Launch services and space systems provider Rocket Lab USA has been tasked with launching NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System using the company’s Electron launch vehicle. ACS3 will launch as part of a rideshare mission that is slated for mid-2022 in New Zealand. The Long Beach, California-based company’s Electron rocket is known for its ability […]
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded Maxar Technologies a $44 million contract to exercise option year two of the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program. The G-EGD contract has three option years in total and is valued at a maximum of $176 million. Under option year 2, Maxar will continue providing unclassified, online and offline, on-demand […]
Hyperspace Challenge, a business accelerator funded by the U.S. Space Force, has selected 24 finalists, including universities and startups, for its 2021 prize competition. The finalists will take part in a virtual pitch competition on Dec. 2, where they will present technology concepts to support various space technology areas. Winners will share $100,000 in awards. […]
The National Reconnaissance Office is expected to announce the details of its Electro-Optical Commercial Layer program to potential contractors in the U.S. satellite imagery industry. The agency’s anticipated move will mark the beginning of an open competition for satellite imagery products, SpaceNews reported Tuesday. Under the planned procurement, the NRO will buy products from multiple […]
The Defense Innovation Unit is seeking input from space and information technology companies on how to build a hybrid architecture of government and commercial satellites. In a solicitation, the DIU said it requires that the architecture integrate emergent commercial space sensor and communications capabilities with U.S. government space systems while incorporating best-in-class commercial practices to secure […]
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has approved a sweeping policy bill for fiscal year 2022 that includes legislation authorizing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to create and fund a National Space Intelligence Center. Proponents of the House Intelligence Authorization Act argue that the Space Force should have its own intelligence organization to provide […]
Ball Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies have each secured a 20-month, $8 million NASA contract for work on Geostationary and Extended Observations. The GeoXO solution is a planned satellite constellation that will perform a variety of tasks for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contracts were announced on Friday. Under the contracts, Ball and L3Harris […]
The U.S. Space Command’s director of operations, training and force development wants industry partners to quickly deliver resilient space capabilities to monitor adversarial activities. Speaking at the Space Sector Market Conference, Maj. Gen. David Miller said the traditional 15-year timeline for building and launching capabilities into orbit should be shortened to at least two years. […]
GE Aviation and MagniX USA have been awarded contracts to support NASA’s effort to rapidly mature electrified aircraft propulsion technologies. GE Aviation received a deal worth $179 million while MagniX USA received a deal worth $74.3 million to support the Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration program, NASA announced Thursday. Robert Pearce, NASA’s associate administrator for the […]
NASA is planning a new project that would teach individuals how to use open-source tools and software to allow them to answer data-related questions on their own. The Transform to Open Science initiative comes as NASA expects an information collection expansion of around 50 petabytes per year by 2022. Kevin Murphy, the chief science data […]
