Weekly Spaceflight Update: June 22 - June 28th
It was a very slow week for spaceflight around the world but this week got kicked off with new secret payload from SpaceX.
Read more below:
Starfall Demo - SpaceX
Starfall is a SpaceX manufactured reentry vehicle designed for autonomous payload transport such as valuable customer experiments this capsule is designed to safely transport payloads back from space to Earth, including for in-orbit manufacturing.
Starfall is a cylindrical shaped capsule approximately 0.75 meters tall with a diameter of 3.1 meters, weighing approximately 2,100 kilograms, and capable of carrying 1,00 kilogram of payload. It’s primarily designed to be carried on Starship.
Photo: Asher B. For Launch Heaven
Starlink Group 17-45
On June 24, at 8:30. PDT, SpaceX launched the Starlink Group 17-45 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 first stage B1081 flew its 25th mission and landed on the Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) droneship.
Photo: SpaceX
Ten Owl Of Ten - Rocket Lab
On June 26th at 5:43 PM UTC, The Owl of Ten launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The mission marked the fourth launch in Rocket Lab's 10-launch agreement with Japanese Earth observation company Synspective.
Electron carried a single StriX synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite into low Earth orbit. The StriX satellites can capture high-resolution images of Earth day or night and through cloud cover, with a ground resolution of 1 to 3 meters and a swath width of more than 10 to 30 kilometers.
With this successful mission, Rocket Lab has now launched a total of 10 StriX satellites for Synspective, helping expand the company's Earth observation constellation for applications such as disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental observation.
Photo: Rocket Lab
Starship S40 Single Engine Static Fire Testing
SpaceX continued preparations for the next Starship flight test this week, successfully completing a single-engine static fire of Ship 40 at the Massey's Test Site in Starbase, Texas. During the test, one of the vehicle's six Raptor 3 engines ignited for approximately 10–15 seconds, marking the first successful engine firing for the vehicle and an important milestone in its preflight test campaign. The static fire verified engine performance, propellant systems, and ground support equipment before more extensive testing. Ship 40 is expected to undergo a full six-engine static fire in the coming weeks as SpaceX works toward Starship Flight 13, currently targeted for later this summer.
Photo: SpaceX
Starlink Group 17-40 - SpaceX
On June 28, at 9:09 AM. PDT, SpaceX launched the Starlink Group 17-40 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 first stage B1088 flew its 17th mission and landed on the Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) droneship.
Photo: SpaceX
SXM-11 - SpaceX
On June 28, at 10:25. EDT, SpaceX launched the SiriusXM-11 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Falcon 9 first stage B1085 flew its 17th mission and landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG) droneship.
Photo: Alex L. For Launch Heaven
