Space news

NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), selected Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation of Boulder, to develop the sounder instrument for a Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program.

Thaicom has picked Airbus to deliver an Asia-focused spacecraft in 2027, putting the manufacturer ahead of the pack for geostationary communications satellite wins so far this year after leaving 2022 empty-handed.

Here are links to all the articles published on SpacePolicyOnline.com last week, September 4-10, 2023, including our “What’s Happening in Space Policy” for this coming week. Click on each title […]

During an Earth-to-Space call at 12:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 13, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will speak with agency astronaut Frank Rubio about his record-breaking mission aboard the International Space Station.

Telesat has contracted 14 launches from SpaceX starting in mid-2026 to deploy its entire Lightspeed broadband constellation within a year, the Canadian satellite operator said Sept. 11.

SpaceNews interviewed Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg about the company's low Earth orbit roadmap after the operator secured financing to move forward with the Lightspeed project following years of delays.

It’s Techstars’ first in-person Space Accelerator since its 2019 class, which included Orbit Fab, Pixxel, Zeno Power Systems, Morpheus Space, Hydrosat and Solestial.

In a groundbreaking announcement, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the presence of carbon-bearing molecules, including methane and carbon dioxide, on the exoplanet K2-18b just a 120 light years away.

PARIS – Competitors or not, SpaceX continues to be willing to launch for other satellite internet companies.

In a presentation outlining the company’s half-year financial results, Italian rocket builder Avio appeared to indicate that development of a second generation of the ESA-funded reusable Space Rider vehicle has begun. Space Rider is an uncrewed robotic laboratory that is the size of around two minivans. It is designed to be capable of remaining in […] The post Has Avio Begun Developing a Second-Gen Space Rider Vehicle? appeared first on European Spaceflight.

The head of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says the agency will emphasize space sustainability as the number of satellites grows.

Geost, a supplier of optical sensor payloads for military satellites, announced Sept. 11 it won a contract to produce eight payloads for missile-tracking satellites that Northrop Grumman is building for the U.S. Space Development Agency.

PARIS – The U.S. export credit agency is working through a $5 billion pipeline of applications related to the space industry, as companies look to fund projects in orbit in a tighter capital market.

Former White House space policy official Audrey Schaffer has joined Slingshot Aerospace, a space data analytics and tracking firm focused on spaceflight safety.

Chris Emerson, former head of Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, has been named chairman of the board of All.Space, a British manufacturer of terminals used to communicate with satellites in orbit

Tysons Corner, Virginia – September 8, 2023 – SpaceNews, the leader in space industry news coverage and analysis, is proud to announce the promotion of Paige McCullough to the position […]

Smallsat developer Open Cosmos has raised $50 million to expand the company and develop larger satellites and constellations focused on Earth observation.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of September 10-16, 2023 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session […]

A National Reconnaissance Office mission flew to geostationary Earth orbit Sept. 10 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched its Atlas V with the classified NROL-107 Silent Barker mission set on Sunday, following several days, including a rollback due to a hurricane threat.

Scientists, using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, have discovered a black hole that is continuously snacking on a star that is similar to our Sun. Located in a galaxy around 500 million light-years away from Earth, the black hole’s constant nibbling on the star, a phenomenon known as a tidal disruption event, creates a bright burst of light. This burst of light subsequently lit up the galaxy, which allowed for its discovery.

Viasat’s U.K. subsidiary is partnering with Oxford Space Systems, a British satellite antenna specialist, to develop a 50% lighter high-speed communications terminal to improve the mobility of dismounted soldiers.

Avio has reported revenues of €157.6 million for the first half of 2023, an increase of 17.7% from the same period last year. The company attributed the positive performance to increased development activities for its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) projects, which are funded by EU Covid recovery funds, and production activities for tactical propulsion […] The post Avio Financials Boosted by EU Covid Recovery Funds and Missile Contracts appeared first on European Spaceflight.

In a mission cloaked in secrecy akin to the classified operations of national security endeavors, Virgin Galactic successfully completed its third commercial suborbital spaceflight today (September 8, 2023).

Relativity Space has officially announced a strategic agreement with NASA's Stennis Space Center to lease the historic A-2 test stand. The Apollo era test stand is set to be used in a significant role in the development of Relativity Space's Terran R rocket.

South Africa has formally become a part of the China-led International Lunar Research Station Cooperation (ILRS).

The FAA announced today that its investigation into what went wrong on the first flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket in April is done. SpaceX is ready to try again, but […]

In a groundbreaking development for biotechnology applications and for the first time in history, a human body part has been successfully 3D-printing using human tissue in microgravity.

Virgin Galactic performed its third commercial suborbital spaceflight Sept. 8 with three private astronauts on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration has completed the mishap investigation in SpaceX’s first integrated Starship launch in April but is not ready yet to approve a second launch of the vehicle.

Rubicon Space Systems has won a series of contracts from NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop and deliver ASCENT thrusters.

Students from North Carolina and Rhode Island will have separate opportunities next week to hear from astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Discover what causes a comet’s color and what it might be like to listen to one whiz by.

Know what to expect ahead of time, and be prepared to experience a cosmic spectacle like nothing else in nature.

The FAA has closed the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy mishap investigation.The final report cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence.

MaiaSpace has completed the first cryogenic test of a full-scale prototype of the Maia rocket’s second stage. Maia is a partially reusable two-stage launch vehicle being developed by the ArianeGroup subsidiary. The vehicle is designed to be capable of delivering up to 1,500 kilograms to orbit when its first stage is expended and 500 kilograms […] The post MaiaSpace Complete First Cryogenic Test of Second Stage Prototype appeared first on European Spaceflight.

I was so happy to see SpaceNews recognize several of the many young, talented, hardworking, selfless professionals who are fueling efforts to make space safer for the generations to come in the story "Stand Up, Space Greta." Putting Greta on the cover of SpaceNews was a compelling way to attract the exact people that we need to enlist to enable space sustainability.

ISS Reboost: This afternoon, the ISS performed a reboost using the Aft Progress 85P rendezvous and docking (R&D) thrusters. This reboost will set up proper phasing conditions for the Soyuz 70S 2-orbit rendezvous in August. The burn was nominal with a 2.05 Payloads: Immunity Assay: Samples were retrieved and reaction tubes were prepared for centrifuge operations …

Congress has a choice to make this fall: reauthorize the “learning period” putting the nation on a glide path to secure a safety framework commensurate with industry maturity, or allow the “learning period” to expire, which puts the future of commercial human spaceflight – and American leadership in space writ large – at serious risk.

The Government Accountability Office called on NASA to be more transparent about the costs of the Space Launch System rocket, a vehicle senior agency officials acknowledged risked becoming “unaffordable.”

The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached a deal that will allow the UK to resume participation in the EU elements of the Copernicus Earth observation program.

The U.S. Space Force should overhaul its current approach to procuring commercial satellite communications services, a RAND Corp. report recommends.

"At current cost levels the SLS program is unsustainable."

South Africa has formally joined the China-led ILRS project to establish a permanent moon base.

Launch vehicle company Relativity Space is growing its footprint at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi by leasing an Apollo-era test stand to support development of its Terran R rocket.

The United States needs resilient space-based sensing capabilities for global detection, tracking and custody of advanced ballistic and hypersonic missile threats. These capabilities must integrate into the missile defense kill chain with existing space-based and terrestrial sensing, command and control, and effectors to enable early and effective engagement of these threats.

A guide to how to make sure your solar eclipse glasses are safe and certified, plus tips on what to do — and what not to do — if you want to experience an eclipse without glasses.

Payloads: Astrobee: The JEM was prepared for Astrobee flyer remote 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 eyes and ears on the space station. …

After its latest successful test campaign, HyImpulse has qualified its HyPLOX-75 hybird rocket motor for flight. The qualification of the motor brings the company one step closer to the maiden flight of its suborbital SR75 rocket. The single-stage suborbital rocket is powered by one of the company’s HyPLOX-75 hybrid rocket motors, which are capable of […] The post HyImpulse Qualifies Hybrid Rocket Motor for Flight appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Redwire announced it successfully 3D-printed human tissue in microgravity, a step towards more ambitious biotech applications in space.