Martian Moons - GoKawiil

Reflect Orbital books two Skyroot launches for mirror satellite program

California startup Reflect Orbital has purchased two launches from India's Skyroot Aerospace, using the Vikram-1 and an upgraded Vikram-1U rocket, according to Payload Space. Reflect Orbital plans to deploy a constellation of roughly 50,000 orbital mirrors that reflect sunlight to the ground for power and illumination, with its first satellite set to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare next year.

arstechnica.com · 2026-10-16

JAXA Launches MMX Probe to Retrieve First Samples From Mars' Moon Phobos

Japan's space agency has launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, aiming to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons. The spacecraft will spend a year traveling to Mars, three years gathering samples in orbit, and another year returning to Earth, with samples expected to arrive in 2031.

wired.com · 2026-09-04