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SpaceX successfully launched the Sentinel-6B ocean-mapping satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Monday, marking a major step in global efforts to track rising sea levels.The satellite lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, with NASA spokesman Derrol Nail announcing, "Sentinel-6B rising, extending nearly four decades of the precise sea-level record from space."Sentinel-6B, part of the EU's Copernicus Earth-observation program, will measure sea-surface height with high accuracy, continuing the work of its predecessor, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched in 2020. The mission is considered the global reference standard for monitoring sea-level rise -- a key indicator of climate change.According to the European Space Agency (ESA), global sea levels have risen by nearly 10 centimeters over the past 25 years, making precise long-term monitoring an international priority.The satellite carries an ESA-developed radar altimeter and a NASA microwave radiometer that measures atmospheric water vapor to improve the accuracy of sea-level readings.SpaceX confirmed that the Falcon 9's upper stage deployed Sentinel-6B about 57 minutes after launch, while the rocket's first stage returned to Vandenberg for a successful landing -- its third mission to date.

The American space-technology company SpaceX conducted a dual-launch operation this week, dispatching two batches of Starlink Internet-satellites aboard two Falcon 9 rockets in the same launch window.In a statement, the company said the first Falcon 9 took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 29 satellites into low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster successfully landed on a SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.Within the same launch window, a second Falcon 9 launched a further batch of 29 satellites. Its first-stage booster also achieved a successful drone-ship landing, while the upper stage deployed the satellites on schedule.These missions advance the Starlink network, a vast satellite constellation aiming to provide global Internet coverage; currently, thousands of satellites are already in orbit. SpaceX said such launches help maintain the constellation's frequent and rapid replenishment.The company described the flights as part of a "record pace" of Falcon 9 launches this year as it scales up capacity and reduces turnaround time between missions.

South Korea has launched its fifth homegrown military reconnaissance satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a US space base in Florida, the country's Ministry of National Defense announced Sunday. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as scheduled and successfully placed the satellite into orbit about 14 minutes after liftoff, according to the ministry.According to Yonhap News Agency, the new satellite, equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, is the fifth and final satellite under South Korea's plan to deploy five spy satellites by the end of this year. The constellation aims to enhance real-time monitoring of North Korea and reduce Seoul's reliance on US satellite imagery.Operating a cluster of five reconnaissance satellites will enable the rapid and precise detection of potential North Korean military activities, the ministry said, noting that the system will reinforce South Korea's three-axis deterrence structure — which includes preemptive strike, missile defense, and retaliatory capabilities.Once all five satellites are operational, South Korea is expected to achieve round-the-clock surveillance, with the ability to observe North Korea roughly every two hours.South Korea launched its first military spy satellite in December 2023, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing high-resolution imagery. It has since launched three more SAR-equipped satellites capable of collecting data in all weather conditions and at any time of day.

SpaceX launched on Monday the eleventh flight of its Starship spacecraft from its Starbase facility in Texas, on a test mission aimed at evaluating the reusable system's capability to launch satellites and, in the future, transport humans to the Moon and Mars. The Starship vehicle, consisting of the upper stage mounted atop a Super Heavy booster, lifted off at around 23:23 GMT. After stage separation, the booster returned for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about ten minutes after liftoff, while the upper stage continued on its planned suborbital path before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. According to SpaceX, this test flight focused on improving re-entry performance and heat shield durability, as well as validating in-space engine restart capabilities ahead of future operational missions. The Starship spacecraft is part of NASA's Artemis program and is scheduled to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027. The rocket is also expected to play a major role in launching larger Starlink satellites, which support SpaceX's goal of expanding global broadband internet coverage and advancing preparations for future missions to Mars.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 06:46 GMT, marking the company's 130th mission of the year and the rocket's 126th flight in 2025. About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the first stage of the Falcon 9 successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the eighth launch and landing for the booster, designated B1090, which had previously supported several missions, including CRS-33, O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, O3b mPOWER-D, and two earlier Starlink missions. The flight, designated Starlink 10-59, expands SpaceX's rapidly growing Starlink constellation, which now includes more than 8,500 satellites designed to provide global broadband internet coverage. In addition to the Falcon 9 missions, SpaceX has also conducted four suborbital test flights of its Starship rocket this year, with a fifth test scheduled for October 13.