📄Top Stories

The space community faces challenges due to Los Angeles fires impacting key personnel and facilities. Meanwhile, SpaceX and Blue Origin have both postponed major rocket launches due to weather conditions. BepiColombo has celebrated a historic close encounter with Mercury, setting the stage for its upcoming orbit insertion.

📰Detailed Coverage

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 7 Faces Further Delays

SpaceX has announced a delay for its seventh Starship flight, now pushed from January 13th to January 15th. While details remain sparse, weather conditions seem to be the primary cause for the postponement. This mission aims to establish a new benchmark as the largest rocket ever launched, featuring advancements in the Block 2 Ship 33 second stage design.

The delay, although temporary, underscores the intricate planning needed for such massive undertakings. Starship’s successful launch is of keen interest to satellite trackers given its potential to revolutionize access to orbit with its unparalleled payload capacity. Read more

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Also Postponed

Blue Origin’s New Glenn, which was set to launch this week, has also been delayed to Monday due to unsuitable recovery weather at sea. The launch window is unaltered, extending from 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM ET, which aims to debut Blue Origin’s powerful new heavy-lift vehicle.

These delays illustrate the unpredictable nature of space launches where atmospheric conditions play a crucial role. New Glenn’s maiden flight is eagerly anticipated, marking a significant step for Blue Origin’s aspirations in the commercial launch market. Read more

BepiColombo’s Historic Mercury Flyby

After a six-year journey, the BepiColombo spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mercury, the innermost planet of our solar system. This marks its final flyby before orbital insertion, scheduled for 2026, when it will embark on a detailed one-year scientific mission.

The close encounter provided a wealth of data and visual material that will aid scientists in better understanding Mercury’s composition and magnetic field. BepiColombo’s successful maneuvers highlight the precision required for interplanetary missions and set the stage for upcoming discoveries from its orbit around Mercury. Read more

Supporting the Space Community Amid Los Angeles Fires

Recent wildfires in Los Angeles have wreaked havoc on the local space community, damaging infrastructures and displacing personnel. Various support efforts and relief initiatives are underway, aiming to mitigate the impact on the affected community.

The resilience of the space industry is being tested as companies and individuals work together to overcome these challenges. Recovery efforts underscore the collaborative nature of the space community, highlighting its robustness in the face of adversity. Read more

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: ONEWEB-0246
• NORAD ID: 48786
• Launch Date: 2021-08-22
• Mission: Part of the OneWeb constellation, providing global broadband coverage.
• Orbit: Inclination: 87.907°, Period: 109.46 minutes, Eccentricity: near circular
• Operator: OneWeb Network Access Associates
• Fun Fact: ONEWEB-0246 is part of a growing network aimed at providing internet connectivity to underserved and remote regions worldwide.

Current TLE Data:

1 48786U 21045V   25010.51145205  .00000172  00000-0  42205-3 0 99992
2 48786  87.9070   3.2394 0001588  87.1540 272.9772 13.15546904175551

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track ONEWEB-0246

🚀Upcoming Space Launches

January 13

• China Rocket Co. Ltd. Smart Dragon 3:

  • Unknown Payload from Sea Launch (02:51 UTC)
  • Details TBD.

• Blue Origin New Glenn:

  • Maiden Flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (06:00 UTC)
  • Maiden flight of the New Glenn launch vehicle. Will carry the prototype Blue Ring payload tug and payload hoisting platform. This launch will serve as New Glenn’s first National Security Space Launch certification flight.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 12-4 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (14:59 UTC)
  • A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

January 14

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Transporter 12 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) from Vandenberg Space Force Base (18:49 UTC)
  • Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.

January 15

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 & Hakuto-R M2 “Resilience” from Kennedy Space Center (06:06 UTC)
  • Blue Ghost is designed to bring payload to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s CLPS program. Resilience will carry a small rover developed by ispace to study the moon’s surface.

• SpaceX Starship:

  • Flight 7 from SpaceX Starbase (22:00 UTC)
  • Seventh test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle.

January 18

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 11-8 from Vandenberg Space Force Base (03:18 UTC)
  • A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

January 29

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • SpainSat NG I from Unknown Pad (04:00 UTC)
  • First of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various international organizations.

January 31

• Rocket Lab Electron:

  • Kinéis 16-20 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (00:00 UTC)
  • Fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 12-3 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (00:00 UTC)
  • A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.