Space news

23 Starlink satellites joined the constellation after successfully being launched into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 that was flying for a...

Dish Network said its CEO Erik Carlson is resigning Nov. 12 ahead of the broadcaster’s merger with EchoStar, its sister company focused on providing broadband services from space, after posting a steep drop in satellite TV customers.

The mission team is making sure the robotic scientist is staying strong, despite wear and tear from its 11-year journey.

We now live in a space-based economy. Satellites are providing everything from internet access to GPS guidance to storm tracking. You’d be hard-pressed to get through your day without relying on space-based services.

"I certainly expect a paradigm shift on the launcher sector."

This year, the Moon took center stage with three robotic landing attempts between April in August. In the end, only India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission reached the lunar surface intact.

Payloads: Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research on Varying Mission Durations (CIPHER): Ultrasound scan and Blood Pressure measurements were taken to support the CIPHER study. The CIPHER investigation aims to improve our understanding of physiological and psychological changes in humans on missions that range from weeks to one year in duration. Conducting the …

This image was captured in California, near Oakland.

Sierra Space has completed assembly of its first Dream Chaser vehicle as it aims for a launch of that spacecraft to the International Space Station as soon as next spring.

The head of the French space agency CNES, Philippe Baptiste, identified a complex governance structure and ESA’s geographic return rule as the primary reasons why the development of Ariane 6 has failed to meet projected deadlines and price targets. In a revealing interview with French financial news outlet Les Echos, Baptiste argued that while ArianeGroup […] The post CNES Boss on Damage Control for ArianeGroup on Ariane 6 Failures appeared first on European Spaceflight.

The Republican leadership of the House Science Committee has introduced legislation that would create a mission authorization system for commercial space activities and alter plans for a space traffic coordination system.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of November 5-11, 2023 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session […]

NASA has delayed the award of contracts to develop a lunar rover for future Artemis missions by four months, raising concerns in industry about the future of the program.

After a flyby of Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, in 2021, Juno and a team of scientists have discovered the presence of mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of the icy moon. The new findings will allow scientists to better understand where Ganymede came from and the composition of its deep subsurface ocean.

Dwindling cash reserves caused launch vehicle and spacecraft propulsion company Astra Space to default on a loan at the end of October, adding to doubts about the company’s future.

Finnish Earth observation startup Kuva Space has closed an oversubscribed funding round that raised €16.6 million. The company announced on 2 November that it had raised the growth funding. The round was led by existing investors Voima Ventures and Nordic Foodtech VC, with participation from EARTH VC, private investors through Springvest, and Business Finland. “Our […] The post Kuva Space Raises €16.6M for Subscription-Based Hyperspectral Imaging Service appeared first on European Spaceflight.

House appropriators would fully fund NASA’s Mars Sample Return program despite its ongoing problems but halt the agency’s plans to cooperate with a European Mars mission.

Struggling space company Astra disclosed in a securities filing late Friday that it defaulted on a recent debt agreement and may not be able to raise needed cash as funds dwindle.

SpaceX will again target a morning liftoff for the rocket.

Payloads: Actiwatch-Plus: Four Actiwatch Plus devices were connected to the HRF-1 Payload Drawer on the HRF-1 Rack for data downlink and charging. The Actiwatch-Plus is a waterproof, non-intrusive, sleep-wake activity monitor worn on the wrist of a crewmember and contains a miniature uniaxial accelerometer that produces a signal as the subject moves. The data is …

"It's definitely a money loser. Always has been."

SpaceNews is pleased to spotlight the finalists for the Startup of the Year award, companies that have managed to capture our attention for their contributions to the space industry.

Norway has officially opened what it calls the “first operational spaceport in continental Europe.” Andoya Spaceport was inaugurated on 2 November by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon. The new spaceport is located in Nordmela on the Norwegian Island of Andoya. Although the spaceport will eventually include several launch pads, just one has been completed to date. […] The post Norway Officially Opens “First Operational Spaceport in Continental Europe” appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Norway inaugurated its northern Andøya spaceport Thursday as commercial launch competition on continental Europe heats up.

A NASA official opened the door to keeping the International Space Station in operation beyond 2030 if commercial space stations are not yet ready to take over by the end of the decade.

"The fact that it is two makes it even more exciting."

"Our team has created an excellent piece of engineering."

The two top Republicans on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee who oversee space activities introduced a long-awaited bill today addressing commercial space activities. Among the many provisions of […]

The House Appropriations Committee has posted the report to accompany the bill that includes FY2024 funding for NASA. The Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee approved the bill months ago and top-level funding levels […]

The Space Development Agency awarded SpaceRake, a Cambridge, Massachusetts startup, $1.8 million to develop miniature laser communications terminals.

Virgin Galactic completed its sixth and final suborbital spaceflight of the year Nov. 2, flying two researchers and a private astronaut.

NASA heralded another signatory to the Artemis Accords yesterday when the Netherlands joined during a ceremony in Washington, DC.  To the surprise of many, that made Netherlands the 31st country, […]

The U.S. Space Force has officially taken over from the Army the operation of ground stations that receive data from infrared sensor satellites.

Viasat said Nov. 2 it is laying off 800 employees representing around 10% of its workforce as the satellite operator streamlines its business after buying Inmarsat.

The flight of Booster 9 and Ship 25 is now in the final stage of preparations, focused on regulatory approval that will allow SpaceX to set a launch date. That target is currently tracking mid-November as the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) works on the final element of the FAA’s launch license via an updated Biological Assessment under the Endangered Species Act.

There’s a small spacecraft zipping around Earth right now, but, unlike most satellites in orbit, it wants to come down. The only catch is that, so far, it’s not allowed to.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Thursday that the company’s Starlink satellite internet business “achieved breakeven cash flow.”

"It is imperative to rapidly deliver critical space capabilities."

Payloads: Circadian Light: A Circadian Light end-of-day assessment was performed in support of this continuing investigation. Circadian Light tests a new lighting system to help astronauts maintain an acceptable circadian rhythm. This can help enhance cognitive performance during a long-duration mission and help combat monotony through automated, varied, and gradually changing lighting sequences and settings. …

Bremen-based startup POLARIS Spaceplanes has completed the first flight of its MIRA demonstrator. The flight lasted for 2.5 minutes and covered a total distance of approximately nine kilometres. MIRA is a 4.3-metre demonstrator that features a fiber-reinforced shell and a 5.2-square-metre wing area. The demonstrator is powered by four kerosene-fed jet engines and one of […] The post POLARIS Spaceplanes Perform First Flight of MIRA Demonstrator appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Our ancestors must have watched this in awe.

Chinese commercial rocket company iSpace has successfully launched and safely landed a test article on its path to developing a reusable launch vehicle.

Two more countries have signed the U.S.-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices in space exploration, one of which did so with no fanfare.

The U.K.’s space minister hopes to convince Europe to use OneWeb’s proposed second-generation satellites instead of pursuing a standalone constellation now that the British operator has merged with Eutelsat of France.

The Senate has passed a bill that would direct NASA to create an orbital debris remediation program, sending it on to the House for the second time.

This year seen some long-predicted industry consolidation come to pass. Which of 2023's many transactions will be recognized as the Deal of the Year at the SpaceNews 2023 Icon Awards?

Rocket Lab announced Nov. 1 that retired U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno has joined the company’s board of directors.

USOS ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) #89 RFG Retrieval Part 2: Today, astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli (EV1) and Loral O’Hara (EV2) conducted USOS EVA #89. The main goal of this EVA was to retrieve the S-Band Radio Frequency Group (RFG) and perform a Trundle Bearing Assembly (TBA) Remove and Replace (R&R) on the Port Solar Alpha Rotary Joint …

The U.S. Space Force assigned 21 rocket launches to SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, worth about $2.5 billion in total, the military branch told CNBC.

Delta Air Lines has picked Hughes Network Systems to upgrade the Wi-Fi on around 400 Boeing 717 and smaller regional jets serving North America that currently use Intelsat’s inflight connectivity services.