Advisory panel to examine DoD’s demand for commercial space systems
SpaceNews | 2022-12-05 23:04:42
The Pentagon’s top research official has directed the Defense Science Board to examine the military’s growing reliance on commercial space technology and its implications.
Read More →
Ukraine’s Promin Aerospace on track for 2023 flight test
SpaceNews | 2022-12-05 22:44:42
Ukrainian startup Promin Aerospace remains on track to conduct the first test of its small satellite launch technology early next year, in spite of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.
Read More →
Artemis 1 capsule beams back spectacular farewell views of the moon
Spaceflight Now | 2022-12-05 20:04:39
Flying just 80 miles off the lunar surface, NASA’s Orion capsule fired its main engine Monday to slingshot around the moon and set a course for splashdown Dec. 11 in the Pacific Ocean to complete the Artemis 1 test flight. The unpiloted spacecraft relayed home ethereal real-time views of the moon’s cratered surface and a crescent Earth suspended in the blackness of space a quarter-million miles away.
Read More →
NASA Administrator Names New Leadership at Two Agency Centers
NASA | 2022-12-05 17:44:00
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has named Bradley Flick director of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, effective immediately. The administrator also has named Dave Mitchell to fill the role as acting director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, effective Jan. 1.
Read More →
SpaceX unveils ‘Starshield,’ a military variation of Starlink satellites
CNBC | 2022-12-05 16:09:25
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is expanding its Starlink satellite technology into military applications with a new business line called Starshield.
Read More →
The Best of 2022
Planetary Society | 2022-12-05 16:04:58
Announcing the winners of our Best of 2022 campaign!
Read More →
Dmitry Rogozin may be in some trouble in Russia
Arstechnica | 2022-12-05 14:42:23
Wagner Group soldiers are well-trained to identify those attired in NATO clothing.
Read More →
E-Space buys RF hardware developer CommAgility
SpaceNews | 2022-12-05 14:34:42
Greg Wyler’s megaconstellation startup E-Space said Dec. 5 it plans to buy radio frequency module developer CommAgility in a $14.5 million deal.
Read More →
Growth of SSA systems could create problems for satellite operators
SpaceNews | 2022-12-05 12:34:48
The growth of space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities worldwide, intended to better track satellites and debris in orbit, could instead create confusion for satellite operators, one official warned.
Read More →
After the Artemis I mission’s brilliant success, why is an encore 2 years away?
Arstechnica | 2022-12-05 12:00:56
"I would say that we’re going to try our best to get there."
Read More →
Chris Pearson takes the reins at Agile Space Industries
SpaceNews | 2022-12-05 10:04:44
Chris Pearson, former Roccor CEO and Redwire executive vice president, is the new CEO of Durango, Colorado-based propulsion startup Agile Space Industries.
Read More →
Chinese crew back on Earth after six months on Tiangong space station
Spaceflight Now | 2022-12-04 18:24:38
Three Chinese astronauts landed Sunday after 182 days on China’s Tiangong space station, completing the busiest mission yet for the country’s human spaceflight program. The astronauts performed three spacewalks and assisted in the arrival and outfitting of two new lab modules at the Tiangong outpost.
Read More →
U.S. Space Force chief: The use of space technology in Ukraine ‘is what we can expect in the future’
SpaceNews | 2022-12-04 16:44:42
The war in Ukraine has put on display military forces’ growing reliance on satellites and has created incentives to disrupt opponents’ access to space systems, said Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force
Read More →
Astronauts install new solar array outside International Space Station
Spaceflight Now | 2022-12-03 22:04:38
NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio headed outside the International Space Station Saturday for a seven-hour spacewalk to install and unfurl a new roll-out solar array recently delivered by a SpaceX cargo ship.
Read More →
Power upgrade: Station crew install new iROSA, work power channel issue on ISS
NASASpaceflight | 2022-12-03 20:10:55
Two NASA astronauts conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, Dec. 2, to install a new iROSA (ISS Roll-Out Solar Array).
Read More →
SpaceX rolls out new business line focused on military satellite services
SpaceNews | 2022-12-03 15:34:43
SpaceX on Dec. 2 revealed a new business segment called Starshield aimed at U.S. national security government agencies.
Read More →
Space Force establishes component at U.S. Central Command
SpaceNews | 2022-12-02 22:14:43
U.S. Central Command on Dec. 2 activated a Space Force component known as U.S. Space Forces-Central
Read More →
NASA Sets Coverage of Orion’s Historic Moon Mission Return, Splashdown
NASA | 2022-12-02 21:24:00
NASA will provide live coverage of the Artemis I uncrewed Orion spacecraft’s return flyby of the Moon on Monday, Dec. 5, as well as its return to Earth on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Read More →
RS-25 engine performance “perfect” on Artemis I debut launch
NASASpaceflight | 2022-12-02 19:32:17
The four RS-25 engines from Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully propelled the Core Stage, Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System, and Orion/Service Module stack into its initial Earth orbit during the system’s debut launch on Nov. 16, 2022.
Read More →
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/02/2022
NASA | 2022-12-02 16:34:00
Payloads: JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-23 (J-SSOD-23): Crewmembers observed the J-SSOD-23 deployed satellites. J-SSOD-23 CubeSat deployment mission launched to the ISS aboard the NG-18 Cargo Vehicle. The CubeSats planned deployables are: PearlAfricaSat-1 (1U), Science, Technology, and Innovation Office of the President (Uganda); TAKA (2U) Kyushu Institute of Technology (Japan); ZIMSAT-1 (1U), Zimbabwe National Geospatial and …
Read More →
Much has passed in decades past
Planetary Society | 2022-12-02 15:35:01
With anniversaries come reflections, and there’s a lot to look back on in the history of space.
Read More →
After bankruptcy and war, OneWeb turns to a competitor for help
Arstechnica | 2022-12-02 15:06:05
OneWeb, as ever, is doing what it needs to do to survive.
Read More →
OneWeb aims to deploy a record 40 satellites in SpaceX mission
SpaceNews | 2022-12-02 14:14:44
OneWeb said SpaceX is slated to launch 40 of its satellites as early as Dec. 6 to complete almost 80% of its low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
Read More →
Astra chief engineer resigns, CEO shakes up management ‘to execute faster’
CNBC | 2022-12-02 14:09:44
Beleaguered rocket builder Astra is losing its highly touted chief engineer, Benjamin Lyon, the company disclosed in a securities filing Friday.
Read More →
NASA’s economic impact? Hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Planetary Society | 2022-12-02 14:05:00
In 2021, NASA supported an estimated 339,645 jobs across the United States. A new report details the astounding economic benefits of the space agency in every state.
Read More →
Rocket Report: SpaceX launch delayed indefinitely; Virgin Orbit cancels funding round
Arstechnica | 2022-12-02 13:00:22
"Due to current market conditions, the company has elected not to proceed."
Read More →
FCC grants partial approval for Starlink second-generation constellation
SpaceNews | 2022-12-02 12:04:42
The FCC has partially approved SpaceX’s application for the second generation of its Starlink constellation, allowing the company to launch up to a quarter of the proposed 30,000 satellites while deferring action on the rest.
Read More →
Orion begins return leg of Artemis 1 mission
SpaceNews | 2022-12-02 09:34:47
NASA’s Orion spacecraft started its trip back to Earth Dec. 1 with the first of two maneuvers that will put the spacecraft on course for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in a week and a half.
Read More →
SpaceX Starlink Gen2 constellation weakened by “partial” FCC grant
Teslarati | 2022-12-02 08:05:06
More than two and a half years after SpaceX began the process of securing regulatory approval for its next-generation Starlink constellation, the...
Read More →
Rocket Lab launches subsidiary focused on national security market
SpaceNews | 2022-12-01 23:54:42
Rocket Lab USA is creating a separate entity to focus on U.S. defense and intelligence agency customers.
Read More →
Orion capsule leaves lunar orbit, heads for moon flyby and return to Earth
Spaceflight Now | 2022-12-01 23:24:38
Continuing a “drama-free” test flight, NASA’s Orion spacecraft is set to fire its main engine Thursday to leave a distant orbit around the moon, heading for a flyby close to the lunar surface next week to swing onto a trajectory to bring it back to Earth for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11.
Read More →
Eutelsat orders GEO broadband satellite with LEO in mind
SpaceNews | 2022-12-01 22:14:43
Eutelsat said Dec. 1 it has ordered a geostationary broadband satellite to support multi-orbit services in the Americas from 2026.
Read More →
FCC authorizes SpaceX to begin deploying up to 7,500 next-generation Starlink satellites
CNBC | 2022-12-01 21:59:19
The Federal Communications Commission issued a key authorization to Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Thursday, granting approval for the company to move forward with launching up to 7,500 next-generation satellites in its Starlink internet network.
Read More →
NASA Awards Environmental Compliance, Restoration Services Contract
NASA | 2022-12-01 21:14:00
NASA has awarded the Architect-Engineer Services Contract for Environmental Compliance and Restoration Services to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Dallas, to provide environmental compliance, monitoring, and remediation services at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) located in Ventura County, California.
Read More →
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/01/2022
NASA | 2022-12-01 19:45:00
Payloads: Human Research Facility Veggie Facility (HRF Veg): Profile of Mood States (POMS) short form questionnaires was completed. The Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System investigation is a phased research project that includes Veg-04A, Veg-04B, Veg-05, and HRF Veg. This work addresses the need for a system to …
Read More →
Solid Rocket Boosters meet performance targets in first-look data review for Artemis I
NASASpaceflight | 2022-12-01 19:17:08
The Artemis I launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from LC-39B at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 16, 2022, marked the first time in 11 years that the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) formerly used for the Space Shuttle program lit on a launch pad and hauled a spaceship out of Earth’s dense lower atmosphere.
Read More →
Astronomers say a new, huge satellite is as bright as the brightest stars
Arstechnica | 2022-12-01 15:49:49
"BlueWalker 3 is a big shift in the constellation satellite issue."
Read More →
Cognitive Space hires retired general as strategic advisor
SpaceNews | 2022-12-01 15:34:43
Cognitive Space, a startup based in Houston, Texas, announced Dec. 1 that retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Aaron Prupas has joined the company as a strategic advisor.
Read More →
NASA to Provide Live Coverage of US Spacewalks Outside Space Station
NASA | 2022-12-01 15:14:00
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a pair of U.S. spacewalks in December to install rollout solar arrays to increase electrical power in support of station operations and scientific research.
Read More →
AST SpaceMobile plots $86 million share sale
SpaceNews | 2022-12-01 14:24:42
AST SpaceMobile said Nov. 30 it could raise more than $86 million from selling a chunk of shares as the company looks to accelerate its direct-to-smartphone constellation plans.
Read More →
Wide-Field-of-View missile warning satellite transmits first images
SpaceNews | 2022-11-30 21:34:44
The U.S. Space Force has received initial images from a new missile-warning satellite launched in July.
Read More →
US Vice President, French President Visit NASA Headquarters
NASA | 2022-11-30 20:25:00
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron to NASA Headquarters in Washington Wednesday.
Read More →
Hiber demands Astrocast cash after failed acquisition
SpaceNews | 2022-11-30 20:24:44
Dutch remote monitoring specialist Hiber is demanding $1.5 million from cash-strapped Astrocast after plans to be sold to the company ran out of time, according to the Swiss small satellite operator.
Read More →
ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/30/2022
NASA | 2022-11-30 19:45:00
ISS Reboost: Today, the ISS performed a reboost using the 81 Progress 8 R&D thrusters. This reboost is one of several reboosts setting up phasing for 67 Soyuz 2-Orbit rendezvous and 68 Soyuz landing in March. The burn duration was 12 minutes 3 seconds with a Delta-V of 1.20 m/s and a total of 214kg …
Read More →
OroraTech raises funding for additional thermal mapping satellites
SpaceNews | 2022-11-30 19:44:42
OroraTech, a German company developing a constellation of thermal mapping satellites for tracking wildfires and other applications, has raised an additional 15 million euros ($15.4 million) to support work on future satellites.
Read More →
Boeing talks Core Stage performance on Artemis I, looks ahead to future Core Stages and EUS debut
NASASpaceflight | 2022-11-30 19:06:40
Following a successful first launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) and its critical Core Stage, Boeing is looking ahead to “the SLS fleet” as the aerospace company moves to complete the next three core stages for Artemis missions II through IV.
Read More →
SpaceX set to launch two spacecraft to the Moon tonight
Arstechnica | 2022-11-30 17:49:32
ispace is seeking to become the first private company to successfully land on the Moon.
Read More →
NASA Responds to Independent Review of Earth System Observatory
NASA | 2022-11-30 17:04:00
NASA shared a response Wednesday, Nov. 30, on an independent review board established to assess plans and goals for the next generation of Earth-observing satellites: NASA’s Earth System Observatory, a cutting edge suite of spacecraft that will forward understanding of our changing planet.
Read More →
Best space pictures of the month: November 2022
Planetary Society | 2022-11-30 15:05:03
NASA's chief of exploration mission planning Nujoud Merancy walks us through a picture from the Orion spacecraft.
Read More →