The U.S. Air Force has awarded Rhea Space Activity a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract to look into a bi-modal, solar-thermal propulsion system that would provide the Space Force a deep space communications spacecraft with rapid positioning capabilities. As an SBIR awardee, the company will showcase its solution at the 2021 Space Force […]
Private space company Blue Origin is all set for the launch of its New Shepard vehicle on July 20, carrying company founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers on a suborbital spaceflight. Company officials said they had completed a flight readiness review for the NS-16 mission that will carry Bezos, his brother Mark, Wally Funk […]
Agile Space Industries, which provides propulsion solutions for spaceflight missions, has won the Greater Colorado Pitch Series investment competition. The company received a $1.8 million venture debt commitment from Greenline Ventures of Denver, Colorado. The state-wide competition saw more than 100 companies participating in various investment categories. The series will provide $2.15 million dollars to […]
The U.S. Space Force has officially taken over an Air Force satellite tracking station located in a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The New Boston Space Force Station, formerly the New Boston Air Force Station, was furnished with a new installation sign on July 12, signaling the completion of the transfer, Military Times reported. […]
The U.S. Space Force announced Wednesday that it has taken operational control of the fifth Global Positioning Systems III satellite, completing the minimum number in a constellation needed for worldwide coverage. The Lockheed Martin-built satellite was launched into orbit via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on June 18. The new GPS III space vehicle is counted […]
Blue Origin has auctioned off one of the seats on its July 20 New Shepard crewed suborbital spaceflight, with most of the proceeds going to 19 space-related nonprofit organizations. The seat sold for $28 million. Blue Origin’s foundation Club for the Future will distribute $1 million each to the selected nonprofits and will save the […]
Astranis, a San Francisco-based space startup, has begun building four very small geostationary orbit satellites as a prelude to its long-term goal of producing hundreds of them simultaneously, the company’s chief executive said. The low-cost satellite maker has placed orders for $30 million worth of components to kick start its planned production spurt, SpaceNews reported […]
The House Appropriations Committee has released a report criticizing the U.S. Space Force for its slow progress in addressing longstanding space acquisition issues. According to the report, the proposed Space Systems Command, which is meant to serve as the nascent service’s main acquisitions arm, does not resolve the overlap and duplication of space acquisition roles, […]
NASA has entered into a strategic agreement with the European Space Agency to collaborate on efforts aimed at observing the Earth and its changing environment. The agreement comes as the global climate continues to change and as the demand for “accurate, timely and actionable” knowledge grows. The partnership seeks to help address and mitigate the […]
In-space transportation company Momentus and Stable Road Acquisition Corporation have reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges involving misleading technology and national security claims. According to the SEC, investors were made to believe that Momentus’ propulsion technology had been successfully tested in space when the test had in fact failed. […]
