Space

TAMPA, Fla. — Exodus Orbitals, a startup developing software enabling customers to upload and run applications from orbit, is in talks about leasing satellites as plans to launch its own are delayed seven months to October 2022. The venture is adjusting its strategy to speed up the start of commercial operations as it seeks to

DUBAI, U.A.E. — The space center responsible for the United Arab Emirates’ human spaceflight program is looking at a range of flight options for its astronaut corps. The U.A.E. currently has four astronauts, including two selected in April from a pool of more than 4,300 applicants. Only one, Hazzaa AlMansoori, has been in space, spending

DUBAI, U.A.E. — A new, scaled-back version of a spending package released Oct. 28 sharply reduced the money allocated to NASA infrastructure and climate change projects, while continuing to exclude funding for a second Artemis lunar lander. The House released the text of the Build Back Better Act, a $1.75 trillion spending bill that is

TAMPA, Fla. — Indonesia has ordered a high-throughput communications satellite from Thales Alenia Space for a 2024 delivery to fill a gap left by last year’s loss of Nusantara-2 to a Chinese launch failure. The satellite, dubbed HTS 113BT, will be operated in geostationary orbit by Telkomsat, a subsidiary of Indonesian state-owned telecoms operator Telkom

Bernice Glenn is senior adviser for Pacific strategy and a board member of the International Security Industry Committee – Japan.  The recent report in the Financial Times that China tested a space-based, nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August set off alarm bells in international military circles. The discovery of this previously unknown capability is just the

DUBAI, U.A.E. — Boeing announced Oct. 27 it is taking an additional $185 million charge against its earnings to cover the costs to get its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle flying again. The company announced the charge in its release of its second quarter financial results, saying the charge was caused by “the second uncrewed

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite broadband startup OneWeb and a company backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund have signed a $200 million joint venture, with exclusive rights to distribute the network’s capacity in targeted Middle East regions. OneWeb said Oct. 26 it is partnering with NEOM Tech & Digital Holding Company, a business entity Saudi

SUNGNAM, South Korea — Joint drills between the U.S. Space Force and Republic of Korea (ROK) Air Force will focus on enhancing space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities of both sides, a senior air force officer said. The ROK Air Force is set to perform joint drills with the U.S. Space Force under an Aug. 27

One of the payloads on STP-3 is NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration WASHINGTON — United Launch Alliance is targeting a Nov. 22 liftoff for the U.S. Space Force STP-3 mission aboard an Atlas 5 rocket.  The mission previously was scheduled to launch June 23 from Cape Canaveral but was delayed to investigate an issue in

TAMPA, Fla. — Verizon Communications is working with Amazon to develop solutions for its proposed Project Kuiper megaconstellation, with the aim of using the satellites to extend connectivity services to more rural and remote communities across the United States. The U.S. telecom giant said Oct. 26 it has started developing commercial models and technical specifications

SAN FRANCISCO – Hedron, the company formerly called Analytical Space, raised $17.8 million in a Series A funding round. With the infusion of cash, Hedron intends to roll out the first orbital plane of what it intends to be “the world’s first hybrid optical/RF data relay network.” The funding round was led by Fine Structure Venture

DUBAI, U.A.E. — An industry group led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, and including several other companies and organizations, announced plans Oct. 25 to cooperate on the development of a commercial space station. In a presentation associated with the 72nd International Astronautical Congress here, the industry consortium announced its intent to develop Orbital Reef,

TAMPA, Fla. — Arianespace has successfully launched the heaviest satellite SES has ever ordered, marking a cornerstone for a multi-orbit network that is seeing surging demand from commercial aviation customers. Weighing roughly 6,400 kilograms, the all-electric SES-17 satellite lifted off from French Guiana Oct. 23 at 10:10 a.m. Eastern on an Ariane 5 rocket, which

DUBAI, U.A.E. — Small launch vehicle developer ABL Space Systems has raised an additional $200 million, just seven months after a $170 million round. ABL announced Oct. 25 it raised the additional funding as an extension of the $170 million Series B round it closed in March. The existing group of investors contributed to the

DUBAI, U.A.E. — An international group of elected officials is using a conference this week to build awareness about the importance of space among other politicians. The International Astronautical Federation’s 72nd International Astronautical Congress, taking place this week here, included as one of its side events the 11th International Meeting for Members of Parliaments, attracting

SAN FRANCISCO – York Space Systems is once again expanding manufacturing capacity to meet demand for its standard small satellites. After announcing plans in May to establish a facility in Denver to produce as many as 80 satellites at once, York recognized it would also need a near-term plan to expand production. As a result,

HELSINKI — China launched the Shijian-21 satellite from Xichang late Saturday with the stated aim of testing space debris mitigation technologies. A Long March 3B lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China, at 9:27 p.m. Eastern, Oct. 23, sending Shijian-21 into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC)

DUBAI, U.A.E. — NASA officials said they’re now targeting no earlier than February for the Artemis 1 launch as the completed vehicle enters the final phase of launch preparations. In a call with reporters Oct. 22, agency officials said they had completed the installation of the Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System’s

TAMPA, Fla. — Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler plans to retire after the satellite operator emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. 62-year-old Spengler has spent more than 18 years at the company in various leadership roles, leading as CEO for the past six and a half years. His plans to retire from Intelsat — and professionally

WASHINGTON — Space Adventures has dropped plans to fly space tourists on a high-altitude Crew Dragon flight but has not ruled out revisiting the mission concept in the future. Space Adventures announced in February 2020 that it has signed a contract with SpaceX for a Crew Dragon mission that would not go to the International

Whether the Chinese tested a weapon or just a reusable space vehicle is impossible to know without seeing the test data, said an industry expert WASHINGTON — China’s reported tests of a hypersonic orbital glide vehicle have sparked alarm in the U.S. as it could further fuel an escalating arms race. The Chinese government said

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded L3Harris Technologies a $120.7 million contract to upgrade a ground-based communications jammer used to block adversaries’ satellite transmissions. The contract, announced Oct. 22, is for upgrades to the Counter Communications System Block 10.2 that currently operates at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado; Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; Cape

WASHINGTON — SpaceX performed a static-fire test of a Starship vehicle Oct. 21 as debate continues about an environmental assessment of the company’s proposed launch operations in Texas. SpaceX performed two brief firings of a single Raptor engine mounted in a Starship vehicle called Ship 20 at its Boca Chica, Texas, test site. The tests

Investors may be wary of backing nascent companies without a guarantee of future procurements by the government WASHINGTON — U.S. Space Force generals made headlines recently calling for the development of commercial services to clean up orbital debris. These statements convey a sense of urgency about the risk of collisions in space but the government’s

WASHINGTON — Nanoracks, its majority owner Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, will collaborate on the development of a commercial space station as others in industry warn of a potential space station gap. Nanoracks said Oct. 21 that it was partnering with Lockheed Martin and Voyager Space on a commercial space station called Starlab. Nanoracks will

SAN FRANCISCO – Capella Space is working with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Technical Center (SMDTC) to satisfy Army demand for Earth observation with rapid tasking and delivery of synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data. Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) announced Oct. 21, Capella and the U.S. Army Payload Development Lab will

Thomas Martin, director of national security programs: ‘We’re in conversations with U.S. Transportation Command’ NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Blue Origin could become the second U.S. rocket company to sign a cooperative agreement with the U.S. military to examine how space vehicles might be used to transport cargo around the world.  “We’re in conversations with U.S.

WASHINGTON — NASA officials are standing by their decision to retain the name of the James Webb Space Telescope despite criticism from some astronomers, including one who resigned from an advisory committee in protest. The agency said in a once-sentence statement in late September that a historical review turned up no evidence to back allegations

The term “space traffic management” (STM) inevitably triggers comparisons to air traffic management. It conjures visions of controllers looking at screens and directing spacecraft to maneuver to avoid collisions, much like air traffic controllers do with aircraft. The reality is far different. Defunct aircraft don’t linger in airspace for years or decades, unlike satellites. Aircraft

WASHINGTON — NASA continues to stand behind Boeing as the company works to resolve a valve problem with its CST-100 Starliner that will push back operational missions of the commercial crew vehicle into 2023. NASA and Boeing officials provided an update Oct. 19 on the investigation into the stuck valves in the Starliner’s propulsion system

Experts said adding space to the list of U.S. critical infrastructure sectors would send a strong message WASHINGTON — Satellites in space provide essential services in support of national security and the civilian economy. The U.S. government, however, does not technically consider space systems “critical infrastructure,” which is slowing down efforts to protect networks from

TAMPA, Fla. — German launch services provider Exolaunch is expanding to the U.S. in search of a greater share of the rapidly growing market, stepping up competition against Seattle-based rideshare broker Spaceflight. About half the nearly 100 satellites Exolaunch has already booked for launches next year are for U.S. customers, newly appointed Exolaunch USA CEO

Under the recently launched Polish Imaging Satellites (PIAST) project, a consortium formed by local space industry players will develop three nanosatellites to be operated by the country’s armed forces and placed into orbit in 2024. WARSAW, Poland — Under the recently launched Polish Imaging Satellites (PIAST) project, a consortium formed by local space industry players

SpaceNews spoke with Samer Halawi, Intelsat’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, to learn more about the satellite giant’s post-restructuring growth strategy. Intelsat is devising a transformational business plan for after it emerges from bankruptcy restructuring later this year, including a big bet on software-defined satellites and potentially its own low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation. The

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — As NASA prepares to install the Orion spacecraft on the first Space Launch System rocket, agency officials played down any effect coronavirus vaccine mandates will have on final preparations for the launch. In sessions of the American Astronautical Society’s Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium last week, Artemis program leaders said the next

WASHINGTON — Engineers are investigating why one of the two solar arrays on NASA’s Lucy spacecraft may have failed to lock into place when deployed after launch Oct. 16. In an Oct. 17 statement, NASA said that while the spacecraft is healthy, one of the two circular solar panels “may not be fully latched” after

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Rocket Lab’s acquisition of an aerospace software company is one of a series of deals it is considering, enabled in part by going public. Rocket Lab announced Oct. 12 it has completed the purchase of Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI), a Colorado-based engineering company that develops flight software, simulation systems and guidance, navigation

WASHINGTON — A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a cosmonaut and two spaceflight participants landed in Kazakhstan Oct. 17, nearly two days after that spacecraft caused the station to briefly lose attitude control. The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft undocked from the station’sNauka module at 9:14 p.m. Eastern Oct. 16. It reentered and landed southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at

WASHINGTON — An agreement just announced between the U.S. Space Force and a venture capital firm is a pilot project intended to help government buyers understand how investors assess space industry startups.  The Space Force would like better insight into how venture investors gauge the potential of technologies developed by commercial businesses, said Gabe Mounce,

HELSINKI — A second crew of three astronauts are heading for China’s Tianhe space station module after the successful launch of the Shenzhou-13 mission Friday. A Long March 2F lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 12:23 Eastern Oct. 15. The rocket, with four side boosters, two stages and

WASHINGTON — An Atlas 5 successfully a launched NASA spacecraft Oct. 16 on a mission to study distant asteroids that may hold clues to the early history of the solar system. The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 401 rocket lifted off on schedule from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:34 a.m.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner was within hours of launch on its second uncrewed test flight in early August when stuck valves in the spacecraft’s propulsion system forced a launch scrub that has turned into a delay that will extend well into next year. “It was a tough pill to swallow,” John Vollmer, vice

The race for a place in space is one of the many things people love about the spirit of the United States — a country that dreams big, sets goals to make those dreams a reality, and then moves full speed ahead to achieve those goals. America blasts off toward those dreams with stars in

Kendall is asking Congress to amend the 2022 NDAA so a new assistant secretary for space acquisitions can be nominated and, if confirmed by the Senate, take office sooner than next October WASHINGTON — Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is asking Congress to authorize a new assistant secretary for space acquisitions before the Oct. 1,

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Virgin Galactic will postpone a SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceflight that had been scheduled for this month, electing to instead immediately begin an extended maintenance period for the spaceplane and its carrier aircraft that will further delay the start of commercial flights. The company said Oct. 14 that it decided to move directly intended

SAN FRANCISCO – Iceye won a contract to provide data from its constellation of small synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites to Copernicus, the European Union program aimed at providing continuous, global Earth observation. With the announcement, Iceye becomes the first entrepreneurial SAR company to be designated a Copernicus Contributing Mission, meaning its imagery and data will

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Space Perspective, a company developing a stratospheric ballooning system intended to give people views like those from space, has raised $40 million to fund the company through the start of commercial operations. Space Perspective announced Oct. 14 the Series A round, led by Prime Movers Lab, a “deep technology” venture capital fund.

SAN FRANCISCO – SpaceLink has awarded OHB System AG a contract with an anticipated value of more than $300 million to manufacture four satellites for its commercial space data relay constellation. After reviewing proposals from multiple satellite manufacturers, SpaceLink selected OHB based on a number of factors including the German company’s experience building Galileo navigation