Space

Smith: “While it is encouraging to see an increase in research and development across the portfolio, much of the request is for systems that have been called ‘big juicy targets'” WASHINGTON — U.S. Space Force technology investments was one of the topics discussed June 16 at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, which

TAMPA, Fla. — British maritime surveillance venture Horizon Technologies has ordered two more cubesats from AAC Clyde Space, which will operate them after securing their launches next year. The satellites will listen for signals from ships operating clandestinely, helping customers that include the U.K.’s National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) tackle piracy and other illegal activities. They will

WASHINGTON — NASA has moved a space telescope designed to look for near Earth asteroids into the next phase of development, a move that, when combined with the agency’s budget proposal, gives advocates of the mission renewed optimism. NASA announced June 11 that the Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission passed a milestone known as

WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Bill Nelson asked Senate appropriators to provide additional funding so NASA can support a second lunar lander developer, warning that the agency needed to stay ahead of a “very aggressive” Chinese space program. Nelson, testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s commerce, justice and science subcommittee June 15 about NASA’s fiscal year

The Space Force will allow SpaceX to fly future national security missions on Falcon 9 boosters that previously launched commercial or NASA payloads WASHINGTON — The upcoming SpaceX launch of a GPS 3 satellite scheduled for June 17 will be the first national security space mission to use a refurbished Falcon 9 booster.  The U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO – SkyWatch Space Applications raised 20.9 million Canadian dollars ($17.2 ) in a Series B funding round, less than 17 months after welcoming investors to its Series A round. The rapid pace of fundraising was not in the Canadian startup’s original plan but necessitated by demand for TerraStream, a data management and distribution

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has taken yet another step toward having a domestic satellite industry that is driven by the private sector. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a state-funded university that has developed several satellites, has agreed to share its spacecraft-manufacturing technologies and know-how with three major South Korean aerospace

SpaceNews recently highlighted the growing recognition that companies can use space-based data and services to demonstrate their implementation of the environmental component of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles.  It is fantastic to see the space industry supporting ESG objectives by providing data and monitoring for Earth-based environmental sustainability efforts.  Yet we also need to recognize

WASHINGTON — The new head of Virginia’s commercial spaceport on Wallops Island says he wants to increase launch activity at the site, while acknowledging that there are limits as to how big it can grow. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced June 10 that Roosevelt “Ted” Mercer Jr., a retired Air Force major general, will

The mission is part of the Space Force’s tactically responsive launch program WASHINGTON — A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket launched the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Launch-2 (TacRL-2) mission June 13 at 1:11 a.m. Pacific from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.  The payload was successfully deployed to low Earth orbit, a Space Force spokesman said Sunday.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Space Force mission scheduled to launch June 13 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket is a monitoring satellite intended to provide “space domain awareness,” chief of space operations Gen. John Raymond said June 10. The mission named TacRL-2 is a technology demonstration satellite for the Space Force’s tactically responsive launch

WASHINGTON — Despite facing the threat of cancellation for the second straight year, a NASA airborne observatory is continuing with regular operations. NASA’s fiscal year 2022 budget request, released May 28, included a proposal to end the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a modified Boeing 747 equipped with a 2.5-meter telescope to perform infrared

WASHINGTON — A seat on the first crewed flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle sold for $28 million at an auction June 12. The live auction wrapped up a bidding process that the company announced May 5 to sell the seat on the flight, scheduled for July 20 from the company’s West Texas

WASHINGTON — Phase Four has raised $26 million in a Series B round that will allow it to accelerate production of its satellite electric propulsion systems. The company announced June 11 it raised the round led by venture capital firm New Science Ventures LLC. The company had raised about $20 million in earlier funding rounds.

TAMPA, Fla. — The United States and five other countries are banding together with the United Kingdom to develop a satellite-based quantum technology encryption network. The Federated Quantum System (FQS) will be based on the one British startup Arqit is developing for commercial customers, using quantum technology breakthroughs to guard against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. But

TAMPA, Fla. — Seraphim Capital plans to trade stakes it has amassed in space technology startups on the public market through an investment trust. The Seraphim Space Investment Trust will eventually comprise bets in 19 international startups, including satellite data specialist Spire Global, quantum encryption firm ArQit and space-based cellular network operator AST Space Mobile.

WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency has selected a Venus orbiter as its next medium-class science mission, just a week after NASA announced the section of two Venus missions of its own. ESA announced June 10 that EnVision will be the agency’s next M-class, or medium-class, science mission. The orbiter will carry a suite of

The bulk of the increase in DoD’s space budget for 2022 is for classified research and development programs WASHINGTON — In the Biden administration’s 2022 budget proposal, the Pentagon is requesting $15.3 billion for investments in space technology, an increase of $1.8 billion over what Congress enacted in 2021, according to a new report by

The companies selected are Cognitive Space, D-Orbit, Descartes Labs, Edgybees, Hawkeye360, LeoLabs, Lunar Outpost, Orbital Sidekick, Satellite VU and Ursa Space WASHINGTON — Amazon Web Services announced June 10 it selected 10 U.S. and European space startups for a four-week accelerator program where companies learn how they can grow their business using cloud computing and analytics

HELSINKI — China rolled out a Long March 2F rocket Wednesday in preparation to send the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft and three astronauts to an orbiting space station module. The Long March 2F rocket was vertically transferred to its pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO)

TAMPA, Fla. — Canadian startup Kelper plans to build a U.S. presence after raising $60 million for its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite data constellation. The company said the office expansion will bring it closer to U.S. customers and potential partners as it nearly doubles its team to 150 people by the end of 2021.

HELSINKI — Shenzhen will provide up to $47 million in support for development of satellite equipment, applications and other areas to drive space-related innovation in the southern Chinese city. The city in Guangdong province will provide as much as 40 percent of total investment for a project, or up to 300 million yuan per project,

SAN FRANCISCO –Techstars Space Accelerator launched its 2021 class June 7 with nine U.S. and one Australian company. While some of the firms are squarely focused on the space sector, others are newcomers after discovering space applications for related technologies like quantum security, photonics, autonomy and communications. “Many companies don’t initially realize they’re space companies,”

WASHINGTON — Paul Hertz, who has led NASA’s astrophysics programs for nearly a decade, will step down by the end of the year to pursue his “next challenge” at the space agency. During a town hall session of the 238th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) June 7, Hertz took attendees by surprise when

WASHINGTON — Relativity Space announced June 8 it has raised $650 million in a new funding round to support development of a fully reusable launch vehicle far larger than its original Terran 1 rocket. Relativity said Fidelity led its Series E round with participation from new investors BlackRock, Centricus, Coatue and Soroban Capital. Existing investors

WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man and founder of Blue Origin, announced June 7 that he will go on the first crewed flight of the company’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle next month. In an Instagram post, Bezos said that he, and his brother Mark, will go on the suborbital flight, scheduled for July

TAMPA, Fla. — EchoStar hopes the third time will be a charm for the U.S. satellite operator racing to secure global non-geostationary S-band rights this summer. The company plans to lock down these spectrum rights ahead of an Aug. 10 deadline with a nanosatellite launching before the end of June, EchoStar Satellite Services president Anders

WASHINGTON — Launch vehicle developer Astra is acquiring Apollo Fusion, a company developing electric propulsion systems for spacecraft, as part of its effort to create vertically integrated space systems. Astra is purchasing Apollo Fusion for $30 million in stock and $20 million in cash in a deal announced June 7. The deal includes an additional

LandSat 7 Satellite still delivering after 20 years; RI&S has eyes on what’s next The land-observing satellite was supposed to work for five years. Now, more than 20 years later, Landsat 7 is still going strong. In April 2021, the satellite marked its 22nd year of serving as a set of eyes on our home

WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft June 3, carrying experiments and a new set of solar panels for the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 1:29 p.m. Eastern. The Dragon separated from the rocket’s super stage 12 minutes

WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says he will soon speak with his Russian counterpart in the hopes of continuing long-standing cooperation between the two countries in space even as Russia’s ties to China grow stronger. In a discussion with reporters at NASA Headquarters after his “State of NASA” speech June 2, Nelson said he

TAMPA, Fla. — Early-stage space investor Seraphim Capital reportedly plans to list shares on London’s stock exchange, following a growing number of its own investments to the public markets.  U.K.-based Seraphim has hired Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan to work on an initial public offering (IPO) that would raise around $355 million, reported Sky News

The five-year sole-source contract is for operations and maintenance of SBIRS ground control centers WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin received a $1 billion contract to operate and maintain the ground control systems of the U.S. military’s Space Based Infrared System geostationary satellites, the U.S. Space Force announced June 4.  SBIRS is part of the Defense Department’s missile

WASHINGTON — Virgin Galactic has signed an agreement to fly a private researcher on a future suborbital flight, part of efforts diversify its business beyond space tourism. Virgin Galactic announced June 3 that Kellie Gerardi, affiliated with the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), will fly on a future SpaceShipTwo dedicated research flight. Gerardi will

Program manager Greg Spanjers:  ‘We don’t see SpaceX as being the only viable provider of this capability’ WASHINGTON — U.S. Air Force officials on June 4 expressed enthusiasm about the possibility that commercial space vehicles one day could be used to ship supplies around the world.  “This never really made sense in the past” but

WASHINGTON — A new House bill would classify space as a critical infrastructure and require the federal government to establish guidelines to protect it. The Space Infrastructure Act, to be introduced June 4 by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), would add space systems to the 16 sectors currently classified as critical infrastructure

Chief scientist Joel Mozer: ‘We are trying to anticipate what’s coming and prepare for an uncertain future’ WASHINGTON — A group of senior military leaders, scientists and other space professionals met this week in Colorado Springs to discuss the future of the U.S. Space Force. “We are trying to anticipate what’s coming and prepare for

TAMPA, Fla. — Private equity firm TPG has poured $100 million into weather services startup Climavision, which will marry satellite and terrestrial radar observations to improve climate intelligence. Louisville, Kentucky-based Climavision emerged from stealth mode June 2 after being borne out of Enterprise Electronics Corporation, a 50-year old U.S. supplier of weather radar systems with

SAN FRANCISCO – LeoLabs plans to accelerate deployment of its global radar network and expand space situational awareness services with $65 million raised in a Series B financing round announced June 3. “The services we are rolling out are becoming critical for the space industry and we’ve got the technology down with our radar rollouts

WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than three decades, NASA has announced it will send a robotic mission to Venus, selecting two proposals in the latest round of its Discovery program. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced at the end of a “State of NASA” speech at NASA Headquarters June 2 that the DAVINCI+

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite operators have cleared a portion of C-band in a key step toward giving the spectrum to U.S. wireless companies in December. Work has now started on installing filters on ground antennas across the United States, so wireless operators can use the lower 120 MHz of C-band for 5G without interfering with

WASHINGTON — American and European officials acknowledged June 1 that the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope will likely slip from the end of October to at least mid-November because of delays linked to the Ariane 5. At a European Space Agency briefing about the space telescope, representatives of the agency and Arianespace said

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite operator Viasat is stepping up efforts to stop Starlink’s growing constellation, taking aim at the nearly $900 million of rural broadband subsidies that SpaceX won in December.  The operator is asking the Federal Communications Commission to review decisions made around the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), claiming differential treatment and a

TAMPA, Fla. — Europe has tasked an Airbus-led group to devise its own quantum communications network as startup Arqit raises $400 million for a space-based system. Airbus said May 31 the European Commission awarded the group a contract to study a quantum technology-powered network, called EuroQCI, to secure critical infrastructure across Europe. The 15-month agreement

WASHINGTON — The New Zealand government announced May 31 that it had signed the U.S.-led Artemis Accords governing best practices for space exploration activities, showing a particular interest in the document’s stance on space resources. Peter Crabtree, head of the New Zealand Space agency, signed the accords in a ceremony in Wellington, New Zealand, making

For months, NASA had strongly suggested that it would select two companies for the next phase of its Human Landing System (HLS) program. Just as with the commercial cargo and crew programs, agency officials said, having two companies develop and demonstrate lunar landers would provide redundancy and ensure NASA was getting the best deal. “Competition

HELSINKI — Russia and China are looking to announce new partnerships for a joint initiative to construct a robotic moon base ahead of potential crewed lunar missions. The first responses to invitations to join the International Lunar Research Station project (ILRS) are expected during bilateral meetings during the Global Space Exploration Conference 2021 (GLEX 2021)

When choosing launch options, the NRO considers factors like satellite risk tolerance, required launch dates, available launch vehicles and cost. WASHINGTON — The National Reconnaissance Office entrusts the U.S. Space Force to launch most of its spy satellites. But the NRO also is using other types of commercial contracts to send spacecraft to orbit, a practice