#WASHINGTON — As a Mars #helicopter continues to operate far past expectations, lessons from that vehicle are being incorporated into NASA’s evolving Mars Sample Return plans.

NASA’s Jet #Propulsion Laboratory announced Jan. 2 that the Ingenuity Mars helicopter completed its 70th flight on Dec. 22. The helicopter flew 260 meters during the 133-second flight, and has now traversed about 17 kilometers since its first flight in April 2021.

Ingenuity was included on the Mars 2020 mission as a technology demonstrator with the intent of performing no more than five flights. The success of Ingenuity during those flights led #NASA to continue flying the helicopter, turning it into a scout for the Perseverance rover.

#TAMPA, Fla. — #SpaceX launched its first batch of Starlink #satellites designed to connect directly to unmodified smartphones Jan. 2 after getting a temporary experimental license to start testing the capability in the United States.

Six of the 21 #Starlink #satellites that launched on a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:44 p.m. Eastern from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, carry a payload that the company said could provide connectivity for most 4G LTE devices when in range.

SpaceX plans to start enabling texting from space this year in partnership with cellular operators, with voice and data connectivity coming in 2025, although the company still needs regulatory permission to provide the services commercially

#WASHINGTON — India launched an astronomy satellite to start a year that will feature key tests for its human spaceflight program and a potential joint crewed mission with NASA.

A Polar #Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off at 10:40 p.m. Eastern Dec. 31 (9:10 a.m. local Jan. 1) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. It deployed its primary payload, the XPoSat spacecraft, into a 650-kilometer orbit about 22 minutes later.

The 469-kilogram satellite carries two instruments to conduct X-ray polarimetry measurements. Astronomers plan to use the data collected by XPoSat to study neutron stars, black holes and supernovae. #spacenews

#HELSINKI — #China launched three low Earth orbit broadband test satellites Friday, completing a record-breaking year for launches globally.

A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from Jiuquan #Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 7:13 p.m. Dec. 29 (0013 UTC, Dec. 30). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Group (CASC) confirmed launch success and revealed the passengers to be three satellite Internet technology test satellites.

U.S. Space Force space domain awareness later tracked three objects in roughly 930 by 940-kilometer orbits with an inclination of 50 degrees.

#TAMPA, Fla. — Former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez’s shell company got more time from investors to merge with Lynk Global, but has to give $176 million back to those opting to redeem shares rather than a potential stake in the direct-to-smartphone #satellite operator.

Slam Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that raised $575 million by listing shares on #Nasdaq in February 2021 to search for an investment opportunity, now has less than $99 million in its trust account following a separate batch of shareholder redemptions earlier this year

#Pentagon agencies team up in upcoming launch of #hypersonic tracking #satellites
Satellites developed by the Missile Defense Agency and the Space Development Agency will be part of a national security space mission currently projected for the second quarter of.

#SANTA FE, N.M. — Japanese Earth observation company #Axelspace has raised nearly $44 million to both expand its satellite constellation and provide smallsats for other applications.

The Tokyo-based company announced Dec. 21 that it raised 6.24 billion yen ($43.9 million) in a Series D round from several Japanese companies and venture funds. The company, which last raised 2.58 billion yen in a Series C round in 2021, has brought in 14.3 billion yen since its founding in 2008.

The company currently operates five microsatellites that provide medium-resolution imagery through a service it calls AxelGlobe. Four of those #satellites launched in 2021, three years after its first satellite. #Axelspace said the new funding will support expansion of its satellite constellation but did not provide details about the plans

#HELSINKI — #China added a new pair of satellites to its #Beidou positioning and navigation system late Monday, but spent stages from the launch landed within inhabited areas.

A Long March 3B equipped with a Yuanzheng-1 upper stage lifted off from the Xichang #Satellite Launch Center at 10:26 p.m. Eastern Dec. 25 (0326 UTC, Dec. 26), successfully delivering two Beidou satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO).

#HELSINKI — Japan’s SLIM robotic #spacecraft entered lunar orbit Dec. 25, setting up a moon landing attempt scheduled for Jan. 19.

#SLIM completed a roughly three-minute-long lunar orbit insertion burn at 2:51 a.m. Eastern (0751 UTC), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced Christmas Day.

#SLIM is now in a 600 x 4,000-kilometer polar lunar orbit, as planned. The #spacecraft is currently in a normal condition, #JAXA stated. It will soon begin gradually lowering its orbit in preparation for landing.