Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- SpaceX launches Transporter-5 dedicated smallsat rideshare mission SpaceNews · 26 May 2022 SpaceX launched several dozen payloads on its fifth dedicated rideshare mission May 25, illustrating the continued demand for such missions even as dedicated small launch vehicles emerge.
- Economy could dampen growth of space industry SpaceNews · 26 May 2022 Broader economic issues as well as the performance of some space companies could slow the growth of the industry in the next few years, executives warn.
- Additive manufacturing has progressed far beyond brackets SpaceNews · 26 May 2022 Spacecraft developers are additively manufacturing engine nozzles and other complex spacecraft components.
- NASA to Discuss Status of Final Test Needed for Artemis I Moon Mission NASA · 26 May 2022 NASA will hold a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 27, to discuss the status of the next wet dress rehearsal test of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at the agency’s Ken...
- Ship 24 rolls out for testing while Booster 7 receives Raptors NASASpaceflight · 26 May 2022 The recent focus at Starbase has been Booster 7 and Ship 24. Booster 7 appears to have completed its series of cryogenic proof testing and is now being prepared for static fire tests. Ship 24, meanwhile, has rolled out t...
- NASA’s verdict on Starliner: “A great vehicle for crew transportation” Ars Technica · 26 May 2022 "That’s really what this commercial crew program has been all about."
- SpaceX replacing heat shield on upcoming Crew Dragon mission after failed test SpaceNews · 26 May 2022 SpaceX will replace the heat shield on the next Crew Dragon spacecraft flying to the International Space Station after it failed inspections, but NASA says there is no risk of a similar problem for the spacecraft current...
- Starliner concludes OFT-2 test flight with landing in New Mexico SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner safely landed in New Mexico May 25, concluding a six-day uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station.
- Gogo’s OneWeb partnership could face Starlink in business aviation market SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 Gogo is planning to use OneWeb satellites in a partnership that could see it take on Starlink in an emerging business aviation market for low Earth orbit services.
- NASA Administrator, Arizona Students to Hear from Station Astronauts NASA · 25 May 2022 Students from Arizona will have an opportunity this week to hear from astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
- Virgin Orbit expects first U.K. launch in August SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 Virgin Orbit expects to perform its first launch from England in late August, pending award of a British launch license, a company executive said May 25.
- SpaceX delivers 59 spacecraft to orbit on fifth flawless rideshare launch Teslarati · 25 May 2022 Update: After a slight eight-minute delay, SpaceX has successfully launched its fifth dedicated ‘Transporter’ rideshare mission, carrying 59 different spacecraft into a...
- Starliner completes OFT-2 test flight with White Sands landing NASASpaceflight · 25 May 2022 After successfully rendezvousing and docking with the International Space Station (ISS), Boeing’s Starliner completed its mission, arriving back to Earth after a six-day-long mission in low Earth orbit. The spacecraft au...
- BlackSky, Maxar, Planet win 10-year NRO contracts for satellite imagery SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 The National Reconnaissance Office announced May 25 it awarded BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs 10-year contracts to provide satellite imagery for U.S. intelligence, defense and federal civil agencies.
- Industry looks to decentralized approaches to space sustainability SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 As governments make slow progress on space traffic management systems, companies may be able work together more quickly to develop processes to support space sustainability.
- Earth’s orbital debris problem is worsening, and policy solutions are difficult Ars Technica · 25 May 2022 "Who's responsible? Who pays? How much do they pay?"
- Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft lands in New Mexico after successful test flight Spaceflight Now · 25 May 2022 Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft parachuted to a “picture perfect” landing in southern New Mexico Wednesday, capping a six-day test flight to the International Space Station that NASA’s commercial crew program manager said...
- NASA Invites Media to Discuss Space Station Science, Climate Research NASA · 25 May 2022 NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 2, to discuss the hardware, technology demonstrations, and science experiments, including a new climate research investigation, headed to the Internationa...
- SpaceX launches Falcon 9 on Transporter-5 Rideshare Mission NASASpaceflight · 25 May 2022 At 18:27 UTC (2:27 p.m. EDT) on May 25, SpaceX has launched yet another Falcon 9 rocket. Lifting off from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Falcon 9 is carrying several dozen payload...
- Launcher wins Space Force contract to support engine development SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 Launcher won a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Space Force that will assist the company’s development of a high-performance rocket engine for its small launch vehicle.
- Boeing’s Starliner capsule returns to Earth Spaceflight Now · 25 May 2022 Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule closed out a six-day unpiloted test flight Wednesday with undocking from the International Space Station, followed by return to Earth about four hours later. Undocking occurred at 2:36 p.m...
- SpaceX launches fifth Transporter rideshare mission Spaceflight Now · 25 May 2022 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday packed with 59 small satellites and research experiments, including an innovative commercial water-propelled orbital transfer vehicle from Momentus and a pair of NASA tech demo...
- Supply chain challenges also present opportunities for the space industry SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 Supply chain disruptions continue to pose a challenge for the space industry, but some see those disruptions as an opportunity for new approaches and innovation.
- Experts offer advice for space sector entrepreneurs SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 At the Space Tech Expo May 24, space industry executives and startup founders shared advice for fledgling startups.
- Space logistics experts broadly endorse standards SpaceNews · 25 May 2022 A panel of space logistics experts underscored the importance of open standards to encourage the growth of the market.
- NASA, Boeing Complete Starliner Uncrewed Flight Test to Space Station NASA · 25 May 2022 NASA and Boeing safely landed the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft Wednesday in the desert of the western United States, completing the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station to h...
- Space Systems Command refines front-door concept SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 The U.S. Space Systems Command is continuing to refine its concept for establishing a single point of contact for commercial innovators called the front door.
- NASA denies SpaceX Crew Dragon propellant leak report, reveals unrelated heat shield defect Teslarati · 24 May 2022 In a partial response to a report alleging evidence of several significant anomalies during a recent private astronaut launch that could affect...
- NASA Awards Contract to National Academy of Sciences NASA · 24 May 2022 NASA has awarded a sole-source contract to the National Academy of Sciences of Washington to conduct studies on questions of national importance within the domain of NASA science and technology programs relating to space...
- NASA Awards Contract to National Academy of Science NASA · 24 May 2022 NASA has awarded a sole-source contract to the National Academy of Science of Washington to conduct studies on questions of national importance within the domain of NASA science and technology programs relating to space...
- SpaceX swapping heat shield for next crew flight due to ‘manufacturing defect’ Spaceflight Now · 24 May 2022 SpaceX’s next crew mission to the International Space Station, set for launch in September, will fly with a different heat shield structure than originally planned after the Dragon spacecraft’s composite substrate failed...
- AWS picks 10 startups for 2022 space accelerator SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 Amazon Web Services announced May 24 it has picked 10 startups to join its second annual space accelerator program, which helps early-stage companies learn how to grow their businesses with cloud and analytic technologie...
- BlueHalo wins $1.4 billion contract to upgrade U.S. satellite control network SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 The Space Rapid Capabilities Office awarded BlueHalo a $1.4 billion contract to add satellite communications capacity to the ground network used by the U.S. military to command and control satellites .
- NASA-Supported Solar Sail Could Take Science to New Heights NASA · 24 May 2022 As NASA's exploration continues to push boundaries, a new solar sail concept selected by the agency for development toward a demonstration mission could carry science to new destinations.
- Azure Space offers Custom Vision tools for satellite imagery SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 Microsoft is working with partners to identify commercial space applications for the latest software tools the tech giant has developed.
- Japan Air Self Defense Force awards contract to LeoLabs SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 Space mapping startup LeoLabs announced a multimillion-dollar contract May 24 to provide space domain awareness data, services and training to the Japan Air Self Dense Force.
- New photo reveals a NASA spacecraft cloaked in Martian dust Ars Technica · 24 May 2022 InSight lived up to its name, providing deep insights about the Martian interior.
- Quad nations unveil satellite-based maritime monitoring initiative SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia have agreed to launch a satellite-based initiative to help countries in the Indo-Pacific region track illegal fishing and other suspicious maritime activities.
- Software problem delays NASA Psyche launch SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 The launch of a NASA mission to the asteroid Psyche has been delayed at least a month and a half because of a problem with the spacecraft’s software, the agency confirmed May 23.
- Starlink’s RV service lets users jump the line — for a price SpaceNews · 24 May 2022 A new Starlink plan lets customers pay more to skip waitlists to connect to its broadband satellites without a fixed address, although connection speeds for other users will be prioritized.