Start-up companies and SMEs make a significant contribution to building a globally competitive European space sector. To support these entities in their internationalisation efforts, ESA has organised a Global Space Markets Challenge and further extended the deadline for applications to 30 July.

Two years ago, when astronomers gathered at the 234th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in St. Louis, one word was on the minds of many attendees: Starlink. Just a few weeks earlier, SpaceX had launched the first set of 60 Starlink satellites, and the unexpected appearance of the satellites in twilight skies as a bright string of pearls dismayed astronomers.

WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched 88 satellites on a Falcon 9 June 30 on the company’s second dedicated smallsat rideshare mission.

The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:31 p.m.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s space agency on June 30 hailed the deployment of its first missions which flew to orbit on a SpaceX rideshare carrying 88 small satellites.

“Today’s missions will provide real-world data that we can use to verify our engineering assumptions and space-qualify a significant emerging technology,” Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency said in a statement after SpaceX confirmed the agency’s payloads successfully separated.

SAN FRANCISCO – Capella Space launched its fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite June 30 with a Maxwell electric thruster manufactured by propulsion startup Phase Four.

“The Maxwell systems in our satellites have been functioning nominally in the lab and in orbit, and Phase Four has provided great customer service all along the way,” Christian Lenz, Capella chief technology officer, said in a statement.

TAMPA, Fla. — An administrative court in the Netherlands has suspended the Dutch government’s plan to sell off 3.5 GHz spectrum, which British satellite operator Inmarsat uses for maritime safety and distress services.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force announced June 30 it has selected 50 members of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps to transfer to the space branch, and hundreds more could be chosen in the coming weeks.

SEOUL, South Korea — Japan’s government says it will build more spaceports in an effort to make the country “Asia’s hub in space business.”

This was one of the space-related initiatives endorsed June 18 during an economic growth strategy meeting hosted by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at his office in Tokyo, with Cabinet members attending.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off last month on a strategy document that tells the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force to figure out how to share data on the battlefield.