China begins construction of a new mega-constellation. The first batch of internet satellites for China's Guowang mega-constellation was launched on Monday on the country's Long March 5B heavy rocket, Ars reported. The satellites are the first of as many as 13,000 spacecraft that a consortium of Chinese companies plans to build and launch over the next decade. The Guowang fleet will broadcast high-speed, low-latency internet signals in an architecture similar to SpaceX's Starlink network, although Chinese officials have not laid out details such as target markets, service specifications or user terminals.
No falling debris, this time… China this week used its most powerful operational rocket, the Long March 5B, to launch the first ten Guowang satellites. Long March 5B's large core stage, which entered orbit during the rocket's previous missions and raised concerns about falling space debris, fell at a predetermined location in the sea lower than the launch site. The difference for this mission was the addition of the Yuanzheng 2 upper stage, which gave the rocket's payload the extra power they needed to reach their intended low Earth orbit. (submitted by Ken the Bin and EllPeaTea)
Elon Musk's security clearance is under investigation. A new investigation from The New York Times suggests that SpaceX founder Elon Musk failed to report his travel activities and other information to the Defense Department as required by his top-secret clearance, Ars reports. According to the newspaper, concerns about Musk's reporting practices have led to reviews by three different agencies within the military: the Air Force, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, and the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General. However, none of the federal agencies mentioned in the Times article have accused Musk of making classified material public.
It doesn't matter… According to the Times, Musk has failed to self-report details about his life since 2021, including travel activities, people he has met and drug use. The government is also concerned that SpaceX has failed to ensure Musk complies with reporting rules. Musk's national security profile has risen following his deep and full-throated support for Donald Trump, who won the US presidential campaign in November and will be sworn in next month. After this inauguration, Trump will have the power to grant security clearance to whomever he wishes.
