SpaceX’s 23rd NASA-contracted Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station splashed down under parachute in the ocean waters off Florida’s Atlantic coast near St. Augustine late Sept. 30, returning a 4,600-lb. cargo that included time-sensitive scientific research.
U.S. startup Launchspace Technologies has signed a contract with Airbus to test its orbital debris remediation and spacecraft shielding technology for 12 months on the Bartolomeo external platform on the International Space Station.
Automaker Honda has launched development of an electric vertical-takeoff air taxi and reusable small satellite launcher in a push to enter new business areas by leveraging its core technology capabilities.
The FAA on Sept. 29 signed off on Virgin Galactic’s plan to improve communications with the FAA during flight operations of SpaceShipTwo and request a larger zone of protected airspace to ensure violations, such as what occurred during its last flight on July 11, do not reoccur.
Eutelsat Communications confirmed Sept. 29 it had received an “unsolicited, preliminary” takeover proposal from billionaire Patrick Drahi but that his terms were not good enough.
Privately owned Terran Orbital plans to invest $300 million to build a factory at Kennedy Space Center capable of producing 1,000 small satellites per year.
Isotropic Systems, a British flat-panel satellite antenna systems maker backed by Boeing and venture capitalists, says it has landed $37 million in fresh funding, enough to fully fund development of its multibeam ground antenna through expected product launch in 2022.
Astraius wants to use a Boeing C-17 airlifter to conduct horizontal launch of its Hera II two-stage launch vehicle, which is an adaptation of the Hera target missile used by the U.S. Defense Department to test missile defense systems.
Astroscale Japan has selected Rocket Lab to launch the first step in a two-part mission to demonstrate the removal of a large piece of space debris from low Earth orbit.
Under the wing of Boeing, Millennium Space Systems is hitting its stride making smart end-to-end satellite constellations to be deployed in multiple orbital regimes.
In response to the proliferation of new space launch systems and small satellite deployments, German Aerospace Center DLR has developed a Launch Coordination Center to help manage the safe and efficient launch and re-entry of missions through European airspace.
The SpaceX Dragon Resilience splashed down off the coast of Cape Canaveral at 7:06 p.m. EDT, concluding the company’s fourth human spaceflight and first without NASA oversight and NASA astronauts.
SpaceX cannot launch the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle until FAA completes its licensing process, which includes the environmental review and other safety and financial responsibility requirements.
