Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- Ingenuity enters operations demonstration phase as Perseverance team marks initial science returns NASASpaceflight · 12 May 2021 Nearly three months after landing on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance mission is marking its initial science returns from the Martian surface as the Ingenuity helicopter enters its new phase of operational demonstration flights...
- Seeing NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Fly in 3D NASA · 12 May 2021 A new video of the helicopter’s third flight gives viewers the sensation of standing on the Red Planet and seeing the action firsthand.
- University of Illinois taps Blue Canyon for scientific cubesat mission SpaceNews · 12 May 2021 The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign awarded a contract to Blue Canyon Technologies to provide cubesats for a space mission sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The value of the award was not disclosed.
- Orbite to offer commercial human spaceflight training program SpaceNews · 12 May 2021 Space hospitality company Orbite has unveiled a training program for potential space tourists, given them a taste of the spaceflight experience.
- SpaceX could land Starship on Mars in 2024, says Elon Musk Teslarati · 12 May 2021 Four years after Elon Musk revealed “aspirational” plans to launch Starships to Mars in 2022, the SpaceX CEO now believes that 2024...
- U.S. military warning sentinel attached to Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral Spaceflight Now · 12 May 2021 United Launch Alliance crews at Cape Canaveral have topped off an Atlas 5 rocket for liftoff Monday with the U.S. military’s next infrared sentinel to join a satellite fleet designed detect missile launches around the wo...
- Ariane 5 issue could delay JWST SpaceNews · 12 May 2021 Ongoing work to address a problem seen on two previous Ariane 5 launches has kept that launch vehicle grounded for months and could delay the high-profile launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope later this year.
- Space Force seeks bids for rocket engine testing and space transportation technologies SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 The U.S. Space Force on May 11 issued requests for proposals for next-generation rocket engine testing, launch vehicle upper stage enhancements, and capabilities to maneuver in space.
- FAA rejects payload review for Momentus SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 The FAA has denied a payload review for in-space transportation company Momentus, meaning the company will miss its second opportunity to launch its first tugs.
- Eutelsat financials show why it bought part of OneWeb SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 French satellite operator Eutelsat said revenue numbers will look much better than it expected come the end of June, despite reporting a decline in sales in its latest quarterly results.
- SpaceX’s first flight-proven Starship heads back to launch pad for round two Teslarati · 11 May 2021 Defying most expectations, SpaceX has moved the first full-size flight-proven Starship back to the launch pad less than a week after the...
- SLS Core Stage Green Run validates propulsion system performance and modeling NASASpaceflight · 11 May 2021 Engineers with NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) program and prime Core Stage contractor Boeing continue to review terabytes of data from the now-complete, once-in-a-generation Green Run design verification test campaign....
- Space Force renames Florida-based launch wing Space Launch Delta 45 SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 The U.S. Space Force has officially renamed the 45th Space Wing that oversees Florida’s launch ranges Space Launch Delta 45.
- Perseverance's Robotic Arm Starts Conducting Science NASA · 11 May 2021 NASA’s newest Mars rover is beginning to study the floor of an ancient crater that once held a lake.
- Senate Intelligence chairman wants further review of decision to relocate U.S. Space Command SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is backing efforts by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to challenge the relocation of U.S. Space Command.
- Cabana to succeed Jurczyk as NASA associate administrator SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 Bob Cabana, a former astronaut and longtime head of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will become NASA associate administrator later this month, replacing the retiring Steve Jurczyk.
- NASA says demand for private ISS missions exceeds flight opportunities SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 NASA says it’s seeing strong interest from companies proposing private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, with the demand for such missions exceeding the agency’s ability to accommodate them.
- A new book, Amazon Unbound, reveals Jeff Bezos’ envy of SpaceX Ars Technica · 11 May 2021 "Executives from the two companies stopped talking."
- SpaceX teases more Starship flight tests “in the days ahead” Teslarati · 11 May 2021 A SpaceX engineer hosting the company’s recent record-breaking Starlink launch told viewers to “stay tuned for additional [Starship] test flights in the...
- Aircraft issue could delay resumption of SpaceShipTwo test flights SpaceNews · 11 May 2021 Virgin Galactic said May 10 that while it believes it corrected a problem with its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane that aborted a test flight five months ago, the resumption of those test flights could be further dela...
- SpaceX launches fourth Starlink mission in 16 days Teslarati · 10 May 2021 Update: SpaceX has officially completed its fifth Falcon 9 launch and landing in three weeks and delivered its fourth batch of Starlink...
- After Chinese rocket reentry, DoD calls for countries to ‘behave responsibly’ SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 Less than two days after parts of an uncontrolled Chinese rocket fell into the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said allowing a large booster to free fall toward Earth is “irresponsible behavior.”
- SpaceX sleuths spot third drone ship under construction in Louisiana Teslarati · 10 May 2021 For the first time, SpaceX fleet-tracking sleuths have confirmed the identity and location – and captured photos – of the company’s third...
- Inmarsat heading to administrative court over Dutch 3.5 GHz auction SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 Inmarsat is pivoting to an administrative court in its battle to stop the Netherlands from auctioning 3.5 GHz spectrum, which the British satellite operator says it does not want to cede to bandwidth-hungry 5G networks.
- NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Heads for Earth with Asteroid Sample NASA · 10 May 2021 After nearly five years in space, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft is on its way back to Earth with an abundance of rocks and dust from...
- Orbcomm gets no offers after contacting more than 50 potential buyers SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 Satellite operator Orbcomm said May 10 it did not get any alternative proposals in its 30-day “go-shop” period, which followed private equity firm GI Partners’ $1.1 billion acquisition offer.
- Virgin Orbit names next mission and expands operations to Brazil NASASpaceflight · 10 May 2021 Following the first successful launch of LauncherOne in January, Virgin Orbit is aiming for their next mission to lift off in June. While the launch campaign is underway, the small satellite launch provider continues to...
- NASA Announces New Associate Administrator NASA · 10 May 2021 NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson announced Monday Robert D. Cabana, who has served as director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since 2008, will serve as associate administrator effective Monday, May 17.
- Jurczyk Retires as NASA Associate Administrator NASA · 10 May 2021 Steve Jurczyk, who served as acting NASA administrator from Jan. 20 to May 3, 2021, announced Monday he will retire on Friday, May 14, after more than three decades of service at NASA.
- OneWeb creating government subsidiary after buying TrustComm SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 OneWeb, the U.K.-headquartered low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband operator, is buying Texas-based managed satcoms provider TrustComm to create a new government subsidiary.
- NASA chief criticizes China for uncontrolled rocket re-entry Spaceflight Now · 10 May 2021 NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Saturday that China is failing to meet “responsible standards” on space debris after a massive Long March rocket stage fell back to Earth over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled re-en...
- NASA, Axiom Agree to First Private Astronaut Mission on Space Station NASA · 10 May 2021 NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station to take place no earlier than January 2022.
- South Korea’s space agency sets sight on missions that ‘won’t pay off until 2050’ SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 The chief of South Korea’s space agency has vowed to spin off near-term applications to the private sector and refocus the agency on long-term investments that “won’t pay off until 2050.”
- With a focus on the low-Earth orbit economy, Voyager eyes more acquisitions SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 Voyager Space Holdings announced May 10 it has closed a deal to acquire a majority stake in XO Markets, the parent company of Nanoracks.
- A SpaceX booster now trails only 4 space shuttles in flight experience Ars Technica · 10 May 2021 This particular first stage is approaching historic status.
- Iceye unveils new wide-area imaging capability SpaceNews · 10 May 2021 Iceye unveiled a new product May 10, imagery of areas as large as 10,000 square kilometers captured with its synthetic-aperture radar satellites.
- NASA, Axiom sign agreements moving ahead with first commercial station visit Spaceflight Now · 10 May 2021 NASA and Houston-based Axiom Space have signed a “mission order” setting the stage for four civilians to visit to the International Space Station early next year, the first fully commercial flight to the orbiting lab com...
- Following Starship SN15’s success, SpaceX evaluating next steps toward orbital goals NASASpaceflight · 9 May 2021 SpaceX is considering numerous options for the upcoming Starship test schedule as the goal of reaching orbit by the summer becomes increasingly realistic.
- SpaceX reaches rocket reuse milestone on Starlink launch Spaceflight Now · 9 May 2021 The launch of another 60 Starlink internet spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Sunday thrust SpaceX past a major milestone in rocket reuse: the 10th successful flight of a Falcon 9 booster. The mission marked the fourth Space...
- SpaceX sets booster reuse milestone on Starlink launch SpaceNews · 9 May 2021 SpaceX launched a set of Starlink satellites May 9 on a Falcon 9 whose first stage was making its tenth flight, a long-awaited goal in the company’s reusability efforts.