Space

Senior U.S. defense officials raised alarms on April 22 about a two-day-old decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant Ligado Networks a slice of the spectrum adjacent to the military-operated GPS network.

The premature shutdown of one of nine Merlin engines that powered a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit last month was caused by cleaning fluid trapped inside a sensor and igniting, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on April 22.

NASA's New Frontiers mission edges closer to sampling the asteroid Bennu.

The Weather System Follow-on satellite completed its critical design review with the U.S. Space Force green lighting Ball Aerospace to enter full production.

NASA has appointed the agency’s chief economist, Alexander MacDonald, to serve as program executive for CASIS, the NASA-backed Florida nonprofit that oversees the U.S. National Laboratory portion of the International Space Station.

2I/Borisov, the second comet of extrasolar origin to approach the Sun in recent years, brought with it an unprecedented glimpse into the chemistry of the planet-forming protoplanetary disc surrounding another star.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting May 27 for a crewed test flight of the Dragon 2 spacecraft to the International Space Station, the first human orbital space launch from the U.S. since the end of the shuttle program in 2011.

Rocket Factory Augsburg, a would-be launch service provider and part of Germany’s OHB group, sees a market for a small reusable rocket that would offer low launch costs and enable improved satellite designs.

A defunct communications satellite serviced during the debut flight of Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) has resumed operations, Intelsat and Northrop said on April 17.

Three U.S. and Russian International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers descended safely to Earth early April 17 to end lengthy, productive missions.

The technical risks of landing and reflying rockets have been resolved, but the business case seems far from closed.

F-15QA’s vertical climb; a new Space Acquisition Council; how to deter China and Russia; and defense execs advise White House.

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

Over vehement objections, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Paj circulated a draft order on April 16 that would allow Ligado to use L-band spectrum allocation originally approved for satellite communications for a terrestrial network to support 5G and internet of things services.

The Pentagon’s Space Acquisition Council will hold an emergency meeting to support the space industrial base in the wake of the novel coronavirus.

Russia has adjusted the dates for resumption of its Moon exploration efforts, an official says.

Russia’s space activity is likely to be limited due to coronavirus restrictions, officials say.

With automated flight safety systems, polar orbits from Florida are back in the offing.

A linchpin of the Army’s aviation modernization is still on track, but pressure is growing.

U.S. Space Command is tracking a Russian direct-ascent anti-satellite missile test, it said April 15.

With the country focused on stemming the spread of the coronavirus, legislators have asked the Federal Communications Commission to suspend work on proposed rulemaking for mitigating orbital debris.

Osiris-Rex, NASA’s first-ever asteroid sample return mission, successfully carried out a 4-hr. series of spacecraft maneuvers and deployments on April 14, preliminary data show.

Intuitive Machines has selected the planned date and landing site for its first mission to the Moon’s surface under its NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services agreement.

NASA is approaching the 20th anniversary of human presence on the ISS with a key question: Who will be aboard to celebrate?

Citing the bankruptcy of the OneWeb satellite communications company, the U.S. government should consider adding $2.5 billion in funding for space programs, along with multiple policy proposals to maintain the military space industrial base and U.S. strategic dominance in the domain in the face of threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, an industry trade group recommends.