Constellation

Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, is drawing widespread attention, ranking among top search and discussion topics in Italy and Spain. The service, which provides broadband via a constellation of low-orbit satellites, continues to expand across Europe. People are discussing its availability, performance and growing role in connectivity.

Satellite operator Eutelsat is drawing attention after reports that Starlink restricted its services in Ukraine during Russian strikes, according to Les Echos. The news has sparked discussion about whether Eutelsat and its OneWeb constellation could serve as an alternative provider for Ukrainian communications, amid concerns over the reliability of Starlink under pressure from Moscow.

The Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio is set to open 'Queer Constellations,' a new photography exhibition, on Friday. The show brings together photographic works exploring queer identity and experience. Details about the featured artists and the scope of the collection have not yet been widely reported, but the opening is drawing attention in local arts coverage.

SpaceX operates Starshield, a military-focused variant of its Starlink satellite internet service, built to provide secure communications and support national security missions for government clients, including the US military. The system is drawing renewed attention as readers seek to understand how the defense-oriented network differs from the civilian Starlink constellation.

Shares in European satellite operator Eutelsat rose sharply on Wednesday after Ukraine said SpaceX's Starlink had introduced restrictions on its military-grade service. Investors appeared to bet that Kyiv could turn to European alternatives, including Eutelsat's OneWeb constellation, if Starlink curtails battlefield connectivity. The move has renewed debate in Europe about reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX for critical Ukrainian communications.

The European Commission is preparing to fast-track plans for a satellite constellation intended to rival SpaceX's Starlink network. Bloomberg reports the EU executive wants to speed up development of its own satellite internet system, part of a broader push to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in space and reduce reliance on US technology.

China has carried out launches that expand the Guowang satellite constellation while also deploying satellites designed for space-based computing. The missions add to Beijing's rapidly growing commercial and state-backed space infrastructure program, which rivals Western mega-constellation projects. SpaceNews reports the dual purpose of the launches, combining network buildout with emerging in-orbit data processing capabilities.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink internet satellites from California, adding to the company's rapidly growing broadband constellation in low Earth orbit. The launch continues SpaceX's frequent cadence of Starlink missions as it works to expand global coverage, and spaceflight watchers are following each new deployment of the fleet.

Amazon's Leo satellite internet service has been demonstrated to the U.S. Army, according to SpaceNews. The demo signals Amazon's push to position its broadband constellation as a provider for military connectivity, competing in a defense market where satellite communications are increasingly in demand. Details of the tests and the Army's response have not yet been made public.

The US Federal Communications Commission has put forward a proposal to auction spectrum for both terrestrial and space-based broadband services. The plan would open up airwaves to support satellite internet providers and ground-based networks alike, reflecting growing demand for connectivity from constellations in low Earth orbit and expanding wireless networks. Details of the timing and specific frequencies remain to be announced.

The US Army is showing growing interest in operating balloons and other platforms in the stratosphere, according to Aviation Week. High-altitude balloons operating at the edge of space are increasingly seen as a low-cost option for surveillance, communications and sensing missions that satellites traditionally perform. The report suggests military interest in near-space capabilities is expanding, as armed services weigh cheaper alternatives and complements to satellite constellations for persistent overhead operations.

Astronomy observers are highlighting Caldwell 13, the Dragonfly Cluster, an open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia located roughly 7,920 light-years from Earth. The young stellar grouping reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in mid-October, making the coming weeks the ideal window for stargazers and astrophotographers to capture it with deep-sky imaging equipment.

SpaceX is working toward direct-to-cell satellite service that could compete with traditional carriers like AT&T. A Barron's analysis lays out the remaining technical and regulatory hurdles the company must clear before its Starlink constellation can deliver reliable mobile phone coverage from space and pose a real challenge to established telecom networks in the United States.

Carillon Technologies announced it will present its ReflecTek technology, aimed at lowering the cost of broadband satellite terminals, at the ARRAY2026 conference. The company says the technology could make satellite internet terminals cheaper to produce, an area of growing interest as demand for broadband connectivity from space expands. Details of the presentation, including its scope and any commercial partners, have not yet been disclosed.

Amateur astronomers are tracking comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS, currently moving at about 33.9 km/s toward the Sun with perihelion expected in roughly 44 days. The comet sits at magnitude 14.76, visible from both hemispheres under dark skies with a small to medium telescope, in the constellation Equuleus. Observers are watching whether it brightens as it approaches.

Astronomy enthusiasts are sharing images of the North America Nebula, a large emission nebula catalogued as NGC 7000 in the constellation Cygnus. The nebula glows mainly in red light from excited hydrogen, with some blue from oxygen, and its gas is energised by the intensely hot Bajamar Star, an O-type star at its heart.

Investors and analysts are debating how far SpaceX could disrupt AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile as the company expands beyond rockets and satellite internet. SpaceX's growing satellite constellation and direct-to-cell ambitions raise questions about whether it could eventually compete for wireless customers, putting pressure on the valuations of the three major US carriers.

South Korea's K-LEO project, a low Earth orbit communications constellation of up to 512 satellites, was presented as a central initiative at the K-Space Forum. The plan signals the country's ambition to build its own satellite broadband network in low orbit, positioning itself in a field currently led by large foreign constellations. Officials and industry figures discussed the roadmap at the forum.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites, the company's first such mission in more than three weeks. The flight, documented in newly released photos, marks a return to the routine launch cadence that underpins the ongoing expansion of the Starlink internet constellation. The reason for the lengthy gap between missions was not stated, but the launch suggests operations are back on schedule.

SpaceX is preparing a Falcon 9 rocket launch from California that will carry 27 Starlink satellites into orbit, adding to the company's rapidly growing broadband constellation. The mission continues SpaceX's high launch cadence from the West Coast as it expands global internet coverage and reuses boosters to keep costs down.

The United States has decommissioned its Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, the long-serving infrared constellation built to detect missile launches and nuclear detonations. The satellites, launched since the 1970s, are being retired as newer Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) spacecraft take over the deterrence monitoring mission, marking the end of a decades-old strategic early-warning program.

Amazon has assembled its thousandth Project Kuiper satellite as the company prepares to begin launching and operating its planned broadband constellation. The milestone puts Amazon closer to deploying a satellite-based internet service intended to compete in the growing orbital connectivity market, where it will face established rivals already serving customers.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Starlink satellite mission, its first flight in more than three weeks. The pause in launches had drawn attention among space enthusiasts, and the company marked the return to flight with photos of the liftoff. The mission continues SpaceX's regular deployment of satellites for its Starlink internet constellation.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink satellites, with coverage carried live by Fox Business. The mission adds to the company's rapidly growing broadband constellation in low Earth orbit. SpaceX regularly conducts Starlink launches, sometimes several per week, and viewers tuned in to watch the liftoff and the booster's recovery attempt.