https://flipnews.co.uk/topics/spacex/ The latest Flip News stories on SpaceX. en-GB Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:23:26 GMT https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/att-stankey-starlink-phone-plan/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/att-stankey-starlink-phone-plan/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT AT&T chief executive John Stankey told Axios that SpaceX's plan to turn Starlink into a mobile-network rival is 'not a viable strategy', citing cost and consent hurdles — the second US carrier boss to reject the idea this month. James Calloway AT&T Starlink John Stankey mobile networks SpaceX Inc. / Axios https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/satleo-tapas-1-thermal-payload-spacex-transporter-18/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/satleo-tapas-1-thermal-payload-spacex-transporter-18/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Ahmedabad startup SatLeo Labs will launch TAPAS-1, described as India's first dedicated commercial CubeSat-category thermal infrared payload, aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare on 1 October — the first flight of its planned PYRO thermal intelligence constellation. Priya Raman SatLeo Labs TAPAS-1 thermal imaging SpaceX Transporter-18 India The Hindu BusinessLine https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-starship-flight-14-first-orbital-flight/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-starship-flight-14-first-orbital-flight/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:40:00 GMT SpaceX's giant Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday, deploying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites, after an engine failure forced the mission to be cut short. James Calloway SpaceX Starship Starlink Elon Musk Reuters via Emirates 24/7, National Space Society https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/south-africa-urges-starlink-musk/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/south-africa-urges-starlink-musk/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Deputy minister Mondli Gungubele says South Africa is ready for Starlink, but urged Elon Musk to respect the country's 30% black economic empowerment ownership rule at a Bloomberg media event in Hermanus. Priya Raman Starlink South Africa Elon Musk licensing SpaceX Business Day https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/takeme2space-orbital-data-centre-falcon-9-2028/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/takeme2space-orbital-data-centre-falcon-9-2028/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:45:00 GMT Hyderabad start-up's two 100kg MOI satellites, each with 10 Nvidia Thor GPUs and laser links, booked on the Waymaker 2 rideshare via RIDE! space. Priya Raman TakeMe2Space orbital data centre SpaceX Falcon 9 India RIDE space Nvidia Business Standard / The Hindu BusinessLine https://flipnews.co.uk/science/takeme2space-orbital-computing-satellite-oct-1/ https://flipnews.co.uk/science/takeme2space-orbital-computing-satellite-oct-1/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Indian startup TakeMe2Space will fly its MOI-1A orbital computing satellite — carrying Nvidia edge-computing processors — aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission on 1 October, with 23 customers signed up to run AI models in orbit. Priya Raman TakeMe2Space SpaceX satellite orbital computing India Nvidia Reuters https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/nasa-ascent-dual-mode-propulsion-cubesat-october-launch/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/nasa-ascent-dual-mode-propulsion-cubesat-october-launch/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has completed ground testing of a shoebox-sized CubeSat that runs high-thrust and low-thrust engines off one non-toxic propellant tank, ahead of an October 1 Falcon 9 launch. Tom Ellery NASA CubeSat propulsion ASCENT Marshall Space Flight Center SpaceX NASA https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-falcon-heavy-crew13-oct1-doubleheader/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-falcon-heavy-crew13-oct1-doubleheader/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX plans two launches from Florida's Space Coast on Thursday Oct 1: NASA's four Crew-13 astronauts at 11:10 a.m. EDT, then a Falcon Heavy carrying the NRO's first-ever Falcon Heavy payload at 11:53 p.m. Tom Ellery SpaceX NASA Crew-13 Falcon Heavy NROL-97 Florida Today https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-ussf-385-classified-launch-vandenberg/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-ussf-385-classified-launch-vandenberg/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX is set to launch the classified USSF-385 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg before dawn on Saturday, in what would be the sixth and final Falcon 9 launch of the month from the California base. Tom Ellery SpaceX Space Force Starshield Vandenberg USSF-385 Spaceflight Now https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-ussf-385-vandenberg-launch/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-ussf-385-vandenberg-launch/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on the classified USSF-385 mission for the US Space Force from Vandenberg, with a pre-dawn window opening at 4:56 a.m. PT. Tom Ellery SpaceX USSF-385 Vandenberg Falcon 9 US Space Force Starshield TechTimes https://flipnews.co.uk/technology/musk-spacex-fable-gpt6-pole-position/ https://flipnews.co.uk/technology/musk-spacex-fable-gpt6-pole-position/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 06:10:00 GMT Elon Musk said on X on Thursday that SpaceX could have a model comparable to Anthropic's Fable or OpenAI's GPT-6 within two to three months — and reach the industry's 'pole position' in about six months if its pace of improvement holds. Tom Ellery Elon Musk SpaceX xAI Grok Anthropic OpenAI TokenPost, TradingView/Stocktwits https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/carney-canada-starlink-diversify-away/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/carney-canada-starlink-diversify-away/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister Mark Carney told the New York Times that Canada will reduce its reliance on Elon Musk's Starlink, framing it as part of a wider push to cut the country's strategic dependence on the United States. Sarah Whitfield Canada Mark Carney Starlink SpaceX satellite internet Telesat NDTV https://flipnews.co.uk/technology/google-suncatcher-ai-satellite/ https://flipnews.co.uk/technology/google-suncatcher-ai-satellite/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google has announced it will launch a prototype satellite on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare next week to test its Tensor Processing Units in orbit — the first in-orbit test of its Project Suncatcher research effort. Tom Ellery Google Project Suncatcher SpaceX TPU AI data centres Reuters https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-kenya-27600-subscribers/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-kenya-27600-subscribers/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Kenya's regulator reports Starlink Internet Services Kenya reached 27,616 fixed subscriptions in the quarter to June 2026 — about 99.7% of all satellite internet connections in the country. Tom Ellery Starlink Kenya satellite broadband Communications Authority of Kenya SpaceX Kahawatungu https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/vietjet-starlink-inflight-wifi-deal/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/vietjet-starlink-inflight-wifi-deal/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Vietjet has signed a strategic partnership with SpaceX's Starlink to bring free high-speed Wi-Fi to 120 aircraft, the deal exchanged in New York during Vietnam's presidential US visit. Sarah Whitfield Starlink SpaceX Vietjet inflight Wi-Fi Vietnam aviation Nikkei Asia https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/google-project-suncatcher-first-tpu-satellite/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/google-project-suncatcher-first-tpu-satellite/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google will launch a prototype satellite carrying its Tensor Processing Units on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare next week, the first in-orbit test of its Project Suncatcher research effort. James Calloway Google Project Suncatcher TPU SpaceX Planet Labs orbital data centres Reuters https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/poland-starlink-station-fire-sabotage-probe/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/poland-starlink-station-fire-sabotage-probe/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT A fire at a Starlink ground station in central Poland was a deliberate act aimed at disrupting internet access for Ukraine's military, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said, suggesting Russian hybrid warfare — while Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged caution pending the investigation. James Calloway Starlink Poland Ukraine sabotage SpaceX hybrid warfare Kyiv Independent https://flipnews.co.uk/science/crew-13-launch-oct-1/ https://flipnews.co.uk/science/crew-13-launch-oct-1/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT NASA and SpaceX are targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, 1 October, for the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, after a September attempt was scrubbed over a propellant leak. Tom Ellery NASA SpaceX Crew-13 International Space Station Dragon Falcon 9 NASA space station blog https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-mobile-south-africa-misses-out/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-mobile-south-africa-misses-out/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX's direct-to-cell service, newly rebranded Starlink Mobile, has US permission to roam in more than 150 countries — but South Africa is missing from the list while all six of its neighbours appear on it. Tom Ellery Starlink Starlink Mobile South Africa FCC ICASA SpaceX direct-to-cell MyBroadband https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-refuge-land-swap-ruling/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/spacex-refuge-land-swap-ruling/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT A federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres of wildlife refuge in Texas as part of a land swap, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge. Sarah Whitfield SpaceX Texas wildlife refuge Elon Musk federal court land swap The Guardian https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/exolaunch-starfall-2029/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/exolaunch-starfall-2029/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT German integrator Exolaunch has signed with SpaceX to fill a Starfall reentry capsule with customer payloads on a Starship mission launching no earlier than 2029 — its first Earth-return commitment and its first Starship booking. Sarah Whitfield Exolaunch SpaceX Starship Starfall EQT Payload Space https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-15-27-launch-outcome-vandenberg/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-15-27-launch-outcome-vandenberg/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX launched the Starlink Group 15-27 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday night, with veteran booster B1093 landing on a droneship after its 17th flight. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX Falcon 9 Vandenberg Space Affairs Live https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/kddi-au-starlink-mobile-v2-japan/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/kddi-au-starlink-mobile-v2-japan/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT KDDI will offer SpaceX's next-generation Starlink Mobile V2 service through au, bringing native voice calls and streaming direct to smartphones by the end of 2027. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX KDDI au Starlink Mobile V2 Japan direct-to-device The Fast Mode https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-group-15-27-vandenberg-sept-19/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-group-15-27-vandenberg-sept-19/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX is scheduled to launch the Starlink Group 15-27 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday, September 19 at 9:47 p.m. EST, adding another batch of satellites to its broadband megaconstellation. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX Falcon 9 Vandenberg Astronomy https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starship-flight-14-v3-starlink/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starship-flight-14-v3-starlink/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT SpaceX's 14th Starship test flight will attempt orbit for the first time on September 28 — deploying 26 next-gen V3 Starlink satellites built for 10x downlink capacity. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX Starship V3 TechCrunch https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-80th-mission-2026/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-80th-mission-2026/ Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT A Falcon 9 lifted 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on September 6 — the 80th Starlink mission of 2026 — as SpaceX shifts all Florida Starlink flights to Starship. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX launches Vandenberg Spaceflight Now