San Francisco CA (SPX) Apr 06, 2022
Astranis Space Technologies Corp. has signed a contract with SpaceX for a dedicated Falcon 9 launch to put four Astranis MicroGEO communications satellites into service in 2023. The Astranis payload is well below the maximum payload capacity for a Falcon 9 vehicle, translating into a performance bonus that Astranis is using to tailor the insertion orbit to the mission and propel its compac

Nottingham UK (SPX) Apr 06, 2022
It's not long since billionaires were competing to get to the "edge of space". Now, the first set of private citizens are getting ready to take a SpaceX shuttle up to the International Space Station (ISS). Unlike the short "joyrides" of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, this mission will be reaching the roughly 400km altitude needed to dock with the ISS. The mission by the US commercial aero

Washington (AFP) April 5, 2022
The latest test of NASA's giant Moon rocket SLS has been pushed back to allow for a SpaceX rocket to launch later this week, the US space agency announced Tuesday. The dress rehearsal for the giant Space Launch System had been scheduled for Friday at launch pad 39B at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the same time as SpaceX's lift-off from pad 39A. The test of the rocket, which is to return h

West Lafayette IN (SPX) Apr 06, 2022
For two decades, Roger Wiens has built instruments to give humans eyes and a nose on Mars - and now he's helping add ears as well. Wiens, a professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in the College of Science at Purdue University, and an expert in Mars robotics technology, led the team that built SuperCam, a device on the Perseverance Mars rover that includes a laser for zappi

Proposed Securities and Exchange Commission rules that would reduce the difference between special purpose acquisition company mergers and traditional initial public offerings could have a significant impact on space sector financing.  

The post New SEC rules could dampen SPAC activity appeared first on SpaceNews.

Quantum Brilliance, an Australian and German quantum computing startup, is eager to identify space-based applications for its technology.

The post Seeking space applications for quantum computers appeared first on SpaceNews.

Demand for satellite communications has outstripped supply in markets recovering from the pandemic, according to satcoms provider Speedcast CEO Joe Spytek.

The post Speedcast sees a dearth of satellite capacity ahead appeared first on SpaceNews.

An Amazon executive said the cost to produce antennas for its proposed Project Kuiper megaconstellation is already “well under $500,” even as SpaceX retreats from the subsidized $499 price it charges customers for its operational Starlink terminals.

Partnerships with industry, academia and government agencies around the world are supporting the U.S. intelligence community’s campaign to counter threats to democracy like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said Stacey Dixon, U.S. principal deputy director of national intelligence.

United Launch Alliance is planning major production improvements for its Vulcan rocket while Arianespace will increase the performance of its Ariane 6 to meet the demands of their new Amazon contracts for Project Kuiper.