THE LAUNCH PAD
NETWORK
On August 6, 2024, China marked a significant milestone in its space ambitions with the successful launch of the first batch of 18 satellites for the Thousand Sails low Earth orbit (LEO) communications megaconstellation. However, the achievement has also raised concerns, as the launch resulted in a debris field along the orbit, potentially threatening other spacecraft.
China launched the second in a new series of geostationary communications satellites on a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China.
Japanese space tourism company Iwatani Giken, has successfully conducted a manned balloon flight test, reaching a record-breaking altitude of 20,816m (68,293ft), marking a historic milestone in the Japanese space tourism industry.
The mission, originally slated for 2025, has been rescheduled to launch in 2027. This change comes with a new target: the asteroid 2015 XF261.
Kazakhstan has taken a significant step in expanding its role in space exploration by signing a memorandum of cooperation on the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).
Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4), also known as DAICHI-4.
A static-fire test of the Tianlong-3 ended in catastrophic failure, accidental launch, and massive explosion
China is preparing for the inaugural launch of its ambitious G60 Starlink megaconstellation, a project aiming to deploy over 12,000 satellites into low Earth orbit.
Japanese radar imaging company Synspective has signed a contract with Rocket Lab for 10 Electron launches for their StriX synthetic aperture radar (SAR) spacecraft.
China has carried out a static fire test of the first stage of the Long March 10 rocket. This test, a major milestone in China's lunar exploration efforts, took place in the Fengtai district of Beijing.
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