Falcon Heavy Launches Final ViaSat-3 Terabit-Class Satellite A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched the third and final terabit-class ViaSat-3 broadband satellite toward geostationary orbit on April 29, marking the completion of a broadband constellation that has been in development for over a decade. The launch, the Falcon Heavy’s 12th since its 2018 debut, took place at 10:13 a.m. Eastern Time from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, with its two side boosters successfully landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately eight minutes later for reuse. The satellite, weighing roughly 6,400 kilograms, is expected to separate from the rocket nearly five hours after liftoff and use onboard electric propulsion to reach its operational orbit over the Asia Pacific region several months later. Viasat expects the satellite, designated F3, to enter commercial service late summer after undergoing extensive health checks on its payload and spacecraft bus from Boeing. The launch followed a delay of just over a month, as SpaceX had initially planned to send F3 into space on April 27 but called off the mission seconds before liftoff due to unfavorable weather conditions. The satellite’s deployment is a critical milestone for Viasat, which has faced significant challenges in its efforts to deliver high-capacity broadband services. The ViaSat-3 constellation was originally slated to begin providing terabit-per-second (Tbps) services in 2019, but production delays, supply chain disruptions, and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the first launch to 2023. However, the first satellite, ViaSat-3 F1, launched in 2023, suffered a major setback when its deployable reflector failed to unfold properly, resulting in the loss of more than 90% of its planned terabit capacity.#spacex #kennedy_space_center #l3harris #northrop_grumman #viasat
US Military Contractor Likely Built iPhone Hacking Tools Used by Russian Spies in Ukraine A sophisticated hacking campaign targeting iPhone users in Ukraine and China has been linked to tools likely developed by U.S. military contractor L3Harris, according to a report by TechCrunch. The toolkit, known as "Coruna," was initially designed for Western intelligence operations but ended up in the hands of Russian government spies and Chinese cybercriminals. The discovery of Coruna’s use in global attacks was revealed by Google, which identified its components as part of a series of cyber operations spanning 2025. The toolkit, composed of 23 distinct components, was first employed in highly targeted operations by an unnamed government client of a surveillance vendor. It was later used by Russian intelligence agencies to hack Ukrainian targets and later repurposed by Chinese cybercriminals in large-scale campaigns aimed at stealing cryptocurrency and financial data. Mobile cybersecurity firm iVerify, which analyzed Coruna, suggested the toolkit may have originated from a company that sold it to the U.S. government. Two former employees of L3Harris, the parent company of Trenchant—a division specializing in hacking and surveillance tech—confirmed that Coruna was part of Trenchant’s internal projects. They described the toolkit as a component of a broader set of exploits, with technical details aligning with evidence published by Google. The employees, speaking anonymously due to non-disclosure agreements, emphasized that Coruna’s design and functionality were consistent with tools developed by Trenchant. L3Harris exclusively sells Trenchant’s tools to the U.S. government and its Five Eyes allies, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.#us_military_contractor #l3harris #trenchant #operation_zero #unc6353
