Category: Satellites

SpaceX Rocket Fails, Breaking Apart in Orbit

The failure, the first since 2016, ended a streak of more than 300 successful launches for the Falcon 9 rocket.
Patrick Gottsch, Champion of Rural TV Programming, Dies at 70

After a career as a satellite dish installer, he found success with RFD-TV, a 24-hour cable channel aimed at farmers and ranchers.
Elon Musk Dominates Space Launch. Rivals Are Calling Foul.

At a time when the U.S. government is concerned about its reliance on a mercurial billionaire for access to space, new competitors say Elon Musk’s SpaceX is using tactics intended to squash them.
Russia Is Increasingly Blocking Ukraine’s Starlink Service

Russia has deployed advanced tech to interfere with Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Ukrainian officials said, leading to more outages on the northern front battle line.
Elon Musk’s Diplomacy: Woo Right-Wing World Leaders. Then Benefit.

Mr. Musk has built a constellation of like-minded heads of state — including Argentina’s Javier Milei and India’s Narendra Modi — to push his own politics and expand his business empire.
Biden Takes Aim at SpaceX’s Tax-Free Ride in American Airspace

President Biden wants companies that use American airspace for rocket launches to start paying taxes into a federal fund that finances the work of air traffic controllers.
Taiwan Is Building a Satellite Network Without Elon Musk

The island democracy urgently needs an internet backup. Mr. Musk’s total control over his Starlink service, which dominates the market, left Taiwan wary.
Space One Rocket Explodes Seconds After Launch in Japan

The Japanese company hoped to become the country’s first private business to put a satellite into orbit. The failed launch was its inaugural flight.
The Cost of Nuclear War in Space

Putting a weapon into orbit is not just a military threat. It’s also a risk to the billions of dollars pouring into the space economy.
How Astronomers Are Saving Astronomy From Satellites — For Now

Even the most powerful telescopes are in peril as orbits above Earth fill with thousands of new satellites. But scientists aren’t ready to give up the night sky.
Dish Is First Company to Be Fined By F.C.C. Over Space Junk Rule

Dish, the television provider, failed to move its dead satellite into a higher orbit, where it would pose little threat to active satellites, the agency announced. The company agreed to pay a $150,000 fine.
Intelligence Agencies Warn Foreign Spies Are Targeting U.S. Space Companies

U.S. officials say Chinese and Russian spy agencies are trying to steal technology from private American space companies and preparing cyberattacks that could disable satellites in a conflict.