Commercial Space

Vulcan’s debut launch, targeted for late this year or early 2023, will send a privately owned lander, carrying payloads for NASA and other customers, to the surface of the Moon.

The U.S. Department of Defense has released a request for proposals for “Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services.”

Analysis is needed determine whether slamming a spacecraft into an asteroid belongs in the Earth’s future planetary defense arsenal.

The National Reconnaissance Office on Sept. 28 increased its work with commercial space companies, awarding six study contracts for commercial radio frequency remote sensing.

Over the past two weeks, SpaceX has started selling two “high performance” user terminals.

After the U.S. Treasury announced exemptions to new sanctions, Elon Musk said SpaceX is “activating Starlink” internet in Iran.

Axiom Space plans to train and fly two Saudi astronauts on a flight to the International Space Station as early as next year.

Dawn Aerospace plans to start test flights of its rocket-powered spaceplane technology demonstrator before year-end.

Brian Binnie, who clinched the $10 million Ansari XPrize for the Paul Allen-Scaled Composites team that built the SpaceShipOne reusable suborbital spacecraft, has died, his family announced on Sept. 18.

SpaceWERX awarded startup ThinkOrbital a Small Business Technology Transfer contract to study how the company’s autonomous robotic arm assembly and electron beam welding system might be used for in-space service assembly and manufacturing.

Companies say satellites could be refurbished and reused, addressing both costs and environmental concerns.

The FAA has awarded Raytheon Intelligence & Space an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a ceiling of $375 million over 10 years to upgrade the Wide Area Augmentation System space-based precision navigation system.

The goal of having a European constellation enter into service in late 2024 appears ambitious at best.

The testing marks a major step toward the U.S. startup’s goal of developing a fully reusable, rapid turn-around rocket vehicle.

Masten Space Systems, a Mojave, California, pioneer of the modern era of new-space startups, has been sold and will combine with Astrobotic, another startup targeting a predicted lunar logistics marketplace.

NASA is seeking proposals for the third and fourth agency-sponsored private astronaut missions to the International Space Station set for launches in late 2023 and 2024, a Sept. 14 solicitation notice says.

Sierra Space recently conducted a burst test of a subscale version of its Large Inflatable Flexible Environment habitat.

Avio, the prime contractor in Europe’s Vega light launcher program, is working on an experimental launch vehicle using only a liquid oxygen-methane propellant.

New satellite technologies are expected to enable more accurate forecasting of severe weather phenomena.

Against a backdrop of tough geopolitical and economic issues, Director General Josef Aschbacher has to convince the agency’s 22 member states that those difficulties are precisely why they need to invest more into space.

Virgin Galactic is reviewing initial responses to RFPs for structural and systems components for the company’s planned new Delta-class spaceplanes as it looks ahead to serial production.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Airbus is testing a pair of UK defense cubesats in readiness for the first orbital launch from the UK.

Rocket Lab has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with U.S. Transportation Command to explore using the company’s Neutron and Electron launch vehicles to transport cargo around the world.

Albedo, a startup developing very-low-Earth-orbit imagery satellites, has raised a $48 million Series A round.