The Space Development Agency is conducting market research to inform how it should acquire Tranche 1 capabilities for the multi-layer National Defense Space Architecture. In addition to procuring satellites for Tranche 1, the SDA seeks supplementary constellation management and subnetwork management systems, as well as launch, checkout and early operations support, transition operational support and […]
Gen. James Dickinson, commander of the U.S. Space Command, has raised concerns about the growing number of satellites orbiting the Earth, citing potential safety problems and access restrictions to the space domain. Speaking before members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dickinson attributed the congestion in space to commercial activity, with companies such as SpaceX, […]
American Pacific, an aviation chemicals manufacturer, has announced a minority interest in space propulsion company Frontier Aerospace. Frontier Aerospace is a provider of end-to-end space propulsion research headquartered in Simi Valley, California. The company was founded in 1997 by its president, Jim McKinnon, a former propulsion engineer at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, AE Industrial Partners […]
The U.S. Army announced that it has approved a document needed to start rapidly experimenting and prototyping capabilities for tactical space-based sensors. With the signing of the Tactical Space Layer abbreviated capability development document, the Army will begin exploring the potential of satellites in low-Earth orbit to give soldiers dedicated surveillance, navigation and imaging capabilities, […]
NASA has awarded SpaceX a $2.89 billion firm-fixed-price contract to continue building a human landing system that will facilitate American astronauts’ return to the Moon. Contract work will support NASA’s Artemis program, a U.S. government-funded international human spaceflight program aimed at landing the first woman and person of color on the Moon by 2024. The […]
NASA has released a statement lauding President Joe Biden’s plan to nominate former astronaut Pam Melroy for deputy NASA administrator. The White House said Melroy has government and industry experience across the civil, commercial and national security space sectors. She has logged more than 38 days in space and is one of only two women […]
Boeing is rescheduling the next test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which will be used for the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test 2 mission, due to conflicts with other launches and International Space Station missions. The test flights of the Starliner were originally scheduled for late March or early April but that date has now […]
LeoLabs, a company that offers radar tracking services, has announced plans to bolster its sensor and data processing infrastructure in preparation for future satellite launches. CEO Dan Ceperley said he expects the number of functional satellites to increase from 2,000 today to about 50,000 within the next five years, SpaceNews reported Thursday. According to Ceperley, […]
Finnish satellite manufacturer ICEYE has set up a new site in Irvine, California, that will serve as a production facility for various spacecraft. The establishment will host a research and development lab, offices, a customer engagement space and a mission operations center for monitoring and operating U.S. licensed spacecraft, ICEYE said Thursday. In a statement, […]
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket has been added to the list of launch vehicles for NASA’s Launch Services Program. Vulcan Centaur’s addition to the program was formalized via a contract modification to ULA’s NASA Launch Services II indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The on-ramp provision of the NLS II contract allows for the introduction of launch vehicles […]
