2026.07.15 | Vale Derryn Hinch: 9/02/1944 – 10/07/2026

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 15 July 2026:

Vale Derryn Hinch: Friend of the Space Association of Australia

To mark the death of Derryn Hinch in Melbourne at age 82, a playing of the recording of his commentary of the launch of Apollo 11, almost 57 years to the day.

Space Show News:

Soyuz MS29 launches to the International Space Station

Australian Space Industry 2026 – Part 2: 

* Cocos Island tracking station to support Gaganyaan spaceflights.

* Gilmour Space appoints Pam Melroy to its board of directors.

* Starfish Space's Otter Pup 2 satellite to use Gilmour Space's Elara Sat MMS-1 satellite as a rendezvous and proximity operations target.

* Fleet Space to use its Exosphere platform to help French Government agency BRGM make an inventory of France's subsurface mineral resources.

Rocket Lab:

* Rocket Lab uses its Electron rocket to launch the Victus Haze satellite for the U.S. Space Force in a record brief time.

* Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications Incorporated; Electron to launch the TSIS-2 satellite and two PolSIR satellites for NASA in 2027, and later the Aspera and LOXSAT craft.

Kamo'oalewa & Torifune:

* China's Tianwen 2 spacecraft has reached the asteroid Kamo'oalewa for a sampling mission.

* Japan's Hayabusa 2 has made a high-speed pass of asteroid Torifune whilst en route to asteroid 1998 KY26.