Firefly Aerospace has won a $93.3 million NASA task order to provide 10 science and technology payloads in 2023 to help the space agency prepare for human missions to the Moon.
SpaceX on Feb. 4 launched its 18th mission to deliver Starlink broadband satellites into low Earth orbit, with another batch of 60 spacecraft poised for launch on Feb. 5.
Orbital Sidekick, a San Francisco-based startup aiming to offer satellite-based hyperspectral imaging and data analytics for the energy sector and others, has finalized operation plans for its Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite (GHOSt) constellation that is set to launch this year on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Sat-based 5G Service Startup Omnispace Lands $60M In VC Omnispace, a Washington, D.C.-area startup aiming to provide satellite-based 5G connectivity for the Internet of Things market, announced a $60 million venture capital round and looks to enter service by the end of 2022.
Fresh off finally achieving a successful test launch and aiming for daily launches of small satellites, Astra will become a publicly traded company after a takeover by a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by veteran telecommunications entrepreneur Craig McCaw.
Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people ever and founder of the category-killing online business Amazon, said he will hand over the CEO title to Andy Jasse and become executive chairman of the business behemoth.
After a spat with the FAA over an incomplete safety assessment prior to a previous Starship test, SpaceX launched another Starship upper-stage prototype from Boca Chica Beach, Texas, on Feb. 2, reaching an altitude of 32,800 ft. (10 km) and demonstrating flight control during subsonic re-entry before the vehicle crashed at landing.
The founder and CEO of e-commerce platform Shift4 Payments is chartering a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight for himself and three passengers, part of a fundraiser and public outreach for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a business opportunity for a Shift4 entrepreneur.
Virgin Galactic is targeting Feb. 13 for the next flight test of SpaceShipTwo, the six-passenger, two-pilot spacecraft designed for privately operated, suborbital flight services.
Rocket startup BluShift Aerospace launched its inaugural commercial mission Jan. 31, claiming the titles of the first commercial launch of a rocket with a “bio-derived” fuel and the first commercial launch from Maine.
Space Force Cancels Blue Origin, Northrop LSA Contracts Irene Klotz, [email protected] As expected, Blue Origin and Northrup Grumman—losing contenders in the U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 2 procurement—have had their precursor Launch Service Agreements canceled, the Space and Missile Systems Center confirmed on Jan. 29.
ArianeGroup is gearing up for the hot-fire testing campaign of the first complete Ariane 6 upper stage, after it left the assembly and functional evaluation facility in Bremen, Germany.
Joining former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Israeli entrepreneur Eytan Stibbe on the first privately financed U.S. mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will be real estate and technology investor Larry Connor of Ohio and Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Pathy, Axiom Space said on Jan. 26.
Satellite operator Inmarsat announced on Jan. 25 that it will provide satellite communications for a UK government initiative to create a zero-carbon emissions regional air transportation network.
As Virgin Orbit gears up for the start of operational missions following its successful Jan. 17 demonstration flight, the California-based space company has revealed it has been selected to launch the first military satellite for the Netherlands.
NASA and Boeing are now targeting March 25 for the launch of an uncrewed CST-100 Starliner on the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station—four days earlier than previously planned.
The European Commission is to order the first 12 satellites for the second generation of the Galileo navigation constellation from Airbus and Thales Alenia Space.
SpaceX kicked off what is expected to be a pivotal year for its fledging internet-via-satellite service with the delivery of 60 more spacecraft into orbit on Jan. 20, as public beta trials expand to the UK.
NASA needs to strategically reassess risk as it enlists commercial and international partners in its deep-space ambitions, according to the agency’s independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel.
