For a long time, area journey changed into reserved for governments, charges had been astronomical, and rockets were unmarried-use machines. That all changed with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s trailblazing aerospace business
Space
SpaceX Crew 10 changed into the 9th operational NASA Commercial Crew Program flight and the fifteenth crewed orbital flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Originally scheduled to hold a team of
The profoundly expected Europa Trimmer astrobiology mission is at last in progress. NASA's Europa Trimmer test sent off today (Oct. 14) on a SpaceX Hawk Weighty rocket from NASA's Kennedy
In this blog, if you want to know more information about Sunita Williams stuck in space, Where do I live in Sunit Williams? Sunita Williams, an Indian-American space explorer, is, as
In the event that you're anticipating investing a great deal of energy flying your spaceship around or taking on the obnoxious Ruby Armada, you'll need to know how to loot space
Europe's most up to date rocket, Ariane 6, is set to send off soon, conveying different space missions with novel goals. This debut flight will feature Ariane 6's flexibility and
At a rambling vehicle test focus in the English open country, a hydrogen-controlled Grenadier 4x4 made by Ineos Car holds steep and tough tracks, exhibiting its rough terrain capacities. Making
SpaceX keeps on growing Starlink heavenly body offer Direct to Cell capacity through its Bird of prey 9 send off on Tuesday. There were 13 Direct to Cell-competent Starlink satellites
View larger. | This is an artist’s concept (not to scale) of the fast radio splash FRB 20220610A. It is the most afar fast radio splash astronomers have discovered so
View larger. | Stars within 12 light-years of our sun. The lines on the grid are 4 light-years apart. Imaginary stalks from the plane to the stars show how far
During the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, astronaut Harrison Schmitt placid waddle samples from the moon. New wringer of the crystals inside these lunar samples shows that the moon
Simulated flyover view of Mars. This is a region of upturned terrain tabbed Hydraotes Chaos. Researchers found an warmed-over mud lake in this region, which you can see whence virtually
This image of Jupiter’s undercurrent from the Webb telescope – and its NIRCam camera – shows details in infrared light. In this image, splendor indicates upper altitude. Auroras towards in
NASA’s GREAT OBSERVATORIES
Astronomy and cosmology have advanced immeasurably due to five magnificent NASA space telescopes. NASA uses the term “Great Observatories” to refer specifically to four space telescopes named
Andromeda
Looking out into the cosmos, we see beautiful galaxies-giant assembles of stars like our sun. The image of Andromeda, our largest neighboring galaxy. Andromeda is a classic Spiral galaxy and
HELSINKI — Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming embarked on a second Shenzhou-12 spacewalk late Thursday to carry out work on a space station robotic arm.
Shenzhou-12 mission commander Nie
Of 24 companies that competed at the Space Force Pitch Day, 19 were selected for SBIR Phase 2 awards
WASHINGTON — At a virtual pitch event Aug. 19, the U.S.
TAMPA, Fla. — Competing positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) companies are joining forces to accelerate efforts to back up global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).
The Open PNT Industry Alliance (OPIA) was
STARCOM is the third and final field command being stood up by the Space Force
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force on Aug. 23 will establish the Space Training and Readiness
SpaceNews correspondent Leonard David talks with space environmentalist Moriba Jah
Earth is encircled by derelict spacecraft, the remains of exploded rocket stages, and myriad bits of orbiting debris — from tiny
WASHINGTON — The ousted director of New Mexico’s Spaceport America repeatedly violated state law and policies while running the commercial launch site in a “dysfunctional” manner, according to a report
HELSINKI — Japan has a new data relay satellite headed for geostationary orbit following successful launch of JDRS-1 on a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-IIA rocket Sunday.
The H-IIA rocket No. 43
SAN FRANCISCO – With four satellites scheduled to launch in 2021, Tokyo-based Axelspace Corp. is moving toward its goal of capturing daily, global Earth imagery.
“The additional satellites will help us
HELSINKI — The first launches of the new Japanese H3 launch vehicle are being delayed by issues with two components of the rocket’s main engine, the country’s space agency confirms.
The
WASHINGTON — SpaceX set a new milestone in Falcon 9 reuse with the latest Starlink satellite launch Nov. 24 as the company seeks permission to deploy Starlink satellites into a
WASHINGTON — As SpaceX prepares for the first high-altitude test flight of its Starship reusable launch vehicle, the Federal Aviation Administration is starting a new environmental review required for the
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab says its attempt to recover the first stage from its latest Electron launch was a “complete success,” but that the company still has work to do
WASHINGTON — Despite a lull in orbital launch activity at Vandenberg Air Force Base, officials with the U.S. Space Force foresee a “very promising future” for both commercial and government
WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched Nov. 21 the latest in a series of satellites developed by the United States and Europe to track rising sea levels.
The Falcon
VALLETTA, Malta — The head of Italian rocket manufacturer Avio assured customers Nov. 19 that the company was working hard to return Vega to service following the rocket’s second failure
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab launched its Electron rocket Nov. 19, placing nearly 30 smallsats in orbit while making its first attempt to recover the rocket’s first stage.
The Electron lifted off
WASHINGTON — A Senate committee approved a bill Nov. 18 that gives the Commerce Department authority for civil space traffic management (STM), but it still faces significant obstacles to win
WASHINGTON — The outgoing chair of the House space subcommittee says she would be interested in taking a position in the incoming Biden administration involving space, including at NASA.
Rep. Kendra
HELSINKI — China has rolled out a Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket in preparation for launch of the complex Chang’e-5 lunar sample return mission early next week.
The roughly 878-metric-ton heavy-lift
WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four American and Japanese astronauts is on its way to the International Space Station after a successful Falcon 9 launch Nov. 15.
The
WASHINGTON — The first launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from a site in the United States won’t take place until 2021 because of problems with the flight termination system
The Atlas 5 for the first time flew with three GEM 63 solid rocket boosters made by Northrop Grumman.
WASHINGTON — A National Reconnaissance Office satellite flew to orbit Nov. 13
The program in question is the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications system known as ESS.
WASHINGTON — The Senate Appropriations Committee questioned why it will take the U.S. Space Force 12 years
WASHINGTON — The initial elements of NASA’s lunar Gateway are facing cost overruns and delays primarily because NASA has changed the requirements of the program since awarding contracts last year.
A
WASHINGTON — A Senate appropriations bill would provide NASA with only a small fraction of the funding it requested for lunar lander development, putting any chance of returning humans to
WASHINGTON — Executives of major launch companies said they doubted there was sufficient demand for more than a few small launch vehicle developers, citing their own efforts to provide rideshare
WASHINGTON — A critical test of the core stage of the Space Launch System is facing another delay, this time because of a combination of weather and technical issues that
HELSINKI — The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully carried out its first launch since the COVID-19 outbreak Saturday sending the EOS-1 Earth observation satellite and nine smaller payloads into orbit.
Polar
HELSINKI — Chinese rocket firm Galactic Energy successfully sent a small satellite into orbit Saturday with the first launch of its Ceres-1 launch vehicle.
The Ceres-1 four-stage solid rocket lifted off
SAN FRANCISCO – EchoStar Corp. plans to launch the Jupiter 3 broadband satellite in the first quarter of 2022 but has not yet selected a launch provider, company officials said
WASHINGTON — Former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly won his race for the U.S. Senate in Arizona Nov. 3 while two members of Congress involved in space issues lost their bids
WASHINGTON — NASA is delaying the launch of an ocean science satellite on one Falcon 9 rocket, but says that delay will not affect another Falcon 9 launch of a
SAN FRANCISCO – Spacebit is inviting university researchers to share data the London-based company plans to obtain from two miniature rovers scheduled to travel to the moon with Astrobotic Technology
WASHINGTON — While NASA and the European Space Agency hailed an agreement this week to work together on the lunar Gateway, both agencies have work ahead to establish international cooperation
WASHINGTON — The commercial space industry hopes to continue recent progress in regulatory reform even if there is a new president or a change in party control in Congress after
In a memo Oct. 29, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist said the new position will be filled by Justin Johnson, the acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for space
WASHINGTON — NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has secured material it collected from the asteroid Bennu into a sample return capsule, a process the mission accelerated after images showed material leaking into
WASHINGTON — A Rocket Lab Electron rocket successfully placed 10 satellites into orbit for two customers who lost payloads on a launch failure earlier this year.
The Electron rocket lifted off
Swedish broadband service provider Ovzon anticipates strong demand for the type of high-capacity mobile satellite communications it demonstrated recently for a U.S. government customer.
In heavy rain, Ovzon transferred data to
The $10 million five-year contract is for professional services for the Peterson-Schriever Garrison in Colorado Springs.
WASHINGTON — Peraton received a $10 million five-year contract extension from the U.S. Space Force
WASHINGTON — Water ice may be more prevalent on the surface of the moon that previously thought, but that discovery appears unlikely to have any near-term effect on NASA’s lunar
WASHINGTON — NorthStar Earth and Space, a Canadian company planning a satellite constellation to track other satellites, has selected Thales Alenia Space to build its first satellites.
Montréal-based NorthStar announced Oct.
Article was updated Oct. 27 at 3:20 Eastern time to include comments from NOAA project manager Sid Boukabara.
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced an agreement Oct.
SAN FRANCISCO — Starburst Aerospace announced 14 startups and one consortium invited to share proposals for addressing important space-related challenges facing the United States and the United Kingdom at International
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai talks orbital debris rules, megaconstellations, C-band auction, Ligado and more with SpaceNews.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s recent run of space-related regulatory actions has earned
Aerospace Corp.'s policy center intends to influence future debates on issues such as space traffic management and military space doctrine.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s civilian and military space programs have barely
SAN FRANCISCO – The Aerospace Corp. is calling for the U.S. government to work with industry and international partners to develop space solar power technologies.
The concept of space solar power
SAN FRANCISCO — The Federal Communications Commission approved the creation Oct. 27 of a 5G Fund for Rural America to distribute as much as $9 billion over the next decade
WASHINGTON — Amazon Web Services is increasing its effort to sell cloud services to the space industry through the formation of a dedicated business segment called “Aerospace and Satellite Solutions.”
“AWS
WASHINGTON — Key members of the House and Senate say they continue to work on space-related legislation, including a NASA authorization bill, but the two branches of Congress appear to
SpaceX on June 30 is scheduled to make its first attempt to recover the Falcon 9 booster after launching a military satellite.
WASHINGTON — SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to date has performed
WASHINGTON — The Canadian Space Agency announced June 26 it plans to award a contract to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to build a robotic arm that will be Canada’s
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to acquire commercial radio occultation data for operational use, according to a detailed report released June 26 on the agency’s
SAN FRANCISCO – Ball Aerospace won a $96.9 million contract June 25 to build, integrate and operate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) satellite destined
WASHINGTON — NASA hopes to keep the costs of additional delays in the James Webb Space Telescope within the program’s existing reserves and thus avoid asking Congress for additional funding.
At
WASHINGTON — The new director of NASA’s Earth science division says identifying ways to implement an “ambitious” decadal survey amid various challenges will be a top priority for her.
In a
HELSINKI — China launched a Beidou-3 navigation satellite late Monday to complete a project designed to provide military independence and immense commercial value.
Launch occurred at 9:43 p.m. Eastern at the
By the end of the year, the National Reconnaissance Office plans to issue “multiple operational commercial imagery contracts to support defense, security and many other U.S. government missions,” said Pete
WASHINGTON — Two years after a space policy directive gave it responsibility for space traffic management, the Commerce Department says it is making progress on implementing that policy as it
WASHINGTON — Boeing announced late June 19 several changes in management of its work on the International Space Station and CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle.
In a memo to employees of
Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector and VOX Space each will receive contracts to launch two rideshare missions.
WASHINGTON — Six space launch companies were selected to receive Defense Department
WASHINGTON — NASA officials say they’re confident that the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission will launch this summer amid the special measures the agency had to take to keep the
HELSINKI — China launched a Gaofen-9 series Earth observation satellite and two smaller spacecraft Wednesday, a day after postponing a Beidou navigation satellite mission due to unspecified issues.
Liftoff of a
SAN FRANCISCO – Raytheon won a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contract to study High-Resolution Infrared Sounder (HIRIS), a weather instrument designed to offer detailed views of cloud tops and
WASHINGTON — SpaceX completed its ninth bulk Starlink launch June 13, a mission that included a rideshare customer for the first time.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral
WASHINGTON — Spaceflight Industries has completed the sale of its satellite rideshare business, Spaceflight Inc., to a pair of Japanese companies following a U.S. regulatory review and the modification of
The contract awarded to Raytheon is for Overhead Persistent Infrared sensor payloads.
WASHINGTON — Raytheon received a $37.4 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for space-based early warning
SAN FRANCISCO – German launch services provider Exolaunch announced an agreement to launch two Loft Orbital microsatellites on SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions.
Under the contract, Exolaunch will handle mission management,
WASHINGTON — SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is performing well enough on orbit to give NASA confidence that the mission can last until August, an agency official said June 9.
Ken Bowersox,
The Space Development Agency says optical inter-satellite links are "one of the most critical technologies to be demonstrated."
WASHINGTON — Optical communications terminals that use lasers to beam data across space
A June 5 solicitation for a “tracking phenomenology experiment” is a step in the development of a sensor network in space to track hypersonic missiles.
WASHINGTON — The Space Development
WASHINGTON — NASA announced June 5 that it awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to begin work on a habitation module for the lunar Gateway, nearly a year after the
SAN FRANCISCO – Under a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration six-month study contract, Maxar Technologies will explore the application of its WorldView Legion constellation to weather observation from low
WASHINGTON — The reelection campaign of President Donald Trump has taken down an online ad tied to the recent Demo-2 commercial crew launch after complaints it appeared to violate NASA
WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched a batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites June 3, including one with a deployable sunshield meant to test out a new way to reduce the brightness
The cost of a Space National Guard is one of the concerns being weighed by DoD.
WASHINGTON — A new report by the Congressional Budget Office estimates that standing up a
WASHINGTON — A planned reorganization of the NASA mission directorate responsible for human spaceflight programs has been put on hold after its leader abruptly resigned last month.
During a June 1
Space startups have been hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic as venture capital has retreated. Matthew Kuta, president and chief operating officer of Voyager Space Holdings, says the crisis has
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a speech after the successful SpaceX Crew Dragon launch May 30 to tout his administration’s accomplishments in space, some of which predate his time
For the merger to go forward CPI must sell off its subsidiary ASC Signal Division.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced on May 28 that it will not allow satellite
SAN FRANCISCO — Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd. of Australia (EOS) completed its acquisition May 28 of Silicon Valley startup Audacy and announced plans to spend approximately $1.2 billion Australian
Gen. Murray: “It’s about figuring out what capabilities they can provide, and what vulnerabilities do they have?"
WASHINGTON — The upcoming evaluation of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband by the U.S. Army will
WASHINGTON — As NASA and SpaceX complete final preparations for the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, the agency is already looking ahead to the spacecraft’s next mission.
Technicians
WASHINGTON — NASA and SpaceX officials said after a final pre-launch review they had no major issues about the upcoming Demo-2 commercial crew launch beyond one over which they have
The Air Force sent the report to congressional committees May 21 and notified them the next day that what they had received was not the final version.
WASHINGTON — A Department
WASHINGTON — While both the president and vice president plan to attend the Demo-2 commercial crew launch, there will be far fewer people attending the first American human orbital spaceflight
WASHINGTON — NASA has given SpaceX approval to proceed with final preparations for the first commercial crew mission with astronauts on board, although there is still work to complete ahead
Barrett: “This report outlines an Alternative Acquisition System that will optimize the U.S. Space Force with a bold set of new acquisition authorities and policies."
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force
Space Force will have a field command focused on acquisition that will bring together several existing organizations
WASHINGTON — One unfinished piece of business for the leaders of the U.S. Space
Air Force Secretary Barrett argues that DoD space programs and investments should be integrated under the Space Force as soon as possible.
WASHINGTON — Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett is
WASHINGTON — Relativity Space has hired a longtime SpaceX executive to help the startup scale up production of its small launch vehicle.
Relativity said May 18 that it is hiring Zachary
SAN FRANCISCO – Isotropic Systems won two defense contracts in two months, an important sign the satellite terminal developer is diversifying its customer base, John Finney, Isotropic founder and CEO,
WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized China May 15 for the “really dangerous” reentry of a large rocket stage earlier in the week that led to debris landing in
U.S. Space Command for the next six years will remain at its provisional headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force on May 15
WASHINGTON — Three satellite operators whose fleets have at least some C-band coverage of the United States are taking the Federal Communications Commission to court over their exclusion from an
Space Force career tracks will include orbital warfare, space electronic warfare and space battle management.
WASHINGTON — One of the goals of the U.S. Space Force is to fill its ranks
The unit known as Detachment 3 is responsible to rescue astronauts if they have to abort the mission.
WASHINGTON — As NASA and SpaceX prepare for a May 27 mission to
WASHINGTON — The United Arab Emirates plans to double the size of its astronaut corps by early next year with the selection of two new astronauts from a pool of
WASHINGTON — NASA has selected an official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s satellite division to lead its Earth science programs, a search that took more than a year
The $8.9 million "fleet surveillance" contract gives the Space Force a closeup view of SpaceX commercial and civil space launches.
WASHINGTON — SpaceX on May 6 was awarded an $8.9 million
The House Armed Services Committee said the FCC's approval of Ligado’s proposal disregards federal law.
WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee fired the latest salvo in a growing dispute
WASHINGTON — Seven members of the European Parliament, the legislative branch of the European Union, are pushing for a recovery plan for space companies hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
The parliamentarians
WASHINGTON — Spacecraft technology company Tethers Unlimited on May 6 announced its acquisition by Amergint Technology Holdings, a Colorado company specialized in satellite ground systems.
Amergint Technology said it is acquiring
WASHINGTON — An instrument on NASA’s InSight Mars lander that has struggled for more than a year to make its way into the Martian surface is now making steady, but
Treasury is said to be concerned that changing the rule for venture-owned startups would subvert the intent of the relief loan program.
WASHINGTON — Industry groups representing space companies and other
WASHINGTON — While NASA’s decision to award lunar lander development contracts to three companies won praise from a Senate committee, the leaders of the House Science Committee said they remained
WASHINGTON — Virgin Galactic conducted the first test flight of SpaceShipTwo from its New Mexico spaceport May 1 as the company edges closer to finally beginning commercial flights of the
Satellite images and other data can be analyzed to forecast potential spreads of the disease and move resources to help combat it.
WASHINGTON — Using overhead satellite imagery and analytics software,
Relativity Space VP Josh Brost: “The most impactful thing that government can do is actually go out and buy services from startups."
WASHINGTON — As space investors become more conservative during
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation and the SmallSat Alliance have asked the SBA to change how it defines a small business.
WASHINGTON — Industry groups representing space and other technology sectors are
WASHINGTON — A study that found that every small satellite launched commercially in the last five years suffered delays is evidence of the need of greater standardization in payload accommodations
WASHINGTON — SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said April 27 that he hopes to test a new way to reduce the brightness of the company’s Starlink satellites on the next
Pompeo: “Iran’s space program is neither peaceful nor entirely civilian."
WASHINGTON — Following Iran’s launch of the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Iran’s space
Tory Bruno: “A big thing when this started was that we had to be all over our supply chain."
WASHINGTON — The crushing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on small businesses
WASHINGTON — A day after discussing the agency’s coronavirus relief work for the media, NASA took those projects to the White House for a presentation to President Donald Trump.
NASA Administrator
WASHINGTON — A month after saying it would find ways to leverage its capabilities to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, NASA rolled out April 23 some of solutions it has
Rocket Lab is getting D.C. representation as it seeks to grow its U.S. government business.
WASHINGTON — Small satellite launch provider Rocket Lab has hired the government affairs firm DLA Piper,
Called Tetra-1, the microsatellite was the first project awarded in 2018 by the Space Enterprise Consortium.
WASHINGTON — Millennium Space Systems, based in El Segundo, California, has completed the development and
Ellen Lord: “We're looking where the greatest pain points are, and again, it's really aviation, shipbuilding and small space launch.”
WASHINGTON — Among the domestic industries that provide equipment and services
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office responsible for licensing commercial launches and reentries has completed a reorganization announced nearly a year ago intended to improve its efficiency.
In an
Air Force Secretary Barrett: “As our nation’s first Space Force lieutenants, these leaders will defend democracy and protect the ultimate high ground of space."
WASHINGTON — Of the 967 cadets who
WASHINGTON — The leaders of the House Science Committee are asking the Federal Communications Commission to delay an April 23 vote to introduce stricter space debris regulations opposed by the
Roper: Space and aerospace are especially vulnerable because of their exposure to commercial markets that face falling demand.
WASHINGTON — Department of the Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper said he
WASHINGTON — NASA’s Mars 2020 rover mission, one of the agency’s highest priorities during the coronavirus pandemic, remains on schedule for a launch in mid-July, officials said April 15.
The $2.4
SAN FRANCISCO – GeoOptics developed a new data processing system to improve the accuracy of weather data from its CICERO radio occultation satellite constellation.
The new system, GeoOptics Processor for Radio
The space advisory group be part of the Defense Innovation Board.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is creating a new advisory group to provide impartial advice and insights on space technology, innovation
WASHINGTON — Virgin Orbit completed a captive carry test flight of its LauncherOne system April 12, the final major milestone before the company performs its first orbital launch attempt.
The company’s
The Wide Field of View satellite is scheduled to launch in August 2021.
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Space Force missile warning satellite, six years in the works, is nearly completed. The
The contract is for three dedicated launches to deliver 44 small satellites to low Earth orbit.
WASHINGTON — VOX Space, a subsidiary of Virgin Orbit that focuses on the national security
The new 33,514 square foot facility in Colorado triples the company’s capacity for satellite production.
WASHINGTON — General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, based in San Diego, California, has opened a spacecraft development,
SAN FRANCISCO – The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is issuing letters to help contractors and their subcontractors inform local authorities their work is essential to national security and should continue
Raymond said he is "concerned with our ability to stay ahead of the threat."
WASHINGTON — A report recommending changes in how military space systems are funded and acquired will be
WASHINGTON — Boeing announced April 6 that it has decided to fly a second uncrewed test flight of its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle later this year to confirm it
WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency has restored operations of four space science missions it placed on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, a move that illustrated how one agency’s
HELSINKI — A Chinese commercial Kuaizhou-1A rocket sold for $5.6 million in a live streamed auction hosted by e-commerce platform Taobao Wednesday.
Chinese launch service provider Expace combined with Taobao for
WASHINGTON — NASA released a report April 2 outlining its long-term approach to lunar exploration that involves establishing a “base camp” at the south pole of the moon, but with
Towberman will advise the Space Force’s enlisted corps and will serve as an adviser to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Raymond and to Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett.
WASHINGTON
SAN FRANCISCO – Momentus, a Silicon Valley in-space transportation startup, announced a launch service agreement April 1 with Odysseus Space, a satellite applications startup based in Taiwan.
Under the agreement, Momentus
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett is expected to sign off on the report this week
WASHINGTON — A report due to Congress on March 31 recommending changes to the acquisition process
The contracts are to develop and produce Protected Tactical Waveform-capable modems
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center awarded contracts each worth up to $500 million to
Source selections for national security space launch, ground based strategic deterrent remain on track
WASHINGTON — Big-ticket contracts for space launch services and for the development of a new intercontinental ballistic
Until OCX is delivered, the Space Force will use the ground system known as Contingency Operations, or COps, made by Lockheed Martin.
WASHINGTON — An upgraded ground control system for the
WASHINGTON — Satellite internet startup OneWeb is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as Friday after its largest investor, Softbank, rejected a request for additional funding, according
WASHINGTON — The Italian government declared aerospace companies exempt from the nationwide lockdown aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus, enabling Avio to continue production of rockets, Avio CEO
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $2.4 billion to shore up the defense industrial base
WASHINGTON — A proposed $2 trillion emergency relief package to inject cash
The wing has implemented telework but people are needed on site to support launches.
WASHINGTON — A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force communications satellite is
WASHINGTON — Bigelow Aerospace, the company founded more than two decades ago to develop commercial space habitats, laid off all its employees March 23 in a move caused at least
Ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the global space industry. Scroll down for daily updates.
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WASHINGTON — The next meeting of the National Space Council, already scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic, has been postponed, the White House announced March 21.
In a brief statement,
WASHINGTON — NASA has suspended work on the James Webb Space Telescope as it prioritizes what agency missions require people to be on site during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement
WASHINGTON — Cost overruns on a major rover mission and proposals for both sample return missions and a new orbiter are straining NASA’s Mars exploration program and threatening the future
The report is in final draft and on track to be delivered by March 31.
WASHINGTON — Space Force officials have been working to meet required congressional report deadlines even as
CEO Bob Smith: The response to this crisis is fast moving and shifts from day to day.
WASHINGTON — As the coronavirus outbreak continues to shake up every sector of the
WASHINGTON — A startup developing a balloon-borne small launch vehicle has gone into “hibernation” after struggling to raise money, a fate that may be facing many other companies in the
The Counter Communications System Block 10.2 was declared operational by the Space and Missile Systems Center’s special programs directorate.
WASHINGTON — A new version of a ground-based communications jammer used to
WASHINGTON — NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama announced March 14 that it is instituting a mandatory telework policy after an employee was diagnosed with the coronavirus disease COVID-19.
In
WASHINGTON — A revised plan for returning astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2024 will no longer rely on the use of a lunar Gateway, although NASA’s human
HELSINKI — The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission will not launch in 2020 due to a lack of time to test and qualify problematic parachutes and electronics vital to the
WASHINGTON — Airbus Defence and Space wanted to launch a satellite servicer shortly after Northrop Grumman launched MEV-1, but backed away from those plans two years ago because of uncertainty
Tory Bruno: “We are limiting non essential business travel but that doesn’t include launch and rockets.”
WASHINGTON — Defense Department and NASA launch provider United Launch Alliance is implementing emergency measures
WASHINGTON — Executives from SpaceX and OneWeb say their companies are working intensely on user terminals so customers will be able to get internet connectivity from their respective low Earth
Planet felt like it didn’t have a choice. When the Earth-observation startup began launching cameras into orbit in 2013 and 2014, manufacturing lines weren’t churning out cubesats by the dozens.
That’s
WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off March 6 and placed into orbit a Dragon spacecraft on the final flight of that version of the cargo vehicle.
The Falcon 9
WASHINGTON — Although an independent review team has wrapped up its investigation into issues with last December’s uncrewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, NASA says it will be some
WASHINGTON — Axiom Space, a company with ambitions to develop a private space station, announced March 5 that it has signed a contract with SpaceX for a commercial Crew Dragon
Boeing and Lockheed Martin join Northrop Grumman as the three prime contractors for Protected Tactical Satcom payload development.
WASHINGTON — Boeing and Lockheed Martin were selected to develop jam-resistant communications payloads
SAN FRANCISCO – PredaSAR, a Florida startup led by retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Roger Teague, raised $25 million in seed funding for its plan to build a constellation of
HELSINKI — The European and Russian space agencies have delayed crucial ExoMars 2020 parachute tests to late March, with the mission also set to face review.
“The high altitude drop tests
WASHINGTON — The full House Science Committee will likely take up a NASA authorization bill later this month that a key member says will incorporate some changes to the original
WASHINGTON — The head of the European Space Agency formally announced Feb. 28 he will leave ESA when his current term ends next year, confirming months of speculation about his
WASHINGTON — As the independent review of last December’s test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle nears completion, the company said it will perform more rigorous testing to
WASHINGTON — SpaceX is proposing a significant increase in launch activity in Florida over the next few years, including missions to polar orbits and those that will require the use
WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman’s satellite servicing spacecraft successfully docked with an Intelsat communications satellite Feb. 25 in a bid to keep the nearly 19-year-old satellite in service an additional five
WASHINGTON — Australia’s nascent launch industry says it would like to see the country’s government provide more financial and regulatory support to help it get established in the global market.
In
WASHINGTON — NASA is leaning increasingly towards making SpaceX’s crewed test flight to the International Space Station a long-duration mission, a move that could alleviate concerns about a lack of
WASHINGTON — Engineers plan to use the robotic arm on its InSight Mars lander to push a heat flow probe into the surface, acknowledging that they have “few alternatives” if
One of the largest single items is $255 million to launch two GPS 3 satellites
WASHINGTON — Soon after the Pentagon’s budget request is submitted to Congress each year, the military
Satellite builders booked more commercial orders in 2019 than the prior two years combined, but the industry remains in flux
This article originally appeared in the Jan. 20, 2020 issue of
WASHINGTON — Intelsat on Feb. 19 urged the FCC to give the company at least $1 billion more of $9.7 billion in proposed compensation for clearing C-band spectrum for 5G
WASHINGTON — The head of NOAA’s space weather office used a recent hearing to caution that a failure of an aging spacecraft in the next few years could leave the
WASHINGTON — Space Adventures announced Feb. 18 that it has an agreement with SpaceX to fly a dedicated Crew Dragon mission that would send four space tourists on a mission
HELSINKI — China has quietly rolled out a new Long March 7A rocket at a coastal launch site in preparation for launch of a ‘technology verification satellite’.
Official acknowledgement of an
WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department is once again requesting a large budget increase for its Office of Space Commerce in order to work on space traffic management activities after Congress
WASHINGTON — NASA awarded a contract to Rocket Lab Feb. 14 for the launch of a cubesat mission that will serve as a precursor for the agency’s planned lunar Gateway.
A
WASHINGTON — NASA is considering missions to Venus and two outer solar system moons as the next in its Discovery line of planetary science missions.
NASA announced Feb. 13 it selected
Northrop Grumman won a $253.5 million payload development contract under the Protected Tactical Satellite Communications program.
WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman was awarded a $253.5 million contract by the U.S. Space Force
SAN FRANCISCO –Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) announced plans Feb. 12 to supply its X-SAT small satellite for Made In Space’s Archinaut One on-orbit manufacturing demonstration mission.
“The implications of our ability
A space industry flush with startups and easy money struggles to tamp down all the B.S.
At a meteorology conference, a space industry consultant asked if I’d heard the news. He
WASHINGTON — An Atlas 5 successfully launched a European-led solar science mission Feb. 9, the latest effort in what scientists are calling a “golden age” for studying the sun.
A United
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A small launch vehicle company emerged from stealth mode this week, but is still keeping many details about its plans and capabilities behind closed doors.
Astra, a
WASHINGTON — Boeing will reverify all the software on its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew spacecraft after an ongoing investigation found “numerous” problems in the original development process that allowed at
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The current and former directors of the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency (SDA) have differing views of congressional direction to move SDA under the U.S. Space Force.
“Eventually,
HELSINKI — China’s space industry is suffering adverse effects from the coronavirus outbreak which has so far infected mare than 30,000 in mainland China.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — SpaceX disclosed new details about its small satellite rideshare efforts Feb. 5 as it, and other programs like it by large launch vehicle operators, put new
HELSINKI —European Space Agency Director General Jan Woerner informed ESA personnel he is not seeking an extension to his current term ending June 2021.
In a Feb. 1 email sent to
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Space propulsion startup Accion Systems has raised $11 million in a new round of funding designed to allow the company to increase production of its electric
WASHINGTON — Blue Origin will perform tests of the engine it is developing for its Blue Moon lunar lander at a U.S. Air Force Research Lab test site, the two
WASHINGTON — Maxar Technologies on Jan. 31 announced a $142 million NASA contract to demonstrate in-space assembly using a robotic arm.
Maxar said the contract will take its Dragonfly robotics program,
DoD weapons testing report: “We must thoroughly understand how our systems will perform in space."
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation warns in a new report
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab successfully launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office Jan. 30 in the first of up to a dozen launches planned by the company this
WASHINGTON — The House space subcommittee approved a NASA authorization bill Jan. 29 that has attracted criticism from NASA and some in the space industry, although members said they plan
WASHINGTON — Two decades-old defunct spacecraft are in danger of colliding Jan. 29, an event experts argue is more evidence of the need to clean up low Earth orbit.
LeoLabs, a
WASHINGTON — NASA has selected a startup led by a former International Space Station program manager to develop a commercial module for the station.
NASA announced Jan. 27 that Houston-based Axiom
A team of U.S. military and civilian defense officials spent most of 2019 drawing up plans to create a Space Force as a new service branch within the Air Force.
WASHINGTON — The leadership of the House Science Committee introduced a NASA authorization bill Jan. 24 that seeks to significantly alter NASA’s current plans to return humans to the moon
WASHINGTON — The battery malfunction that put DirecTV’s Spaceway-1 satellite at risk of exploding has a “very low likelihood” of occuring on other satellites, according to the satellite’s manufacturer, Boeing.
Spaceway-1
U.S. Space Force statement: The seal “honors the Department of the Air Force’s proud history”
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday evening unveiled on Twitter the seal of the U.S. Space
WASHINGTON — The Japanese space agency JAXA hopes to have an agreement in place outlining its contributions to NASA’s lunar exploration efforts in the next few months.
In a Jan. 24
WASHINGTON — British aerospace company QinetiQ received a 75 million euro ($82.6 million) contract from the European Space Agency to build a small satellite for ozone measurements.
QinetiQ will build Altius,
SAN FRANCISCO – EOS Defense Systems USA, a subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd. of Australia, plans to establish a space-based communications relay network with Audacy’s spectrum license.EOS Defense
WASHINGTON — As OneWeb prepares to begin monthly launches for its broadband constellation next month, the company and a U.S. Senator are pushing the FCC to act on an application
WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine expressed reservations Jan. 27 about a NASA authorization bill introduced in the House last week that he fears could constrain the agency’s approach to
WASHINGTON — SpaceX successfully tested the abort system of its Crew Dragon spacecraft, one of the final milestones before the vehicle is cleared to carry astronauts to the International Space
WASHINGTON — NASA will decide in the coming weeks whether to extend a crewed SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station, a move that could help alleviate a crew
HELSINKI — U.S. and Chinese officials are working towards meeting for a bilateral Civil Space Dialogue around March in the first such discussion since 2017.
“The U.S. and China were not
ARLINGTON, Va. — A consortium established last year to develop a rating to measure how well satellites comply with space sustainability guidelines expects to have an initial version of its
SAN FRANCISCO – Made In Space is moving its corporate headquarters from Mountain View, California, to Jacksonville, Florida.
The company founded in Mountain View in 2010 established a presence in Jacksonville
WASHINGTON — As Stratolaunch ramps up operations after being sold last year, it says it remains interested in providing launch services as well as supporting hypersonic vehicles.
In a Jan. 21
Named “Birds of a Feather,” the mission is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand as early as Jan. 31.
WASHINGTON — Small satellite launch
Space Force members will wear a full color flag on the left arm, whereas members of the U.S. Air Force wear a spice brown flag on the right arm.
WASHINGTON —
WASHINGTON — The government of Luxembourg has invested in a new fund intended to support space startups in the country, a move that will be one of the last for
Ellen Lord: A reorganization of the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition bureaucracy should not harm space programs
WASHINGTON — In the legislation that creates the U.S. Space Force, Congress has directed a
BOSTON – Spire Global shared early data from new Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Reflectometry cubesats at the American Meteorological Society conference here.
Spire launch two GNSS Reflectometry cubesats Dec. 11
A study by the Aerospace Corporation says ending the New START Treaty could destabilize outer space.
WASHINGTON — The military and intelligence community’s space agencies may have to cope with growing
HONOLULU — The first core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System finally rolled out of its factory Jan. 8, ready to be shipped to a NASA center for a key
Walker replaces Keoki Jackson, who will become Lockheed Martin’s chief engineer
WASHINGTON — Former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Steven Walker has been named vice president and chief