Space Industry News: Headlines from Across the Industry

36,858 headlines. We show the headline and the publisher's own teaser; the full story is at the source.

Spinoff Highlights NASA Technology Paying Dividends in the US Economy NASA · 15 Dec 2020 Whether upgrading air traffic control software or honing the food safety practices that keep our dinner tables safe, NASA has worked for more than six decades to ensure its innovations benefit people on Earth.
Rocket Lab closes out year with launch of Synspective’s first radar satellite Spaceflight Now · 15 Dec 2020 Rocket Lab’s seventh and final launch of the year delivered a small radar observation satellite into orbit for Synspective, a Japanese startup planning a fleet of 30 or more Earth-imaging spacecraft providing day-and-nig...
Scientists thrilled with asteroid treasure returned by Japanese spacecraft Spaceflight Now · 15 Dec 2020 Japanese space agency officials said Tuesday they found a “large number” of pitch black rock and dust particles after opening a capsule returned to Earth earlier this month by the Hayabusa 2 mission, giving eager scienti...
Rocket Lab launches Japanese radar imaging satellite SpaceNews · 15 Dec 2020 Rocket Lab successfully launched the first satellite for a Japanese radar imaging startup, concluding a roller-coaster year for the small launch vehicle company.
OneWeb optimistic about raising the funding needed to complete its constellation SpaceNews · 15 Dec 2020 The new executive chairman of OneWeb is optimistic the company can raise the billions of dollars of additional funding needed to complete development of the company’s broadband constellation and work on a second generati...
SpaceX wins almost $1B to bring Starlink internet to half a million US homes, businesses Teslarati · 15 Dec 2020 In a competition against hundreds of providers, many established, SpaceX’s Starlink constellation has come out of left field to win almost $1B...
The Owl’s Night Begins: Japan’s StriX-α satellite launches with Rocket Lab NASASpaceflight · 15 Dec 2020 Rocket Lab has launched the 17th flight of their small satellite launcher vehicle, Electron, on a mission named “The Owl’s Night Begins” after the only payload onboard: StriX-α.
NASA Astrophysics Division embraces cubesats and smallsats SpaceNews · 15 Dec 2020
Astra narrowly misses reaching orbit on second launch SpaceNews · 15 Dec 2020 Small launch vehicle developer Astra Space fell just short of reaching orbit on its second launch attempt Dec. 15, but the company is “beyond ecstatic” with the performance of the rocket.
Space Force leaders staying out of the political fray SpaceNews · 15 Dec 2020 Gen. John Raymond, chief of the U.S. Space Force, said he has met with members of the Biden transition team but would not speculate on what might change under the new administration.
BAE Systems shrinks weather sensors for microsatellites SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 BAE Systems is developing miniature spectrometers to provide high-resolution weather data from a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit.
The 2020 SpaceNews Awards winners SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 The 2020 SpaceNews Awards are given to organizations, programs and people with demonstrable achievements in the space arena during the preceding 12 months
NASA Awards Contract for Project and Engineering Support Services NASA · 14 Dec 2020 NASA has selected Millennium Engineering and Integration Services LLC of Arlington, Virginia, for a contract providing support for flight and mission projects, including all advanced engineering capabilities needed to su...
Download the Dec. 14 issue of SpaceNews magazine SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 Download the December 14th digital edition of SpaceNews magazine, provided compliments of Boeing.
From JPL's Mailroom to Mars and Beyond NASA · 14 Dec 2020 Bill Allen has thrived as the mechanical systems design lead for three Mars rover missions, but he got his start as a teenager sorting letters for the NASA center.
NASA, ESA Choose Astronauts for SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to Space Station NASA · 14 Dec 2020 NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected three astronauts to serve as crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021.
Virgin Galactic’s stock price drops following failed spaceflight attempt Ars Technica · 14 Dec 2020 "As we do with every test flight, we are evaluating all the data."
NSTXL selected to manage the Space Enterprise Consortium SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 NSTXL, a company that helps commercial businesses compete for government contracts, has been selected to manage the U.S. Space Force’s Space Enterprise Consortium for the next 10 years.
SpaceX almost drops finished Starship prototype – but it might be salvageable Teslarati · 14 Dec 2020 Less than 48 hours after Starship SN8’s (successful) demise, something on or around a metal stand holding up SpaceX’s next completed Starship...
Russia resumes Angara test flights with third mission NASASpaceflight · 14 Dec 2020 After a six-year pause, Russia has resumed flight tests of its next-generation Angara rocket with a demonstration mission from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Monday. The Angara-5 vehicle lifted off at 08:50 Moscow Time (05:5...
NASA assigns astronauts for third SpaceX commercial crew mission SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 NASA has selected three astronauts for a future SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station as it leaves open the possibility of exchanging seats with Russia.
DARPA okays Blue Canyon’s satellites for Blackjack program SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 The satellites Blue Canyon developed for DARPA's Blackjack program — based on the company's commercial X-STAR bus — passed a critical design review.
U.S. Space Force celebrates first birthday virtually SpaceNews · 14 Dec 2020 Lt. Gen. Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, said the Space Force has to educate the public on what it does, and why space matters to national security and everyday activities.
Russia’s Angara A5 rocket successful in second test flight Spaceflight Now · 14 Dec 2020 Six years after launching for the first time, a Russian Angara A5 heavy-lift rocket took off on its second test flight Monday and successfully delivered a dummy payload into orbit.
SiriusXM satellite rides SpaceX rocket into orbit Spaceflight Now · 13 Dec 2020 A hefty new satellite to beam SiriusXM radio programming across North America rode a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Saturday from Cape Canaveral on course to replace an aging broadcast station launched more than 15 ye...
SpaceX crushes commercial Falcon 9 reuse record with radio satellite launch Teslarati · 13 Dec 2020 SpaceX has crushed its commercial Falcon 9 reuse record with the successful December 13th launch of Sirius XM’s newest radio satellite while...
SpaceX launches SiriusXM satellite SpaceNews · 13 Dec 2020 A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a new spacecraft for satellite radio company SiriusXM Dec. 13 as the company nears the end of a record-setting year.
SXM-7: SpaceX launches 25th Falcon 9 launch of the year NASASpaceflight · 13 Dec 2020 Two days after a last-second scrub, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with the SiriusXM-7 (SXM-7) high power broadcasting satellite. The Falcon 9 lofted SXM-7 to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
Virgin Galactic pilots land safely after aborting suborbital flight Spaceflight Now · 12 Dec 2020 Two pilots aboard Virgin Galactic’s commercial SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocketplane safely landed back in New Mexico Saturday after a “computer communications loss” triggered an abort of the craft’s engine ignition sequen...
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo falls short of space, glides home Space Scout · 12 Dec 2020 DEC. 12, 2020--Virgin Galactic's first suborbital, crewed flight out of Spaceport America didn't go as planned this morning and was forced to glide home.
Virgin Galactic aborts SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceflight SpaceNews · 12 Dec 2020 Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo aborted an attempted suborbital spaceflight Dec. 12 from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico.
VSS Unity aborts after engine start, safely lands with crew back at Spaceport America NASASpaceflight · 12 Dec 2020 Virgin Galactic was to perform their first human spaceflight of their VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo vehicle from Spaceport America, just south of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, today.
Three companies win NASA small launch contracts SpaceNews · 12 Dec 2020 Three small launch vehicle developers won a combined $16.7 million in NASA contracts as part of an effort to support the development of new launch vehicles.
Space weather researchers need detailed impact data SpaceNews · 11 Dec 2020 Researchers seeking to improve space weather forecasting need detailed information on the impact of previous space weather events on aircraft, power grid and satellite operators, according to a panel of experts speaking...
NASA Awards Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 Contract NASA · 11 Dec 2020 NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) has awarded multiple Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contracts to launch small satellites (SmallSats) to space, including CubeSats, microsats or nanosatell...
SLS, Stennis working on colder LOX for next Green Run WDR attempt NASASpaceflight · 11 Dec 2020 Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage Green Run team members are working on new procedures to supply liquid oxygen (LOX) to the vehicle at lower temperatures in the next Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) attempt. The first attemp...
Senate passes defense bill, sets up showdown with Trump SpaceNews · 11 Dec 2020 The Senate on Dec. 11 voted 84-13 to pass the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, adopting the compromise defense policy bill by a large enough margin to override a presidential veto.
SpaceX scrubs Falcon 9 launch attempt with SiriusXM satellite Spaceflight Now · 11 Dec 2020 SpaceX called off the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Cape Canaveral, halting the countdown less than a minute before liftoff to allow time to perform additional ground system checkouts before the mission’s...
Remote sensing satellite firm completes huge funding round as Chinese space sector activity accelerates SpaceNews · 11 Dec 2020 Satellite firm's funding round caps a year of growing Chinese space industry investment alongside cooperation agreements between space companies and local governments.
SpaceX’s successful Starship prototype test goes out with a bang Space Scout · 11 Dec 2020 DEC. 11, 2020--Two days ago, SpaceX's massive SN8 prototype completed a successful test - by blowing up on the landing pad.

Launch and satellite data: Jonathan McDowell's GCAT (CC BY 4.0) and CelesTrak. Rockets, spacecraft and agencies: Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs and Wikidata. News headlines link to their publishers via the Spaceflight News API and RSS feeds. Records come from several sources and are matched automatically, so treat the directory as a research aid, not an authority. How the data is built and checked.