NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams completed U.S. spacewalk 95 on June 30, spending 7 hours and 20 minutes outside the station’s Quest airlock to replace the wrist joint on Canadarm2. The Canadian-built robotic arm malfunctioned during operations on May 27, drawing elevated motor current and failing to move correctly.
The EVA, which ended at 19:40 UTC, marked Meir’s fifth career spacewalk and Williams’ second, and stood as the 280th spacewalk conducted in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance.
Station operations continued July 1 when the Russian Progress 95 cargo vehicle fired its engines for nine and a half minutes to reboost the station for the arrival of Soyuz MS-29. The three-person Russian crew joined the station on July 14 aboard the Soyuz. Progress 95 itself has been docked to the Zvezda module’s aft port since arriving on the station following its April 26 launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Artemis III to Stream Live 4K Video via Starlink Lasers
NASA is equipping the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis III mission with two Starlink mini laser terminals, giving ground viewers a live high-definition look at the 2027 flight. The terminals will transmit 4K video and high-resolution imagery to the Mission Control Center in Houston.
During Artemis III, four astronauts will test Orion’s approach and docking with the commercial lunar landing systems needed for the 2028 return of humans to the Moon. According to NASA, the upgrade aims to “provide a front row seat for viewers from the Orion spacecraft.”
The integrated Starlink terminals use infrared optical communications rather than traditional radio, vastly expanding available bandwidth. The hardware builds on the technology powering the more than 25,000 laser links connecting the Starlink satellite constellation, and was previously demonstrated by SpaceX during a 2025 NASA test flight. Artemis II also used a similar NASA laser system to carry high-definition video and photos to ground receivers during its mission.
The integration falls under NASA’s Communications Services Project, run by the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation division, as NASA shifts toward commercial satellite services for missions close to Earth.
Northrop’s MRV-RSGS Launches Toward GEO
Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle, carrying the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites payload, lifted off from Cape Canaveral on July 21 aboard a rare expendable Falcon 9 and is now en route to geosynchronous Earth orbit.
The Mission Robotic Vehicle hosts twin dexterous robotic arms designed and developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which funds the RSGS programme. The spacecraft will inspect and upgrade satellites in GEO by installing small propulsion modules called mission extension pods, extending the operational life of existing spacecraft for years.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has supported the RSGS mission since 2024 under an interagency agreement with DARPA. NASA is contributing simulation and analysis tools, software analysis for performance verification, and a team of flight robot operators for the in-orbit procedures. NASA’s contributions draw on its servicing legacy, including the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and the Robotic Refueling Missions conducted aboard the International Space Station.
With hundreds of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, many fully functional spacecraft are decommissioned early because they run out of fuel or their equipment becomes obsolete. RSGS is intended to establish a U.S. capability to extend on-orbit lifetimes rather than replace hardware.
Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Date: July 23, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM UTC Vehicle: Long March 3B/E
Details TBD.
Flight 13
Provider: SpaceX Date: July 23, 2026 Time: 10:45 PM UTC Vehicle: Starship
13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3.
For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink satellites to space, which will extend solar arrays and antennas and will attempt to connect with ground stations in South Africa and the larger Starlink constellation via high-capacity lasers.
6 of the satellites have been modified with a suite of cameras to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to continue testing methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test.
Unknown Payload
Provider: CAS Space Date: July 23, 2026 Time: 11:30 PM UTC Vehicle: Kinetica 1
Details TBD.
Starlink Group 17-51
Provider: SpaceX Date: July 25, 2026 Time: 2:00 PM UTC Vehicle: Falcon 9
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Starlink Group 17-52
Provider: SpaceX Date: July 29, 2026 Time: 2:00 AM UTC Vehicle: Falcon 9
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Unknown Payload ×
Mission Details
TypeUnknown
OrbitUnknown
TargetEarth
Details TBD.
Launch Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The Long March 3B / E (G2) (CZ-3B / E) is one of the most successful medium-range launchers and the strongest variant of the CZ-3 series.
It was specially developed for the transport of heavy communications satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit.
13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3.
For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink satellites to space, which will extend solar arrays and antennas and will attempt to connect with ground stations in South Africa and the larger Starlink constellation via high-capacity lasers.
6 of the satellites have been modified with a suite of cameras to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to continue testing methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test.
The SpaceX Starship is a fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX since 2012, as a self-funded private spaceflight project. The second stage of the Starship — is designed as a long-duration cargo and passenger-carrying spacecraft. It is expected to be initially used without any booster stage at all, as part of an extensive development program to prove out launch-and-landing and iterate on a variety of design details, particularly with respect to the vehicle’s atmospheric reentry.
The second launch and landing pad of the full version of the combined SpaceX Starship and Superheavy booster. To be first used for launch in 2025 with version 3 of Starship and the Superheavy…
Kinetica 1 (also known as Lijian-1, Chinese: 力箭一号) is a Chinese solid-propellant light launch vehicle. It is capable of placing about 2 tons into low earth orbit and 1.5 tons into sun-synchronous orbit. It is developed by CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Kinetica 1 is a…
Specifications
Length30 m
Diameter2.65 m
Launch Mass135 t
Liftoff Thrust1,961 kN
LEO Capacity2,000 kg
SSO Capacity1,500 kg
ReusableNo
Maiden Flight2022-07-27
Launch Record
13 successful / 14 total launches
Current streak: 8 successful
Starlink Group 17-51 ×
Mission Details
TypeCommunications
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
TargetEarth
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
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