The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants the U.S. Space Force to replace its two-vendor approach to military space launch services with an open competition model. In the committee’s draft version of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, committee leader Rep. Adam Smith raised concerns over the current model’s inability to […]
NASA has selected four small businesses that will research how microgravity can benefit manufacturing and biomedicine in space. The Four companies are DSTAR Communications, Sachi Bioworks, Goeppert and Nanoarmor. The companies will receive up to $150,000 under the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research Phase I program. The companies were selected for their research proposals, which […]
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 spacecraft has cleared a critical testing milestone, bringing it a step closer to launch. JPSS-2, a polar-orbiting satellite being built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, emerged from a thermal vacuum test chamber after successfully withstanding simulations of the harsh environment […]
NASA has selected astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams as the test pilots who will man the Boeing Crew Flight Test mission to the International Space Station. Williams will serve as the commander of the mission. Wilmore replaces NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, who was reassigned to the SpaceX Crew-5 mission in 2021. Mann was originally […]
The U.S. Space Force said it has significantly reduced risks associated with its effort to develop a capability to track active satellites and debris in geosynchronous orbit. About six months ago, the Government Accountability Office raised concerns over the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability’s maturity and potential to suffer delays. In an annual defense acquisitions […]
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that two agreements have been signed with the European Space Agency aimed at advancing cooperation in relation to Earth science and the Artemis missions. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher signed the agreements on behalf of their agencies in ceremonies held in Noordwijk, Netherlands, […]
Virginia-headquartered defense and space manufacturer BlueHalo announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory to deliver a pair of optical laser communications proto-flight terminals and a matching ground station. The $11 million contract is intended to support the development of technologies that would enhance the interoperation of space and […]
NASA and the European Space Agency have set up a new group that will focus on studying Mars rock and sediment samples. The Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group consists of 16 scientists from the U.S., Europe, Canada and Japan who will create a roadmap for Martian sediment research. According to Michael Myers, Mars Exploration […]
The University of Houston System announced that it is expanding its joint research efforts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Johnson Space Center for developing technologies that would allow humans to go deeper into space. The two institutions have been partnering on various educational and outreach endeavors for the past 50 years, UH System […]
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives want the U.S. Space Force to consider relying on only one company for national security space launch integration. The House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee recommended having a single integrator for department customers, satellite manufacturers and space launch providers, C4ISRNET reported. Having a single vendor might be an […]
