000 satellites by 2030 to deliver direct-to-phone internet services worldwide. To stay on track, Yuanxin – which is backed by the Shanghai municipal government – would have to launch more than 30 satellites a month to achieve its milestones of 648 by the end of 2025 for regional coverage and 1,296 two years later for global connectivity. At the heart of the delay is a severe shortage of rockets, as China's manufacturing and launch capacity struggle to keep pace with the explosive demand for satellite deployment, according to a rocket engineer based in Beijing. The engineer, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said China did not yet have an equivalent to SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 launches Starlink satellites at a rate of about 24 per mission, flying as often as twice a week, and serves as the backbone of SpaceX's rapid roll-out. In contrast, Chinese satellites are typically launched in batches of 18. Meeting the Qianfan target would require the use of nearly half of China's total annual rocket launches – an effort that appears virtually impossible. 'Personally, I expect this shortage to last for at least another decade,' the rocket engineer said. While five batches of Qianfan satellites lifted off from the Taiyuan and Wenchang launch centres between August 2024 and March this year, the company reportedly missed out on two of its bids for rocket contracts. In February, the company sought to deploy 162 satellites in nine launches, a task that required a mature rocket – one with a proven flight record – that was also capable of sending 4.5 tonnes into an 800km (497-mile) orbit. But with fewer than three bids submitted, both tenders were automatically cancelled – an outcome that did not surprise the Beijing-based rocket engineer. 'That looks like a demanding requirement to me. Only a few Long March variants produced by state-owned manufacturers can do the job. None of the main commercial rockets that technically qualify have flown successfully yet,' he said. Adding to the challenge, these limited Long March models – such as the LM-6A, LM-8, and LM-8A – along with their launch pads, must be shared with Guowang, another 13,000-satellite broadband constellation under construction. As a state-led project, Guowang would typically be considered a national priority, meaning that launch resources may be diverted to ensure its schedule. 'In a rocket-starved environment like this, Qianfan could end up taking a back seat,' the engineer said. In addition to the rocket shortage, a number of Qianfan satellites have had technical issues and failed to reach their intended orbit. Like their Starlink counterparts, satellites for the Qianfan constellation are deployed at a lower altitude and rely on electric propulsion to climb to their final orbit, a strategy designed to save rocket fuel. However, according to the latest US Air Force tracking data, 17 of the 90 deployed Qianfan satellites have yet to reach their target altitude of around 1,070km, with some lingering near 800km where they were initially released. With 90 operational satellites, Qianfan ranks as the third-largest broadband constellation in low Earth orbit, behind Starlink and OneWeb. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
UPI
2 days ago
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX launches 24 satellites to polar areas to boost internet access
1 of 2 | SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, Calif. Photo courtesy of SpaceX July 27 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, Calif. The mission put 24 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. It will deploy the satellites into a polar orbit to boost internet service in polar regions. The Starlink 17-2 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 9:31 p.m. PDT. The Falcon 9 ship with tail number B1075 took its 19th trip to space, including 16 Starlink missions. About 8 1/2 minutes after liftoff, the ship landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 142nd landing for this vessel and the 481st booster landing for SpaceX. There are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. On Thursday, Starlink users reported a rare full network outage of internet service. It began at 4 p.m. About 2 1/2 hours later, SpaceX announced most service had been restored. Then, 1 1/2 hours later, full service was back, Starlink reported.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday morning from Florida's Space Coast
The Brief SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 28 Starlink satellites. The launch is planned for 4:34 a.m. on Saturday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission is the 91st Falcon 9 launch of the year so far. PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket in the early hours of Saturday morning from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Port Canaveral, Florida. The launch included the latest batch of Starlink satellites. What was launched? What we know SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 4:34 a.m. on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The flight came about a day and a half after the internet constellation experienced a global outage for more than two hours. What's next Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" droneship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The backstory This was the 22nd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER-B, USSF-124, Bluebird 1-5 and 17 Starlink missions. CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP The mission was the 91st Falcon 9 launch of the year so far. The Source This story was written based on information shared by SpaceX. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
SpaceX launch recap: Live updates from SES O3b mPOWER mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from rocket from Cape Canaveral on an SES O3b mPOWER satellite mission. Original story: Monday afternoon, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch countdown clock ticked all the way down to just 11 seconds remaining — but crews abruptly scrubbed the liftoff attempt. So today, SpaceX will try again to launch a pair of SES O3b mPOWER satellites into medium-Earth orbit. Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of today's mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX is targeting 5:12 p.m. to launch the Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. No Brevard County sonic booms are expected. After soaring skyward due east, the rocket's first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea 8½ minutes after liftoff. The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron only predicted a paltry 20% chance of "go for launch" weather, citing cumulus clouds, lightning and surface electric fields — but stormy weather has steered clear of the Cape this afternoon. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Countdown Timer SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands on drone ship Update 5:20 p.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX's drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its sixth mission. Liftoff! Update 5:12 p.m.: Liftoff! SpaceX has just launched the Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX rocket launch coming up in 5 Update 5:07 p.m.: Five minutes before SpaceX's Falcon 9 lifts off, the countdown appears to be proceeding as planned. Rocket fueling remains well underway at Launch Complex 40. Following is a list of the last-minute countdown milestones. T-minus: 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins. 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go for launch.' 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start. 0 seconds: Falcon 9 liftoff. SpaceX rocket booster to land on drone ship Update 5:02 p.m.: Today's mission will mark the Falcon 9 first-stage booster's sixth flight, SpaceX reported. The booster previously flew the O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3 and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, crews expect the booster to land on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 35 seconds after liftoff. SpaceX SES mission launch webcast begins Update 4:58 p.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast is now posted above, right below our countdown clock. Liftoff is scheduled in 14 minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX targeting Friday for next Starlink launch Update 4:50 p.m.: SpaceX is now targeting Friday morning — rather than Thursday morning — to launch another Falcon 9 and deploy a payload of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows. More mission details: Launch window: 4:50 a.m. to 9:32 a.m. Location: Launch Complex 40. Trajectory: Southeast. Sonic booms: No. Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at SpaceX rocket fueling is now underway Update 4:41 p.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, as evidenced by a frost ring forming on the rocket's exterior. That means the SES O3b mPOWER mission countdown is locked in to lift off at 5:12 p.m. without any delays, or else today's launch must be postponed to a later date. In a tweet, SpaceX officials announced odds of "go for launch" weather conditions have jumped up to 60%. SpaceX's launch webcast starts 15 minutes before liftoff Update 4:30 p.m.: In a tweet this morning, SES officials reminded space fans that SpaceX's mission livestream will begin about 15 minutes before liftoff. We'll post the SpaceX webcast right below our countdown clock after it goes live. SpaceX launch to be 62nd of year from Space Coast Update 4:20 p.m.: SpaceX's upcoming Falcon 9 launch will clock in as the 62nd orbital rocket launch thus far during 2025 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This cadence is trending fast enough to reach 100 annual orbital rocket launches for the first time from Florida's Space Coast. In the Cape's 61st liftoff this year, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Amazon Project Kuiper internet satellites into low-Earth orbit Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Click here for the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team's updating tally listing all of this year's missions, complete with photo galleries and story links. SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard Update 4:10 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX's upcoming Falcon 9 launch. At the Cape, NASA's Kennedy Space Center has terminated Phase I lightning watches for all areas. So conditions are now green across the board on the weather front. SpaceX lauds long launch relationship with SES Update 4 p.m.: In a tweet during Monday's countdown, SpaceX officials noted this mission marks the company's 15th launch with SES dating to 2013. From an August 2020 FLORIDA TODAY story: "SES has been a critical partner for SpaceX. It was the first company to invest in CEO Elon Musk's promise of rocket reusability, entrusting its SES-10 spacecraft on the first re-flight of a Falcon 9 rocket in March 2017.' SpaceX's Monday scrub remains mystery Update 3:45 p.m.: SpaceX officials have yet to publicly state why Monday's launch countdown halted with 11 seconds left on the clock. On a positive note, SpaceX did report "vehicle and payload remain healthy" in a post-scrub tweet. Lightning, wind warnings terminate across Cape Update 3:30 p.m.: Throughout the afternoon, a strong wind warning at NASA's Kennedy Space Center called for potential 25-knot winds gusting to 35 knots. That warning is no longer in effect. Following suit, Phase II lightning warnings extending across KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station were terminated by about 2:40 p.m. To the south, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for portions of rain-drenched Melbourne, West Melbourne and Melbourne Village until 5 p.m. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch recap: Updates from SES satellite liftoff at Cape Canaveral Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX targeting Saturday morning for Falcon 9 launch on Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral
(This story has been updated with new launch schedule information and comment from SES.) SpaceX crews are gearing up for Cape Canaveral's next Falcon 9 rocket launch on the morning of Saturday, July 26, the Space Coast Office of Tourism reported. Saturday's early bird 4½-hour launch window extends from 4:28 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. at Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates. This is SpaceX's Starlink 10-26 mission. The Falcon 9 will deploy a payload of Starlink internet satellites in low-Earth orbit after ascending along a southeasterly trajectory. The rocket will lift off two days after the historic 75th anniversary of Bumper 8, the first rocket to launch from the Cape on July 24, 1950. The two-stage Bumper 8 experimental rocket only stood 56½ feet tall — or one-fourth the height of a 229-foot Falcon 9. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral SpaceX has yet to publicly confirm Saturday's Starlink mission or announce a target launch time. FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage will kick off about 90 minutes before the launch window opens at No Brevard County sonic booms should occur: The rocket's first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. On Tuesday, July 22, SpaceX launched an afternoon Falcon 9 and lifted a pair of SES O3b mPOWER satellites into medium-Earth orbit. That mission marked the 62nd orbital rocket launch thus far this year from the Space Force installation and NASA's neighboring Kennedy Space Center. "Over the past year, our O3b mPOWER services have been transforming industries and empowering our key customers including telco operators, cruise lines, airlines, NATO, the Government of Luxembourg, the Government of United States and many other allied governments,' SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said in a post-launch press release. Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX teams continue prepping for next week's Crew-11 liftoff from pad 39A at KSC. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will board a SpaceX Dragon atop a Falcon 9 for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. The Crew-11 target launch time: 12:09 p.m. July 31. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX targets July 26 for Starlink launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida Solve the daily Crossword
