A Chinese spacecraft that disappeared from orbit on Jan. 22 appears to be serving as a “space tug,” raising a defunct Chinese navigation satellite thousands of kilometers beyond geostationary orbit, according to a company that operates a network of more than 350 optical telescopes around the world.
Houston-based Celestis, which flies cremated remains in one of the more unique—and long-lived—commercial space service ventures, is adding a second payload on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) debut Vulcan mission, slated to launch later this year.
Space 11 Corp., an aerospace company focused on the production of space-based entertainment, is partnering with Nanoracks, a commercial space station visionary, to develop an orbital free flyer intended to support space film and television production and serve as a live venue and soundscape.
ArianeGroup is studying a dual-use second stage for launches of both satellite and crew that will support the European Space Agency’s fledgling reusability strategy.
Radian Aerospace has unveiled plans for “the world’s first fully reusable horizontal takeoff and landing, single-stage to orbit spaceplane” for sending passengers and cargo to low Earth orbit.
Satellite-powered hyperspectral imagery and analytics startup HySpecIQ is aiming to raise more funds and grow its small staff ahead of an expected September 2023 launch of its first of 12 orbital assets.
Airbus has begun partnering with Japanese communication providers to study the feasibility of deploying wireless communication networks on high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) such as the company’s Zephyr.
The six-engine behemoth now faces an intense flight campaign through the rest of this year as the focus begins to switch from envelope expansion to preparations for payload tests.
Hours after SpaceX delivered a batch of satellites into polar orbits from Florida—previously an exclusive West Coast route—Virgin Orbit pulled off the reverse feat: deploying its customers’ spacecraft into 45-deg. inclination orbits from the California-launched LauncherOne rocket.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 13 to deliver 105 satellites into a near-polar Sun-synchronous orbits, successfully completing its third discounted rideshare flight.
Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company that helped sweep in the current era of startup space companies quickly going public, shocked investors Jan. 13 with news it will raise as much as $500 million by issuing new debt.
The Airbus-sponsored Perlan 2 stratospheric glider will carry a Thales FlytLink satellite communications terminal when it returns to flight, enabling real-time data downloads from altitudes exceeding 90,000 ft.
Hypersonix Launch Systems has signed a collaborative agreement with the University of Sydney to research and manufacture key components of its proposed spaceplane, including its Spartan scramjet propulsion system.
Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, will be the base for several micro-launchers, which will help the European industry progress in reusability, according to Philippe Baptiste, chairman and CEO of French space agency CNES.
After contributing 31 flights to a global record 146 orbital launches in 2021, SpaceX kicked off the new year by adding another 49 new satellites to its growing Starlink broadband network.
