SpaceX launches record-breaking back-to-back Falcon 9 rockets for Globalstar, U.S. Space ForceAugust 15, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith
(...) SpaceX launched back-to-back missions for Globalstar and the U.S. Space Force Saturday night, shrinking its time between launches down to a record 38.5 minutes. (...)
SpaceX launched that mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number B1090, marking its 14th flight. It then went on to flip and land back at Landing Zone 40, adjacent to the launch pad, about eight minutes after liftoff.
This was the 52nd orbital launch from Florida’s Space Coast this year. (...)
The Globalstar flight, dubbed Globalstar 2-R Launch 1 Mission, was publicly announced by Globalstar in the springtime. It said the launch was scheduled to happen on Sunday, May 17, but the flight was pulled to “allow more time for Globalstar teams to prepare the satellites for launch.”
The flight announcement came about a month after Amazon announced its intention to acquire Globalstar, which would allow the Amazon Leo to add direct-to-device capabilities to its constellation and compete with companies, like SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile in that domain.
“This launch represents another important step in sustaining and strengthening the infrastructure our customers rely on every day,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, Globalstar, in a May 12 press release. “As we continue executing our long-term strategy, replenishing our existing constellation remains a critical part of delivering resilient satellite services around the world.”
In its latest earnings statement published Aug. 6, Globalstar said it would not be holding any further earnings calls or updates to its forward-looking guidance while the Amazon acquisition is pending. That deal is expected to close sometime in 2027.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/08/15/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-satellite-replenishment-mission-for-globalstar-from-cape-canaveral/Rocket Lab Satellite Platforms Built for MDA Space Successfully Reach Orbit, Supporting Globalstar Direct-to-Device Communications ServicesAugust 16, 2026
Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced the successful launch of eight advanced satellite platforms the Company built for MDA Space (TSX: MDA; NYSE: MDA), prime contractor for the replenishment of Globalstar’s (Nasdaq: GSAT) existing constellation, which provides direct-to-device communications services and IoT applications from orbit.
The satellite platforms are the first batch in a constellation of 17 platforms Rocket Lab has built under a $143 million deal with MDA Space.
The first eight of the 17 satellites were launched on Aug. 15 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:12 p.m. ET.
Rocket Lab has made contact with all eight satellites and confirmed all are performing nominally and generating power on orbit. Spacecraft commissioning has now begun to prepare the satellites to extend reliable mobile satellite services to customers globally as part of Globalstar’s existing network. (...)
The 500kg satellite platforms are a tailored version of the Company’s standard Lightning platform. Built and tested at Rocket Lab’s Headquarters in Long Beach, California, the satellite platforms feature the Company’s suite of in-house components and subsystems including solar arrays, reaction wheels, flight & ground software, parts of the suite of avionics, and Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) radios.
The Lightning platform is in production for multiple other high-profile missions, including a recently awarded space domain awareness program with the U.S. Space Force and the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta and Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellations. (...)
https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rocket-lab-satellite-platforms-built-mda-space-successfullyJohn Kraus @johnkrausphotos 3:57 AM · Aug 16, 2026
Tonight’s Falcon 9 rocket launch and landing from Cape Canaveral, Florida
https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/2088807452028375205John Kraus @johnkrausphotos 3:58 AM · Aug 16, 2026
Stage separation during tonight’s Falcon 9 rocket launch and landing from Cape Canaveral, Florida
https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/2088807542612807890D Wise @dwisecinema 5:07 AM · Aug 16, 2026
A beautiful launch, boost back, and landing of Falcon 9 for the Globalstar 2-R mission tonight. I took a trip a bit farther north than usual, and the side-on angle provided a spectacular view of the plume expansion.
📸 @NASASpaceflight
https://twitter.com/dwisecinema/status/2088824962266157437
Wątek: Falcon-9R B1090.14 | Globalstar 2-R | 16.08.2026 (Przeczytany 801 razy)