Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with NIBE Space (a subsidiary of NIBE Limited) concerning the supply of a high-resolution optical satellite, marking the first step in NIBE’s Earth Observation constellation project— this initial contract aims to establish the first operational Earth Observation’s (EO) capabilities for NIBE in India by 2025.

This achievement reinforces the partnership initiated in 2024 between Thales Alenia Space and NIBE for the deployment of India’s first private EO constellation.

The contract was recently signed during a ceremony with the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis present. BlackSky also signed a service agreement for subscription-based imagery and analytics to deliver space-based monitoring services supporting NIBE’s various Indian customers.

“I am extremely pleased that Thales Alenia Space will contribute to developing sovereign Earth Observation capabilities in India,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “Supporting the deployment of India’s first private Earth observation constellation means a lot to our company as this is Thales Alenia Space’s first cooperation on an Indian space program. I would like to thank NIBE for putting its trust in our company. We look forward to making available our long-standing expertise and industrial capabilities in optical and radar sensors and start a promising Space cooperation with India.”

“We are proud to see our partnership with Thales Alenia Space take another concrete step forward with the signing of the contract for a high-resolution optical satellite. This is part of our larger national endeavor, aligned with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, to bolster India’s position as a leader in space technology and applications,” said Ganesh Nibe, Chairman & Managing Director of NIBE Limited. “With Thales Alenia Space’s vast global expertise and experience, we look forward to taking India’s space capabilities to newer heights.”

About NIBE Limited
Established in 2021 under the leadership of Mr. Ganesh Ramesh Nibe, the company and its subsidiaries specialise in manufacturing a wide spectrum of Critical Components catering to the Defence industry such as fabrication of structures and sub-assemblies for programmes such as Modular Bridge, Rudder blade assembly, Pinaka launcher and MRSAM launcher for tri-services of Indian defence, to components of Electronic systems, Small arms (such as assault rifles and LMGs), and Space projects for domestic as well as international applications. NIBE Limited along with its subsidiaries is committed towards continuously refining and adapting its approach, positioning itself as a leader in the defence industry. Moreover, in alignment with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, NIBE Limited extends its commitment to fostering self-reliance in the defence sector.

About THALES ALENIA SPACE
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.

On Saturday, February 8 at 2:18 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the 17th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, O3b mPOWER, Bluebird 1-5, USSF-124, and now 13 Starlink missions.

SpaceX’s Starlink Group 12-9 to launch smallsats on Friday

On Friday, February 7th, Falcon 9 will launch a batch of smallsats for the Starlink mega-constellation into low Earth orbit. SpaceX’s project for a space-based internet communication system will be launched from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch costs $52 million.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 72°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 4mph.

Rocket lab has rescheduled the IoT 4 you to Sunday, February 8/9 from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand on Saturday at 12:43 PM PST or Sunday, K09:43 am NZDT (20:43 UTC).

“IOT 4 You and Me” is Rocket Lab’s first scheduled launch of 2025, with the company expecting this year to exceed its record-breaking launch cadence of 16 launches across Electron and HASTE achieved in 2024.

The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024. K09:43 am NZDT (20:43 UTC) Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

Rocket Lab’s Tuesday launch of IoT 4 You and Me is scrubbed with concerns of collision with ISS and others

Rocket Lab’s Tuesday launch is also scrubbed with an explaination indicating that: Rocket Lab has delayed the launch of the IOT 4 You and Me mission in order to ensure the mission does not interfere with “space traffic from other satellites and the ISS,” according to a company statement on X see below. A new launch date has not yet been set.

What is COLA? Collision On Launch Avoidance/Assessment — a process that assesses space traffic from other satellites and the ISS to determine when a rocket can be launched safely. It essentially it tells us when it’s safe to merge onto the space highway. Because the position of spacecraft are always changing relative to each other and the Earth, COLA reports are most accurate a few hours out from launch, which is why sometimes they’ll cause a shift in launch date or time fairly close to the planned T-0.

Rocket Lab ready to launch IoT 4 You and Me Kinéis 16-20 on Tuesday but weather presents challenge

Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch its fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each at a cost of $6 Million.

The launch will take place at 12:43 pm PST from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

Weather is a challenge with a forecast that calls for a temperature of 63°F, overcast clouds, 99% cloud cover and a wind speed of 7mph.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Kinéis’ space connectivity applications are used in a number of fields that represent major challenges for humankind: natural risk prevention (detection of forest fires, floods, pollution, etc.), monitoring of infrastructure and energy networks (detection of anomalies, predictive maintenance, etc.), transport and logistics monitoring agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, and monitoring of agriculture activities.

The Kinéis constellation also integrates the AIS (Automatic Identification System), a maritime automatic identification system for ships operating on VHF (Very High Frequency) radio frequencies, which enables ship and surveillance systems to know the identity, position, direction and status of ships at sea.

Kinéis’ satellite-based AIS (S-AIS) is a high-performance system (requiring no ground infrastructure) that complements terrestrial AIS, enabling ships to be monitored worldwide, even in international waters not accessible by terrestrial AIS.

Rocket Lab’s launch of IoT 4 You and Me Kinéis 16-20 Monday

IOT 4 You and Me Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch Fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each on Monday, February 3, at 12:43 pm PST.

The launch will take place from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The forecast calls for a temperature of 64°F, clear skies, 8% cloud cover and a wind speed of 16mph.

The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

“IOT 4 You and Me” is Rocket Lab’s first scheduled launch of 2025, with the company expecting this year to exceed its record-breaking launch cadence of 16 launches across Electron and HASTE achieved in 2024.

Created in 2018, Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. It inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites). Its mission is to develop reliable technology that provides easy access to useful satellite data.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Rocket Lab’s launch of IoT 4 You and Me (Kinéis 16-20) scheduled February 4

The “IOT 4 You and Me” mission is scheduled to launch during window that opens on February 4th NZDT. Within the multi-day window, there is an instantaneous launch opportunity daily at 09:43 am NZDT (20:43 UTC).

The launch will take place from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

“IOT 4 You and Me” is Rocket Lab’s first scheduled launch of 2025, with the company expecting this year to exceed its record-breaking launch cadence of 16 launches across Electron and HASTE achieved in 2024.

Created in 2018, Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. It inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites). Its mission is to develop reliable technology that provides easy access to useful satellite data.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Kinéis’ space connectivity applications are used in a number of fields that represent major challenges for mankind, its activities and its environment today: natural risk prevention (detection of forest fires, floods, pollution, etc.), monitoring of infrastructures and energy networks (detection of anomalies, predictive maintenance, etc.), transport and logistics monitoring, agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, and monitoring of commercial and leisure maritime activities.

The Kinéis constellation also integrates the AIS (Automatic Identification System), a maritime automatic identification system for ships operating on VHF (Very High Frequency) radio frequencies, which enables ships and surveillance systems to know the identity, position, direction and status of ships at sea.

Kinéis’ satellite-based AIS (S-AIS) is a high-performance system (requiring no ground infrastructure) that complements terrestrial AIS, enabling ships to be monitored worldwide, even in international waters not accessible by terrestrial AIS.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has signed a multi-launch deal with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based, Earth imaging company.

Rocket Lab’s Tuesday launch is also scrubbed with an explaination indicating that: Rocket Lab has delayed the launch of the IOT 4 You and Me mission in order to ensure the mission does not interfere with “space traffic from other satellites and the ISS,” according to a company statement on X see below. A new launch date has not yet been set.

What is COLA? Collision On Launch Avoidance/Assessment — a process that assesses space traffic from other satellites and the ISS to determine when a rocket can be launched safely. It essentially it tells us when it’s safe to merge onto the space highway. Because the position of spacecraft are always changing relative to each other and the Earth, COLA reports are most accurate a few hours out from launch, which is why sometimes they’ll cause a shift in launch date or time fairly close to the planned T-0.

Rocket Lab ready to launch IoT 4 You and Me Kinéis 16-20 on Tuesday but weather presents challenge

Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch its fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each at a cost of $6 Million.

The launch will take place at 12:43 pm PST from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

Weather is a challenge with a forecast that calls for a temperature of 63°F, overcast clouds, 99% cloud cover and a wind speed of 7mph.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Kinéis’ space connectivity applications are used in a number of fields that represent major challenges for humankind: natural risk prevention (detection of forest fires, floods, pollution, etc.), monitoring of infrastructure and energy networks (detection of anomalies, predictive maintenance, etc.), transport and logistics monitoring agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, and monitoring of agriculture activities.

The Kinéis constellation also integrates the AIS (Automatic Identification System), a maritime automatic identification system for ships operating on VHF (Very High Frequency) radio frequencies, which enables ship and surveillance systems to know the identity, position, direction and status of ships at sea.

Kinéis’ satellite-based AIS (S-AIS) is a high-performance system (requiring no ground infrastructure) that complements terrestrial AIS, enabling ships to be monitored worldwide, even in international waters not accessible by terrestrial AIS.

Rocket Lab’s launch of IoT 4 You and Me Kinéis 16-20 Monday

IOT 4 You and Me Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch Fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each on Monday, February 3, at 12:43 pm PST.

The launch will take place from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The forecast calls for a temperature of 64°F, clear skies, 8% cloud cover and a wind speed of 16mph.

The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

“IOT 4 You and Me” is Rocket Lab’s first scheduled launch of 2025, with the company expecting this year to exceed its record-breaking launch cadence of 16 launches across Electron and HASTE achieved in 2024.

Created in 2018, Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. It inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites). Its mission is to develop reliable technology that provides easy access to useful satellite data.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Rocket Lab’s launch of IoT 4 You and Me (Kinéis 16-20) scheduled February 4

The “IOT 4 You and Me” mission is scheduled to launch during window that opens on February 4th NZDT. Within the multi-day window, there is an instantaneous launch opportunity daily at 09:43 am NZDT (20:43 UTC).

The launch will take place from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The mission is the fourth of five dedicated Electron launches booked by Kinéis in a multi-launch contract that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites.  The first three missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September and November 2024.

“IOT 4 You and Me” is Rocket Lab’s first scheduled launch of 2025, with the company expecting this year to exceed its record-breaking launch cadence of 16 launches across Electron and HASTE achieved in 2024.

Created in 2018, Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. It inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites). Its mission is to develop reliable technology that provides easy access to useful satellite data.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Kinéis’ space connectivity applications are used in a number of fields that represent major challenges for mankind, its activities and its environment today: natural risk prevention (detection of forest fires, floods, pollution, etc.), monitoring of infrastructures and energy networks (detection of anomalies, predictive maintenance, etc.), transport and logistics monitoring, agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, and monitoring of commercial and leisure maritime activities.

The Kinéis constellation also integrates the AIS (Automatic Identification System), a maritime automatic identification system for ships operating on VHF (Very High Frequency) radio frequencies, which enables ships and surveillance systems to know the identity, position, direction and status of ships at sea.

Kinéis’ satellite-based AIS (S-AIS) is a high-performance system (requiring no ground infrastructure) that complements terrestrial AIS, enabling ships to be monitored worldwide, even in international waters not accessible by terrestrial AIS.

With a launch that was definately fogged in, on Tuesday, February 4 at 5:15 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. All photos by Satnews.

SpaceX has now launched 15 Falcon 9 missions so far in 2025. Ten of them have been Starlink flights. This was the 21st flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched OneWeb 1, SES 18+19, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F1, CRS-24, and now 17 Starlink missions.

Last year, SpaceX launched more than 130 Falcon 9 flights, with approximately two-thirds of them designated specifically for the Starlink network that is the largest satellite constellation to date. SpaceX currently operates nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites in LEO, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

SpaceX launch of Starlink Group 12-3 smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell now on Tuesday

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, February 4 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 3:37 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 6:24 a.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available Wednesday, February 5 starting at 2:59 a.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

According to weather officials, there’s a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. The forecast calls for a temperature of 68°F, broken clouds, 55% cloud cover and a wind speed of 7mph.

This is the 21st flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched OneWeb 1, SES 18+19, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F1, CRS-24, and 16 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX to launch Starlink Group 12-3 smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell on Monday

SpaceX is targeting Monday, February 3 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 5:54 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 7:42 a.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available Tuesday, February 4 starting at 3:36 a.m. ET.

According to weather officials, there’s a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. The forecast calls for a temperature of 65°F, few clouds, 14% cloud cover and a wind speed of 8mph.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

This is the 21st flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched OneWeb 1, SES 18+19, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F1, CRS-24, and 16 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

ATLAS Space Operations® has secured a strategic partnership with Hawkeye 360—the collaboration is to enhance HawkEye 360’s RF monitoring capabilities by integrating ATLAS’ Mingenew, Australia, and Awarua, New Zealand, ground stations into its existing ground network coverage.

About HawkEye 360
HawkEye 360, headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, leads in defense technology, offering insights into human activity and situational trends from revolutionary radio frequency (RF) geospatial data. Its innovative space-based technology detects, characterizes, and geolocates RF signals, providing an information advantage. These analytics enable analysts to detect irregular behavior, trace suspicious activity, and reveal ships attempting to vanish, offering early warnings to drive tip-and-cue efforts and empowering global leaders with critical insights for confident decision-making.

About ATLAS Space Operations®:
ATLAS Space Operations is the leading provider of Ground Software as a Service in the space communications industry. ATLAS’ revolutionary Freedom® software has been recognized by industry-leading publications and organizations such as Via Satellite and CIO Review. Additionally, Aerospace & Defense Review named ATLAS the Space Tech Company of the Year (2024) and acknowledged ATLAS as one of the Top Satellite Solutions Providers (2024, 2023). Lastly, ATLAS was highlighted in the CIO Review: Telecom Edition as Company of the Year (2023), as well as one of the 10 Most Promising Technologies. ATLAS combines the Freedom Software Platform and its federated global antenna network to achieve its mission of securing space access anytime, anywhere.om.

Recently, SatRev successfully launched a satellite that is based on the company’s advanced Raccoon platform into orbit.

About SatRev
SatRev S.A. is a Polish space sector company founded in 2016, specializing in satellite design, manufacturing, and operations, as well as data analytics solutions. SatRev is a national integrator of the full supply chain for nano- and microsatellite production. To date, SatRev has successfully launched 12 satellites into Earth’s orbit.SatRev’s satellites can be used to solve challenges related to resource utilization and optimization across a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture, energy resource assessment, and critical infrastructure monitoring.The development of the company’s innovative satellite systems is based primarily on its proprietary technological capabilities, intellectual property, and its importance to national security and economic growth. SatRev is engaged in advanced discussions with space agencies and governments across its primary target markets, including the USA, Australia, the UK, the European Union, and the Middle East. In November 2024, the company signed a letter of intent with ECL S.A. to initiate negotiations aimed at debuting on the NewConnect market.

PASCO has been selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to spearhead data services for the Advanced Land Observing Satellite ‘Daichi 4’ (ALOS-4).