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Space Now
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News from the last 24 hours, plus the ongoing storylines shaping the roadmap
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The Briefing
The developments worth your attention right now
If you only have a minute, start here. These are the changes most likely to affect missions, schedules, or the longer arc of the story.
Two coasts, 53 satellites, one day
The Vandenberg mission closed the doubleheader at 9:46 p.m. PDT. Falcon 9 booster B1103 completed its fifth flight and landed on the Pacific droneship Of Course I Still Love You.
The mission cargo were routine; operating from both coasts within hours is the more useful measure of Falcon 9’s launch cadence.
Both missions are now complete, turning two scheduled attempts into 53 additional satellites in orbit.
What we know
- SpaceX launched two dozen of its Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff happened at 9:46 p.m. PDT. The mission used Falcon 9 first stage B1103 on its fifth flight, and the booster landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You.
- SpaceX launched 29 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast today (Aug. 11).
- SpaceX launched 24 more of its Starlink global internet satellite constellation to orbit from California on Aug. 11, wrapping the second Starlink launch of the day.
What remains unknown
- Whether the target, status, webcast, or mission outcome changes again after the next public update.
Deployment confirmation and the timing of SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 mission will show how quickly the cadence continues.
Spaceflight Now
SpaceX launched two dozen of its Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff happened at 9:46 p.m. PDT. The mission used Falcon 9 first stage B1103 on its fifth flight, and the booster landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You.
Open sourceSpace.com
SpaceX launched 29 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast today (Aug. 11).
Open sourceSpace.com
SpaceX launched 24 more of its Starlink global internet satellite constellation to orbit from California on Aug. 11, wrapping the second Starlink launch of the day.
Open sourceFirefly posts its first $100 million-plus quarter
Firefly Aerospace reported $117.7 million in quarterly revenue and projected $420 million to $450 million for the full year.
The results show Firefly’s launch and defense work producing material revenue, but Alpha’s delayed return remains an operational test.
Quick hits
Also worth knowing
Three smaller developments worth keeping on your radar.
Defense customers are treating rapid turnaround less like a niche feature and more like an operating requirement.
Science missionsNASA’s public schedule continues to target Aug. 30, 2026, for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.Roman is close enough to launch that a firm confirmation or delay would matter quickly.
Lunar infrastructure in development for sustained exploration and science operations.Several NASA-backed CLPS cargo missions remain spread across 2026 and 2027.A durable lunar program needs repeatable deliveries, not isolated landings.
Artemis III prime crew members
Crew assignment is not evidence the mission will launch on time, but it is a concrete development that NASA is moving from architecture drawings into flight preparation.
This turns Artemis III from a program milestone into a named crewed mission with training and integration work now visible.
Webb caught a clue about black holes that may have formed first
NASA's Webb team reports evidence that a massive early-universe black hole in Abell2744-QSO1 may have formed before a mature host galaxy.
The image shows a lensed Little Red Dot in Pandora's Cluster, magnified into multiple views that let Webb study gas motion near a distant black hole.
It is a reminder that the same space ecosystem tracking rockets also expands the story of how the universe built its first structures.
You're caught up. Check back after the next source and editorial review.
What to Watch Next
The moments this briefing was watching
These were the events Space Now was watching from this briefing date.
Starship Flight 14 orbital attempt
Regulatory clearance and a firm launch date remain the immediate gates for SpaceX’s planned orbital mission.
New Glenn recovery and test plan
Testing at Stennis could advance while Launch Complex 36 is rebuilt, keeping pad work from controlling the entire recovery schedule.
Falcon 9 launch of MRV-1 from Cape Canaveral
MRV-1 carries a robotic system intended to extend the working lives of satellites in geostationary orbit.