Phase Four has received a contract from the U.S. Space Force to enable multi-mode propulsion capabilities on government and commercial spacecraft. Work will center on the use of the company’s Maxwell engine, which is powered by radio frequency thruster technology, and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s advanced spacecraft energetic non-toxic propellant. The combination is expected […]
Technology giant Amazon has called on the Federal Communications Commission to reject revised plans submitted by SpaceX regarding its second-generation Starlink constellation. On Aug. 18, Elon Musk’s SpaceX proposed two potential configurations for almost 30,000 follow-on satellites. However, Amazon said the proposal breaks FCC rules that require the details of an amendment to be settled […]
The U.S. Space Force has completed the critical design review of the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellites that are being developed to replace the decade-old Space Based Infrared System constellation. The Next-Gen OPIR satellites, being designed by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, are billed as the nation’s next premier missile warning satellite constellation for detecting […]
The National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Space Command have signed a document that more clearly delineates each organization’s roles and responsibilities in collaborative space efforts. NRO Director Christopher Scolese said Tuesday that the Protect and Defend Strategic Framework that he signed together with the chiefs of the Space Force and […]
The Space Development Agency will be placed under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. During the Space Foundation’s 2021 Space Symposium, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that the SDA was previously not associated with any single service but was part of the Office of the […]
The U.S. Space Force is scheduled to set up its third and final field command on Aug. 23 as part of a summer-long restructuring effort. The Space Training and Readiness Command will be tasked with developing and implementing the military branch’s doctrine, training, test and education efforts. The Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, […]
Nineteen startups and small businesses each received $1.7 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contracts from the Space Force during a virtual pitch event held on Aug. 19. The SBIR awards were announced as part of the launch of SpaceWERX, an innovation hub created to leverage commercial companies’ expertise in building cutting-edge space technologies. […]
Redwire, a manufacturer in the aerospace industry, has announced initial operational capability for its new digital engineering environment for designing space architectures. The Hyperion Operational Space Simulation laboratory includes a suite of Redwire software and hardware-in-the-loop configurations. The capabilities support next-generation space solutions such as advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning and cyber technologies, Redwire said. […]
SpaceX has asked the Federal Communications Commission to use the Starship rocket for the rapid deployment of the space company’s second-generation Starlink constellation. On Aug. 18, SpaceX filed two revised configurations with the FCC for Starlink Gen2, updating a plan submitted in 2020. One of the configurations seeks to use Starship, which, according to SpaceX, […]
NASA is turning to industry to build what it calls commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, which are billed to become the next generation of space stations. The start of the CLD project comes amid the impending retirement of the International Space Station, Nextgov reported Thursday. Phil McAlister, NASA’s director of commercial spaceflight, told attendees at Nextgov’s […]
