Aerospace & Defense Roundup: May. 03

After a nearly decade-long hiatus, a final U.S. Navy response to China’s ship-killing ballistic and supersonic cruise missiles is moving forward again. The Navy’s Precision Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-201) on May 3 published a “sources sought” notice for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 2 (OASUW Inc 2). The step opens the market research phase that serves as a prelude to a possible follow-on competitive acquisition program for a highly advanced anti-ship cruise missile. Credit: LRASM-B: DARPA

Virgin Orbit has awarded the UK division of Spanish-based space system supplier AVS a contract to build the portable ground operating system to support satellite launches from Spaceport Cornwall starting in 2022. Credit: Virgin Orbit

A Chinese startup plans to capture an object in orbit using a net as part of a small-satellite mission to demonstrate technology for space resource utilization. Origin Space’s NEO-1 satellite was launched on April 27 as a secondary payload on the first Long March 6 ridesharing flight. Credit: Origin Space

Satellite inspection service provider HEO Robotics has partnered with Australian in-space transportation startup Space Machines (SMC) to launch an on-orbit inspection camera in 2022. To be hosted on SMC’s Optimus-1 space transporter, the Potoroo camera is designed to gather enhanced situational-awareness data on low Earth orbit (LEO). HEO is the first to sign up for the Optimus-1 mission, which is primarily aimed at deploying customer satellites to specific orbits. Credit: Space Machines

Maxar Technologies took a $28 million hit in the first quarter of 2021 on the failure of the SXM-7 satellite it built for satellite broadcaster Sirius XM. That news was disclosed May 3, when Maxar also warned it could push out the timeline for its key Worldview Legion satellite program due to supplier issues. Credit: Maxar Technologies

Vanessa Wyche, a 31-year NASA veteran, will serve as the acting director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC). Wyche replaces Mark Geyer, who announced his departure on May 3 to spend more time with his family following a cancer diagnosis. Credit: NASA

F/A-18