Space news

The U.S. Space Force announced July 24 it selected 16 companies that will compete for low Earth orbit satellite services contracts.

NASA and commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman are targeting 8:31 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 1, for the launch of the company’s 19th resupply mission to the International Space Station from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Companies working on nuclear and solar power systems for the moon are among the winners of NASA awards to advance their technologies for future use by NASA and commercial customers.

The Space Force is moving forward with plans to establish a commercial space reserve to ensure the U.S. military has access to commercial satellite services during conflicts.

NASA has selected 11 U.S. companies to develop technologies that could support long-term exploration on the Moon and in space for the benefit of all.

Over the weekend, SpaceX continued its test campaigns at Starbase, Texas. Booster 9 was fully filled with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid...

A startup that launched its first mission to test space manufacturing technologies last month is waiting on a Federal Aviation Administration license to be able to bring what it produced back to Earth.

Payloads: Electromagnetic Levitator (EML): The EML high speed camera was set to Standard (STD) measurement mode. The EML is a facility composed of four inserts installed into the European Drawer Rack (EDR) for the electromagnetic levitation of samples. The experiment samples are installed in a dedicated sample chamber that is attached to EML and can …

A year after its launch, a privately owned, NASA-funded cubesat orbiting the moon continues to work well, providing data to support the agency’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts.

"Every sample here has a story to tell."

Originally intending to launch the day before but delayed due to thunderstorms, the Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40...

In public filings submitted on 9 June, MaiaSpace reported total expenses of €3.49 million for its first year of operation ending 31 December 2022. The ArianeGroup subsidiary was founded in early 2022 with the goal of developing a reusable microlauncher. In order to fast-track the development of its launch vehicle, MaiaSpace will be utilizing Prometheus […] The post MaiaSpace Reports Expenses of €3.49M in its First Year of Operation appeared first on European Spaceflight.

In-space transportation services startup Impulse Space announced July 24 it has closed a $45 million iSeries A funding led by RTX Ventures, the venture capital arm of Raytheon Technologies.

Maxar Technologies announced July 24 that its new satellite bus designed for low Earth orbit constellations passed a critical design review.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Control completes the first launch simulation for Artemis 2's crewed mission around The Moon.

Chinese space and defense contractor CASIC says it will begin building a constellation of 300 satellites in very-low Earth orbit late this year.

Payloads: Astrobee: The perching arm was removed from the Astrobee flyer. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots. These robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station. …

Thermal data startup constellr announced July 24 that it has secured additional funding extending its seed round to €17 million. Founded in 2020, constellr plans to utilize a constellation of thermal imaging satellites to offer “scalable high-precision smart farming services” to the agricultural sector. The company launched its first system into space aboard a Northrop […] The post Thermal Data Startup Constellr Extends Seed Round to €17M appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of July 23-29, 2023 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session […]

Gaganyaan moves closer to first Domestic Crewed Flight for India after SM Engine Tests and Splash Down Tests with Indian Navy

A NASA procurement document provides details about the plans of several companies that received unfunded Space Act Agreements for commercial space capabilities in June, as well as those who failed to make the cut.

SpaceX is currently targeting 7:34 p.m. ET (23:34 UTC) today, July 22nd, for the launch of 22 V2 mini Starlink satellites from...

China Shenzhou 16 crew has successfully conducted their first spacewalk aboard China's Tiangong space station.

The United States Space Force (USSF) recently released a second draft of a request for proposals (RFP) for the forthcoming phase three of the national security space launch (NSSL) program. Phase three will cover launch orders over a five-year period starting in October 2024 — the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025 — and has been structured to encourage more providers to enter.

Arcturus, the first satellite built by Astranis has suffered a major deployment glitch, causing it to not be able to fulfill its intended mission.

Amazon has officially chosen NASA Kennedy Space Center as the location for its Project Kuiper processing facility.

The U.S. military is raising the stakes — and widening the field — on a high-profile competition for Space Force mission contracts.

Chinese startup Galactic Energy sent two satellites into orbit early Saturday with the company’s sixth consecutive successful launch.

Amazon announced plans July 21 to build a satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, as it prepares to start launching 3,200 commercial Project Kuiper broadband satellites next year.

"The mission of providing Internet connectivity in Alaska will be delayed."

Payloads: Astrobee: The Astrobee flyers were prepped and JEM stowage was cleared in preparation for remote video operations. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots. These robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores, and give ground controllers additional …

Yesterday morning, SpaceX rolled Booster 9 and, later in the evening, raised the massive booster onto the Orbital Launch Mount. This is...

Como parte de una serie de reuniones con destacados funcionarios gubernamentales, el administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson, viajará a Brasil, Argentina y Colombia a partir del lunes 24 de julio.

As part of a series of meetings with key government officials, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will travel to Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia beginning Monday, July 24.

Its been three months since NASA unveiled its "Moon to Mars" Exploration Architecture plans for human exploration and now the agency is gearing up for the crucial second phase that will focus on missions to Mars.

Satellite internet service provider Astranis said Friday its first commercial satellite in orbit, which was intended to provide coverage to Alaska, has malfunctioned. A backup satellite is planned for the spring.

The first Astranis-built satellite won’t be able to provide commercial broadband over Alaska for local telco Pacific Dataport because it can’t keep solar arrays pointed at the sun, the Californian manufacturer’s CEO John Gedmark said July 20.

As part of the state’s first Earth-to-space call, students from Louisiana will have an opportunity soon to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Amazon will invest $120 million to build a satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the company prepares to launch the first satellites for its Project Kuiper internet network, the tech giant announced Friday.

In a summer of extreme weather events, NASA is emphasizing its role in studying the climate, efforts that face both fiscal headwinds and partisan divides.

"With this mission we’ve made big strides toward reusability."

Amazon announced it plans to invest $120 million to build a satellite processing facility at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at...

Three months after rolling out the first phase of its architecture for human exploration of the moon and Mars, NASA is heading into a second phase that will focus on Mars.

The latest poll from the Pew Research Center once again found that by a wide margin Americans want the space program to focus more on the threat from asteroids and […]

Booster 9 has arrived at the Orbital Launch Site ahead of a Static Fire test, which will also be used to validate repairs and upgrades of Starship’s launch pad. That rollout is a key milestone in the campaign ahead of the second flight of the world’s most powerful rocket. 

NASA and the Department of Education, in support of STEM and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, are hosting a competition to engage students at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), ultimately bringing diverse talent into the future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline.

NASA has selected KBR Wyle Services, LLC, of Fulton, Maryland, to provide mission and flight crew operations support for the International Space Station and future human space exploration.

WASHINGTON — The Space Force is using a software platform developed by Anduril Industries to integrate data from a decades-old network of space surveillance sensors.  DoD announced July 12 that […]

Canoo (NASDAQ: GOEV) has delivered three specialized versions of their Lifestyle electric vehicle to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Crew Transportation Vehicles...

On June 20, the Space Rider programme proceeded into Phase D of its development, allowing qualification and production to commence. While delivery of the main structures of the re-entry and service modules is only expected in 2024, flight units of some components are already complete. “Some flight units and components have already been delivered and […] The post ESA’s Space Rider Spacecraft Reaches Key Milestone appeared first on European Spaceflight.