Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- On eve of first launch, Firefly revamps board of directors, may go public Ars Technica · 3 Feb 2021 Out: Max Polyakov. In: Two senior US government officials.
- SpaceX is halfway done building the world’s largest rocket booster Teslarati · 3 Feb 2021 New photos of the SpaceX Starship program’s first Super Heavy confirm that the booster prototype – known as Booster Number 1 (BN1)...
- SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket cuts Space Shuttle turnaround record in half Teslarati · 3 Feb 2021 SpaceX has successfully kicked off the first of two Starlink launches scheduled in the same 28-hour period and reused a Falcon 9...
- Putting the latest Starship crash into perspective—it’s “stupidly difficult” Ars Technica · 3 Feb 2021 "It's not like they were huge idiots who wanted to throw their rocket away."
- NASA creates climate adviser position SpaceNews · 3 Feb 2021 NASA has established a new position of senior climate adviser within the agency, the first sign of a long-expected new emphasis on climate science within the agency under the Biden administration.
- Pentagon deputy nominee Hicks says DoD space acquisitions deserve scrutiny SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 Deputy defense secretary nominee Kathleen Hicks had a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 2.
- SpaceX Starship prototype lost in test flight landing mishap Spaceflight Now · 2 Feb 2021 SpaceX launched a prototype Starship rocket Tuesday from its Boca Chica, Texas, flight facility, successfully sending the silver booster up to an altitude of about six miles as planned. But the unpiloted test flight ende...
- NASA's Perseverance Pays Off Back Home NASA · 2 Feb 2021 Even as the Perseverance rover approaches Mars, technology on board is paying off on Earth.
- Russia launches classified payload to start 2021 campaign NASASpaceflight · 2 Feb 2021 The Russian Aerospace Forces, itself a division of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, has launched a Lotos reconnaissance satellite to compliment their next-generation Liana SIGINT (signal intelligence) satellit...
- SpaceX Starship prototype aces test flight but explodes again Teslarati · 2 Feb 2021 SpaceX Starship prototype serial number 9 (SN9) has suffered a fate almost identical to its successor, SN8, acing an almost six-and-a-half-minute launch,...
- SpaceX Starship crashes after suborbital flight SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 A second prototype of SpaceX’s Starship reusable launch vehicle performed a suborbital flight Feb. 2, only to crash while landing.
- Second high-altitude Starship test flight ends in landing explosion Spaceflight Now · 2 Feb 2021 Starship completed a successful climb to approximately 10 kilometers altitude and then descended horizontally toward the landing site. It appeared to lose control as it was in the process of flipping back to a vertical p...
- White House has nothing to say on Space Force SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 White House Press Secretary had nothing to say on Tuesday on whether President Biden supports the Space Force
- Omnispace raises $60 million to fund hybrid network SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 Omnispace, a company developing a hybrid space and ground network to provide 5G and internet of things services, announced Feb. 2 it raised $60 million to fund the rollout of its system.
- Laser communications company Mynaric opens Washington office SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 Mynaric, a Germany-based manufacturer of optical satellite terminals, is expanding its footprint in the United States and opening an office in Washington D.C.
- SpaceX crashes a second Starship into South Texas [Updated] Ars Technica · 2 Feb 2021 It's time to see if SN9 can stick the landing in South Texas.
- SpaceX violated launch license in Starship SN8 launch SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 The FAA said that SpaceX violated the conditions of a launch license for its Starship vehicle during a launch in December, prompting an investigation that delayed tests of another vehicle.
- Astra to go public through merger with SPAC SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 Small launch vehicle developer Astra will go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), providing the company with nearly $500 million in cash and valuing it at more than $2 billion.
- FAA approves Starship test after saying SpaceX violated safety rules on last flight Spaceflight Now · 2 Feb 2021 SpaceX defied public safety rules on its most recent Starship launch over South Texas in December, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday as it approved a license for SpaceX’s next high-altitude Starship test f...
- Viasat receives $50 million Air Force contract to develop space technology SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 Viasat on Feb. 2 received a $50.8 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop a broad range of space systems.
- NASA to delay decision on Artemis lunar landers SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 NASA is delaying a decision on which companies will proceed in its effort to develop human lunar landers for the Artemis program as it grapples with a funding shortfall and a change in administrations.
- MDA announces Radarsat-2 Continuity Mission SpaceNews · 2 Feb 2021 MDA is designing the follow-on to Radarsat-2, the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite the Canadian firm built through a public-private partnership with the Canadian government.
- SpaceX’s next Starship launch go for Tuesday attempt after licensing dispute Teslarati · 2 Feb 2021 Update: Despite signs to the contrary yesterday evening, SpaceX appears to have received an FAA license for Starship SN9’s high-altitude launch debut...
- Starship SN9 loses a Raptor during flip. RUD comes as future Starships line up NASASpaceflight · 2 Feb 2021 Starship SN9 is no more, following her successful flight and return, prior to losing a Raptor during the flip maneuver, resulting in a crash landing. As with SN8, SN9 got over the pad area and did not impact SN10 or any...
- Entrepreneur books SpaceX flight to benefit children’s research hospital Spaceflight Now · 2 Feb 2021 Jared Isaacman, a wealthy businessman and pilot, is chartering a four-seat SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for what will be the first fully commercial, non-government piloted flight to orbit, SpaceX and the entrepreneur annou...
- SpaceX announces Inspiration4, all-civilian space mission in support of St Jude’s Hospital NASASpaceflight · 1 Feb 2021 SpaceX has added a new private Crew Dragon mission to their growing human spaceflight manifest. The first all-civilian space mission, named Inspiration4, will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Resilien...
- SpaceX announces first “free flyer” human spaceflight Ars Technica · 1 Feb 2021 "This is an important milestone towards enabling access to space for everyone."
- Orbit for all: SpaceX, Shift4 reveal private Crew Dragon launch and ticket raffle Teslarati · 1 Feb 2021 SpaceX and financial company Shift4 have announced what could become the world’s first private orbital astronaut launch into orbit – and two...
- General Atomics acquires Tiger Innovations SpaceNews · 1 Feb 2021 General Atomics announced the acquisition Feb. 1 of Tiger Innovations, a Herndon, Virginia small business focused primarily on satellite systems and related hardware and software.
- NASA Invites Media to Second Test to Fire Rocket for Artemis Moon Missions NASA · 1 Feb 2021 Media are invited to attend NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s second Green Run hot fire – a test of the rocket’s core stage and all of its integrated systems before its flight on the Artemis I lunar mission.
- An open system for missile-warning satellite data is in the works but faces challenges SpaceNews · 1 Feb 2021 The Space Force wants an open platform to process and distribute data from missile-warning satellites so it's less dependent on the current prime contractor Lockheed Martin.
- Could the Surface of Phobos Reveal Secrets of the Martian Past? NASA · 1 Feb 2021 The Martian moon Phobos orbits through a stream of charged atoms and molecules that flow off the Red Planet’s atmosphere, new research shows.
- NASA Names Leaders to Key Agency Roles NASA · 1 Feb 2021 NASA has named appointees for senior agency positions. Bhavya Lal joins the agency as acting chief of staff, Phillip Thompson will serve as White House liaison, Alicia Brown will serve as associate administrator for the...
- Chinese Hyperbola-1 rocket fails during its second launch NASASpaceflight · 1 Feb 2021 The Chinese private space launch company i-Space (Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd.) developed Hyperbola-1 (Shian Quxian-1) rocket failed in its second launch on Monday in an attempt to orbit the small Fan...
- It’s official—NASA will subject the SLS rocket to another hot fire test Ars Technica · 1 Feb 2021 "A second, longer hot fire test should be conducted and would pose minimal risk."
- As Virgin Galactic gets swept up in GameStop mania, it gets back to flying Ars Technica · 1 Feb 2021 Company says its next window for a test flight opens on February 12.
- Astronauts complete second spacewalk to upgrade Space Station NASASpaceflight · 1 Feb 2021 NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover have completed their second EVA (extravehicular activity, or spacewalk) outside the ISS in less than one week to continue upgrading the orbital outpost and accomplish miscel...
- Virgin Galactic to resume SpaceShipTwo test flights in mid-February SpaceNews · 1 Feb 2021 Virgin Galactic announced Feb. 1 that the company will launch its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane in mid-February, two months after a technical problem aborted an earlier launch attempt.
- China’s iSpace suffers failure with second orbital launch attempt SpaceNews · 1 Feb 2021 Launch of a Hyperbola-1 rocket by Chinese private firm iSpace ended in failure shortly after liftoff from Jiuquan launch center Monday.
- SpaceX begins Falcon Heavy booster deliveries for first launch in two years Teslarati · 1 Feb 2021 SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket launch in almost two years has entered the final stages of preparations – flight hardware acceptance testing,...