Gadgets On Flight

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  SpaceX Launches 24 More Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

  SpaceX successfully launched 24 new Starlink satellites on Aug. 14, lifting off at 1:05 a.m. EDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The first-stage booster, B1093, completed its fifth flight and landed smoothly on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. This mission marked SpaceX’s 98t...

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  Ariane 6 Launches Metop-SGA1 Weather Satellite into Polar Orbit

  Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket completed its third successful launch on Aug. 12, 2025, lifting off from Kourou, French Guiana at 8:37 p.m. EDT. The mission carried Metop-SGA1, an 8,900-pound next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite operated by EUMETSAT. Placed into an 800 km polar orbit 64 minutes after liftoff, Metop-SGA1 will deliv...

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  Singapore Researchers Build Maple Seed Drone with Record 26-Minute Flight

  SUTD’s maple seed-inspired monocopter achieves a record 26-minute flight with a single rotor. Lightweight, efficient, and simple, it offers promising uses in environmental monitoring and research. The project reflects a 10-year journey from large endurance drones to compact, power-efficient designs.

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  Raphael Domjan Nears Solar Flight World Record with 8,224-Metre SolarStratos Journey

  Raphael Domjan, a Swiss eco-explorer, achieved an 8,224-meter altitude in his SolarStratos aircraft, edging closer to breaking the solar-powered flight record. The attempt, departing from Sion Airport, showcased the potential of renewable energy in aviation.

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  SpaceX to Fly Italian Science Experiments to Mars on Starship in 2026

  SpaceX has signed a landmark agreement with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to deliver Italian science experiments to Mars aboard its Starship rocket. Announced on August 7, 2025, the mission will carry a plant-growth module, a meteorological station, and a radiation detector to collect crucial data during the six-month journey and on the Martian su...

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  Blue Origin’s NS-34 Mission Successfully Carries Global Crew

  Blue Origin’s 14th crewed spaceflight, NS-34, lifted off from West Texas on August 3, 2025. This symbolic flight marked the long-postponed space journey of Justin Sun, crypto billionaire and founder of Tron. Joined by adventurers and professionals from different corners of the world, including India and Puerto Rico, the mission highlighted global...

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  SpaceX Launches 28 Starlink Satellites as Booster B1069 Flies for 26th Time

  SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit on July 30, 2025, from Cape Canaveral. The Starlink 10-29 mission lifted off at 11:37 p.m. EDT aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the 96th launch of the year for SpaceX. After payload separation, the rocket’s first stage, booster B1069, landed flawlessly on the drones...

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  SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

  SpaceX launched two mPOWER internet satellites into medium Earth orbit and landed its Falcon 9 booster on a ship in the Atlantic, marking its 89th Falcon mission of the year. The satellites will expand SES’s global network as the company moves closer to completing its 13-satellite constellation for advanced internet coverage worldwide.

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  NASA Grounds Boeing Starliner Until 2026 After Test Flight Failures

  NASA has grounded Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner until at least 2026 following critical malfunctions during its June 2024 crewed test flight. The mission was cut short due to multiple thruster failures and helium pressurization leaks. NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth empty, leaving the astronauts on the ISS for safety. Engineers traced t...

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  NASA Crew-11 Astronauts Begin Pre-Launch Quarantine Ahead of July 2025 Flight

  NASA’s Crew-11 astronauts have entered the final stage before launch: a two-week quarantine designed to prevent illness before their mission to the ISS. Led by commander Zena Cardman, the four-person team also includes Nick Hague, Thomas Pesquet (ESA), and Alexander Grebenkin (Roscosmos). The team will launch no earlier than July 31 from Kennedy ...

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  Axiom 4 Mission Crew Settles Down at ISS, Begins Conducting Biomedical Research

  Crews aboard the ISS carried out crucial biomedical research focused on immunity and muscle function in space. JAXA’s Takuya Onishi and the Ax-4 astronauts contributed to ongoing health studies, while engineers completed maintenance tasks and offloaded cargo from Progress 92. These activities mark another step forward in preparing humans for long...

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  Blue Origin Sends 750th Human to Space in Landmark Suborbital Flight from Texas

  Blue Origin launched six tourists on its NS-33 mission, sending them past the Kármán Line and marking the 750th human in space. The 10-minute suborbital flight reached 105.2 km before landing safely in West Texas. The crew, dubbed “The Solstice 33,” experienced weightlessness and carried student postcards as part of Blue Origin’s educationa...

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  SpaceX to Launch Over 150 Memorial DNA Capsules into Orbit on Celestis’ Perseverance Flight

  SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission on June 23 will carry over 150 capsules of DNA and cremated remains into orbit for Celestis. The flight, in partnership with The Exploration Company, will briefly orbit Earth before reentry. It marks Celestis’ 25th space memorial mission and offers a symbolic journey for participants, including the youngest Europ...

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  SpaceX Launches 26 Starlink Satellites from California to Expand Low Earth Orbit Internet Network

  SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites from California on June 16, advancing its global broadband expansion. The Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered the payload to low Earth orbit, and its booster completed a third landing on a Pacific droneship. The mission supports Starlink’s growing constellation, which now includes over 7,760 active satell...

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  SpaceX Launches 26 New Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

  SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites on June 12 from California, expanding its broadband network beyond 7,600 active units. The mission marked the 72nd Falcon 9 launch of 2025, with 53 supporting Starlink. Booster B1081, reused for the 15th time, landed safely on a droneship, reinforcing SpaceX’s continued dominance in satellite deployment and ...