Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- Harris to place “personal stamp” on National Space Council SpaceNews · 1 May 2021 Vice President Kamala Harris will put her “personal stamp” on the National Space Council as it takes on both existing and new priorities under the Biden administration.
- White House says Vice President Kamala Harris will chair the Space Council Ars Technica · 1 May 2021 "I think her approach to this is just going to be to get the job done."
- Raytheon gets $228 million contract extension for GPS ground system SpaceNews · 1 May 2021 Raytheon received a $228 million contract to continue development of the OCX ground system for Global Positioning System satellites.
- Ingenuity shifts from technology to operations demo after successful fourth flight SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 With four flights now complete, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter will transition from being strictly a technology demonstration to a test of its ability to work in cooperation with the Perseverance rover.
- Space industry in midst of transformation following record private and public investments SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 The space market is at a watershed moment as private and public investments continue to surge.
- Roscosmos discusses ISS withdrawal strategy and new space station for mid-2020s NASASpaceflight · 30 Apr 2021 Recently, Russian authorities began talking about a potential withdrawal from the International Space Station (ISS) project in 2025. In place of ISS, the Russian space industry would gain ROSS – a new orbital station tha...
- SpaceX scrubs upgraded Starship launch debut Teslarati · 30 Apr 2021 Update: For unknown reasons, possibly including technical issues or subpar weather, SpaceX has scrubbed upgraded Starship prototype SN15’s planned Friday launch debut....
- Dynetics HLS protest argues NASA should have revised competition after budget shortfall SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 NASA should have revised its approach to the Human Landing System (HLS) program or withdrawn the solicitation entirely once it was clear the agency didn’t have the funding to support two companies, one of the losing bidd...
- NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase NASA · 30 Apr 2021 The Red Planet rotorcraft will shift focus from proving flight is possible on Mars to demonstrating flight operations that future aerial craft could utilize.
- NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase NASA · 30 Apr 2021 NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has a new mission. Having proven that powered, controlled flight is possible on the Red Planet, the Ingenuity experiment will soon embark on a new operations demonstration phase, explorin...
- SpaceX cancels Starship flight attempt on Friday [Updated] Ars Technica · 30 Apr 2021 After four landing failures, here's hoping the fifth time is the charm.
- Kleos Space develops tool for in-space manufacturing of large structures SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 Kleos Space is conducting a six-month test of technology for in-space manufacturing of large 3D carbon fiber structures.
- Crew Dragon return postponed again by poor weather Spaceflight Now · 30 Apr 2021 The departure and return to Earth of a four-person space station crew on a SpaceX Dragon capsule has been postponed again by high winds in the splashdown zone in the Gulf of Mexico. NASA and SpaceX officials are evaluati...
- NASA Selects Consolidated Program Support Services Configuration and Data Management Contractor NASA · 30 Apr 2021 NASA has awarded the Consolidated Program Support Services (CPSS) Configuration and Data Management (CDM) contract to Victory Solutions Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama, to provide configuration and data management services a...
- Stratolaunch aircraft returns to the skies after two-year hiatus SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 Stratolaunch flew its giant aircraft for the first time in more than two years April 29, marking the start of a new test flight campaign to prepare the plane to serve as a platform for hypersonic vehicles.
- Huge rocket looks set for uncontrolled reentry following Chinese space station launch SpaceNews · 30 Apr 2021 The Long March 5B rocket which launched China's first space station module Thursday is likely to undergo an uncontrolled reentry into the Earth's atmosphere in the coming says.
- Rocket Report: Blue Origin protests Starship, China launches space station Ars Technica · 30 Apr 2021 “The ability to refuel in space is critical to meeting NASA’s goals."
- Chinese Long March 6 rocket delivers nine small satellites to space Spaceflight Now · 30 Apr 2021 Nine small Chinese satellites, including a technology experiment to test out ways to capture space debris, rode a Long March 6 rocket into orbit April 27 on a rideshare mission managed by China Great Wall Industry Corp.,...
- Starship SN15 moves to Tuesday attempt NASASpaceflight · 30 Apr 2021 Following two successful Static Fire tests during the week, Starship SN15 was set to launch Friday afternoon. However, the hop was pushed to no earlier than Tuesday due to technical preparedness, specifically flight soft...
- Astronauts describe thrilling ride to orbit on Falcon 9 rocket Spaceflight Now · 30 Apr 2021 When the countdown hit zero last Friday and the engines powering a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage roared to life for takeoff, the four astronauts strapped into a SpaceX Crew Dragon some 21 stories up started laugh...
- Senate unanimously confirms Nelson as NASA administrator SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 The Senate unanimously confirmed Bill Nelson to be NASA’s next administrator, wrapping up a whirlwind confirmation process that was vastly different from that experienced by his predecessor.
- “Big relief” as Europe’s Vega rocket returns to service with successful launch Spaceflight Now · 29 Apr 2021 A European Vega rocket deployed six commercial satellites in orbit, including a new Airbus-built eye-in-the-sky for high-resolution Earth-imaging, on a successful launch from French Guiana on Wednesday night after two of...
- Biden-Harris Administration Shows Strong Support for NASA in First 100 Days NASA · 29 Apr 2021 In the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris Administration, NASA has taken bold steps to expand America’s exploration and scientific frontiers, advancing the nation’s commitment to build back better through innovation, com...
- Beyer seeks funding for NASA in infrastructure bill SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 The chairman of the House space subcommittee says he is working to secure funding for NASA as part of what could be a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure package proposed by the White House.
- SpaceX launches Starlink satellites SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites April 28, its first since the FCC approved a modification that allows the company to operate more satellites in lower orbits.
- SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink spacecraft; FCC clears SpaceX to fly satellites at lower altitudes Spaceflight Now · 29 Apr 2021 SpaceX deployed 60 more Starlink internet-beaming spacecraft into orbit after a fiery late-night blastoff of a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday night from Cape Canaveral, surpassing the 1,500-satellite mark since Starlink launc...
- Assembly of Chinese space station begins with successful core module launch Spaceflight Now · 29 Apr 2021 Chinese officials confirmed the successful launch of the first element of the country’s space station early Thursday, laying the keystone to China’s own orbiting research complex designed to accommodate three astronauts...
- China launches Tianhe space station core module into orbit SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 China successfully launched a 22-metric-ton module late Wednesday, beginning an intense period of missions for constructing the nation’s own space station.
- Vega return to flight creates competition for 30-centimeter satellite imagery SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 Europe’s small launch vehicle Vega returned to flight April 28, carrying a next-generation imaging satellite for Airbus Defence and Space that has been held back by multiple delays.
- Statements on Bill Nelson’s Senate Confirmation as NASA Administrator NASA · 29 Apr 2021 The following are statements from Sen. Bill Nelson and acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk on Thursday’s U.S. Senate confirmation of Nelson as the 14th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrati...
- Boeing’s Chris Johnson to lead space programs at Maxar Technologies SpaceNews · 29 Apr 2021 Maxar Technologies has appointed Chris Johnson as senior vice president of space programs delivery (SPD), overseeing spacecraft and robotic systems from design to distribution.
- Core of NASA’s first Artemis moon rocket towed into Vehicle Assembly Building Spaceflight Now · 29 Apr 2021 A decade in the making, the core stage for NASA’s first Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday to join up with twin solid rocket boosters and...
- Starlink v1.0 L24 launches as SpaceX receives permission for Starlink modifications NASASpaceflight · 29 Apr 2021 SpaceX launched the Starlink v1.0 L24 mission with another 60 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation late on Wednesday, April 28 at 11:44 PM EDT (03:44 UTC on April 29) from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Space...
- Vega rocket’s return-to-flight launch set for Wednesday night Spaceflight Now · 28 Apr 2021 Six satellites are set to ride a light-class European Vega rocket into orbit from French Guiana on Wednesday night, the first Vega launch since a failure last year that officials attributed to human error.
- NASA Sets Briefing to Discuss Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Next Steps NASA · 28 Apr 2021 NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team will discuss plans for the rotorcraft’s remaining flight campaign during a virtual media briefing at 12:30 p.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. PDT) Friday, April 30.
- Air Force NTS-3 navigation satellite to launch in 2023 SpaceNews · 28 Apr 2021 The Air Force Research Laboratory is planning a 2023 launch of the NTS-3 experimental navigation satellite.
- With Goals Met, NASA to Push Envelope With Ingenuity Mars Helicopter NASA · 28 Apr 2021 With three successful flights in the logbook, Ingenuity has demonstrated it is ready for more.
- With Goals Met, NASA to Push Envelope with Ingenuity Mars Helicopter NASA · 28 Apr 2021 Now that NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has accomplished the goal of achieving powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on the Red Planet, and with data from its most recent flight test, on April 25, the technology de...
- Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins dies at 90 Spaceflight Now · 28 Apr 2021 Michael Collins, the man who stayed behind aboard the Apollo 11 command module while crewmates Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the moon and walked into history, has passed away after a battle with cancer, his...
- Former Air Force procurement chief Will Roper joins board of space startup Ursa Major SpaceNews · 28 Apr 2021 Former Air Force procurement official Will Roper joins the board of directors of Ursa Major.