Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- Cargo Dragon launch rescheduled for July after identifying hydrazine leak SpaceNews · 14 Jun 2022 A SpaceX cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station will now launch no earlier than July 11, a delay of more than a month after engineers identified the source of elevated hydrazine readings in the spacecraf...
- SpaceX, NASA blame Cargo Dragon leak on faulty valve, delay launch further Teslarati · 14 Jun 2022 NASA and SpaceX have delayed Cargo Dragon’s CRS-25 space station resupply mission another two weeks after the company narrowed down the cause...
- Chinese university completes space-based solar power ground test facility SpaceNews · 14 Jun 2022 China's Xidian University has completed what it calls the world’s first full-link and full-system ground test system for space-based solar power.
- BlueHalo wins $11 million Air Force contract for laser communications terminals SpaceNews · 14 Jun 2022 BlueHalo won an $11 million contract from AFRL to develop a pair of optical laser communications terminals and a ground station.
- Air Force scientist takes over as director of Space Force rapid procurement agency SpaceNews · 14 Jun 2022 Former AFRL directed energy director Kelly Hammett on June 6, 2022, took over as head of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office
- Planet reveals $146 million NRO award and quarterly revenues SpaceNews · 14 Jun 2022 Planet revealed the value of its largest contract to date, a two-year $146 million award from the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imagery over two years, during the company’s June 14 earnings call.
- SpaceX a big step closer to orbital Starship launches after passing FAA environmental review Teslarati · 13 Jun 2022 SpaceX has secured environmental approval from the FAA and relevant federal, state, and local stakeholders to conduct orbital Starship launches on the...
- Atlas wins Defense Innovation Unit Award for hybrid network SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 Atlas Space Operations announced a Defense Innovation Unit contract June 8 to demonstrate a hybrid network to link Defense Department, civil government and commercial satellites.
- FAA environmental review to allow Starship orbital launches after changes SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 An FAA environmental review has concluded that SpaceX can conduct orbital launches of its Starship vehicle from its Texas test site, but only after completing dozens of mitigations to reduce impacts on the environment an...
- Ariane 6 launch debut pushed into 2023 SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 The maiden flight for Ariane 6 that had been slated toward the end of 2022 is now targeting next year, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said June 13.
- FAA moves SpaceX a step closer to receiving Starship launch license Spaceflight Now · 13 Jun 2022 The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday outlined more than 75 actions SpaceX has to implement in order to reduce the environmental effects of flying its gigantic 40-story-tall Starship rocket from South Texas, but...
- Okapi:Orbits raises 5.5 million euros in seed funding round SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 Germany startup Okapi: Orbits raised 5.5 million euros ($5.7 million) in a seed funding round led by Munich Re Ventures with participation from Dolby Family Ventures, Herius Capital and APEX Ventures.
- BlueWalker 3 launch window opens Aug. 15 SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 AST SpaceMobile said June 13 that SpaceX aims to launch the prototype for its cellphone-compatible broadband constellation in the week of Aug. 15.
- NASA Discoveries Highlighted at American Astronomical Society Meeting NASA · 13 Jun 2022 Scientists will discuss new research from NASA missions – on topics ranging from exoplanets to citizen science discoveries – at the 240th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
- GAO finds CASIS not making full use of advisory committee SpaceNews · 13 Jun 2022 The nonprofit that runs the national laboratory portion of the International Space Station is not making full use of the advisory group established after an independent review of the organization.
- SpaceX faces NASA hurdle for Starship backup launch pad Reuters · 13 Jun 2022 NASA wants Elon Musk's SpaceX to ensure its plan to launch its next-generation Starship rocket from Florida would not put at risk nearby launch infrastructure critical to the International Space Station, a senior space a...
- SpaceX wraps up Falcon 9 launch, sends drone ship to sea for the next one Teslarati · 13 Jun 2022 SpaceX’s two East Coast drone ships have passed each other by as one returned from the company’s most recent Falcon 9 launch...
- Photos: Artemis 1 rocket hauled to launch pad for another countdown rehearsal Spaceflight Now · 12 Jun 2022 NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket rolled out to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on June 6, preparing for another countdown rehearsal later this month to try loading cryogenic propellants into the massive launcher.
- Two hurricane research satellites lost in Astra launch failure Spaceflight Now · 12 Jun 2022 Two small NASA hurricane research satellites were destroyed after launch Sunday from Cape Canaveral when their commercial rocket, provided by Astra, prematurely shut down its upper stage engine before reaching the missio...
- Astra launch of NASA TROPICS cubesats fails SpaceNews · 12 Jun 2022 An Astra launch of two NASA cubesats to monitor tropical storms failed June 12 when the rocket’s upper stage shut down prematurely.
- Astra launch fails on first TROPICS flight for NASA NASASpaceflight · 12 Jun 2022 The first of three flights to launch the TROPICS satellites for NASA lifted off on Sunday during at 1:43 PM EDT (17:43 UTC). Astra’s LV0010 vehicle launched from SLC-46 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, making t...
- DoD space agency to acquire 10 satellites for experiments in low Earth orbit SpaceNews · 12 Jun 2022 The Space Development Agency is looking to acquire as many as 10 satellites to host military payloads for experiments in low Earth orbit.
- Europa Clipper’s main body complete, teams continue work toward 2024 launch NASASpaceflight · 11 Jun 2022 In early June, the main body of NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper spacecraft completed construction and was shipped to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California soon after. The arrival of Europa Clipper...
- U.S. Space Force orders eight launches from ULA and SpaceX Spaceflight Now · 10 Jun 2022 The U.S. Space Force recently ordered five military satellite launches from United Launch Alliance and three from SpaceX, awards valued at $846 million for missions scheduled to fly in the next two years.
- NASA to Discuss, Conduct Test to Prepare for Artemis I Moon Mission NASA · 10 Jun 2022 NASA is targeting Saturday, June 18, for the beginning of the next wet dress rehearsal test of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with tanking operat...
- Xenesis signs launch pact with Evolution Space SpaceNews · 10 Jun 2022
- Efforts continue to fully deploy Lucy solar array SpaceNews · 10 Jun 2022 Leaders of NASA’s Lucy asteroid mission are increasingly confident that the mission can continue as planned even if ongoing efforts to fully deploy and latch a solar array don’t succeed.
- NASA Student Business Competition Gets Boost by White House Initiative NASA · 10 Jun 2022 NASA’s Minority University Education and Research Program (MUREP) Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC), a Shark Tank-style competition for students at minority-serving institutions, is officially includ...
- Lockheed Martin powers up Artemis 2 Orion, updates status on other capsules NASASpaceflight · 10 Jun 2022 Lockheed Martin has completed the first-time power-up of the Orion capsule for the Artemis 2 mission — the first Orion capsule that will be tasked with carrying humans.
- NASA embraces high-risk, high-reward research with UAP study SpaceNews · 10 Jun 2022 NASA will commission a small independent study of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), a move the agency says is part of its desire to support risky research that has the potential for high payoffs.
- SpaceX Starship prototype returns to factory after simulated Raptor testing Teslarati · 10 Jun 2022 A SpaceX Starship prototype that could become the first to launch into space has returned to the company’s Starbase rocket factory after...
- NASA to purchase five more Dragon crew missions from SpaceX Spaceflight Now · 10 Jun 2022 NASA says it plans to buy five more crew rotation missions on SpaceX’s fleet of Dragon spaceships, bringing SpaceX’s contract with the space agency to 14 operational astronaut launches, likely enough to keep the Internat...
- Astra to begin three-launch campaign with NASA hurricane research satellites Spaceflight Now · 10 Jun 2022 Astra is preparing to launch the first of three straight dedicated missions for NASA this weekend at Cape Canaveral to deploy six shoebox-size hurricane research satellites, helping pioneer a new paradigm of riskier but...
- NASA Offers Earth Scientist Interviews Ahead of TROPICS Mission NASA · 9 Jun 2022 NASA and Astra Space are targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 12, for the first launch of NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mis...
- NASA audit reveals massive overruns in SLS mobile launch platform SpaceNews · 9 Jun 2022 A new mobile launch platform that Bechtel is building for NASA will cost up to four times as much as originally planned and could push back the first launch of an upgraded version of the Space Launch System to the late 2...
- NASA’s second mobile launcher is too heavy, years late, and pushing $1 billion Ars Technica · 9 Jun 2022 "We found Bechtel's poor performance is the main reason."
- Starbase orbital duo preps for Static Fire campaign – KSC Starship Progress NASASpaceflight · 9 Jun 2022 SpaceX’s Starbase is heading into its latest phase of milestones for Starship, with the high likelihood the FAA is close to approving a critical checkpoint for its rapidly reusable launch vehicle, paving the way for the...
- Egypt’s Nilesat 301 passes health checks after SpaceX launch SpaceNews · 9 Jun 2022 Egyptian operator NileSat’s latest communications satellite is ready to move to its final orbit after clearing health checks following its SpaceX launch June 8, according to the spacecraft’s prime contractor.
- Space Force delivers first of two U.S. payloads to launch on Space Norway’s arctic broadband mission SpaceNews · 9 Jun 2022 The U.S. Space Force delivered the first of two military communications payloads that will launch in 2023 on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission.
- NASA to Discuss New Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Study Today NASA · 9 Jun 2022 NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT today – Thursday, June 9 – to discuss a new study team the agency is commissioning to examine unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).