L3Harris wins contract to extend GOES-R ground segment work
Thursday, 11 May 2023 20:03The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a contract to L3Harris Technologies to continue providing ground services for the current generation of geostationary weather satellites.
OHB expects first Ariane 6 launch in early 2024
Thursday, 11 May 2023 19:42A key Ariane 6 supplier expects the rocket to make its first launch within a year, but ruled out any chance the vehicle could fly before the end of 2023.
Experts: Metallic object that crashed into New Jersey home was a meteorite
Thursday, 11 May 2023 19:09Telesat eyes 2026 for first Lightspeed launches amid funding delays
Thursday, 11 May 2023 17:56Telesat now expects to start deploying satellites for Lightspeed around 2026, six years later than originally planned as talks to fund the low Earth orbit broadband constellation drag on.
What if Titan Dragonfly had a fusion engine?
Thursday, 11 May 2023 17:32In a little over four years, NASA's Dragonfly mission will launch into space and begin its long journey towards Titan, Saturn's largest moon. As part of the New Frontiers program, this quadcopter will explore Titan's atmosphere, surface, and methane lakes for possible indications of life (aka. biosignatures).
This will commence in 2034, with a science phase lasting for three years and three and a half months. The robotic explorer will rely on a nuclear battery—a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermal Generator (MMRTG)—to ensure its longevity.
But what if Dragonfly were equipped with a next-generation fusion power system? In a recent mission study paper, a team of researchers from Princeton Satellite Systems demonstrated how a direct fusion drive (DFD) could greatly enhance a mission to Titan. This New Jersey-based aerospace company is developing fusion systems that rely on the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration (PFRC).
This research could lead to compact fusion reactors that could lead to rapid transits, longer-duration missions, and miniature nuclear reactors here on Earth.
The answer to solving the digital divide is hybrid connectivity infrastructures
Thursday, 11 May 2023 14:12Satellite and terrestrial communications infrastructures must evolve to democratize access to connectivity worldwide. As a fundamental need in today’s technology-driven society, hybrid network infrastructures can democratize access to connectivity for American citizens and the nearly three billion people in the world who remain unconnected.
Foust Forward | Big opportunities for big science with big rockets
Thursday, 11 May 2023 13:21Attendees of this year’s Space Symposium were understandably distracted by what was going on a thousand miles from Colorado Springs.
China’s spaceplane conducted proximity and capture maneuvers with subsatellite, data suggests
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:49China’s secretive spaceplane may have performed multiple recaptures of an object it released into orbit during its recently completed second flight as part of on-orbit testing.
SpaceX set to launch Vast's commercial space station and inaugural human spaceflight mission
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06Vast has revealed that SpaceX is slated to launch Vast Haven-1, anticipated to be the world's premier commercial space station. The launch, targeted for no earlier than August 2025, will be swiftly followed by two manned spaceflight missions to the station. A Falcon 9 rocket will propel Haven-1 into low-Earth orbit, where it will function as a fully independent space station before eventually jo
Supernal and Inmarsat partner on Advanced Air Mobility vehicle connectivity
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06Supernal and Inmarsat announced a partnership to define the application of satellite connectivity in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Together, the companies will conduct testing and data sharing to optimize hardware and network systems, which will lead to the safe and efficient integration of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles into the airspace. During vehicle testing, Sup
Another step away from the farm: meat grown from immortal stem cells
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06To make it possible for cellular agriculture-the process of growing meat in bioreactors-to feed millions of people, several technical challenges will have to be overcome. Muscle cells from chicken, fish, cows, and other food sources will have to be grown to produce millions of metric tons per year. Toward this goal, researchers at Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) develope
Sidus Space expands global ground site network with new ATLAS contract
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) has selected ATLAS Space Operations (ATLAS) to expand ground station services. The agreement is set to significantly increase the global network of ground stations for the LizzieSat constellation and further solidify Sidus Space's position as a leader in Space and Defense-as-a-Service solutions. ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS)
Spire and OroraTech to demo wildfire detection from space for Canadian Space Agency
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded a contract to Spire Global's newly acquired subsidiary, ExactEarth Ltd., for preparatory work on its WildFireSat mission. The mission aims to monitor all active wildfires in Canada from space on a daily basis to support wildfire management, provide Canadians with more precise information on smoke and air quality conditions, and more accurately measure
Element-ary, My Dear WATSON
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06When it comes to searching for clues about Mars' geologic past and present, SHERLOC and WATSON are on the case! SHERLOC stands for Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals, and WATSON stands for Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering. SHERLOC and WATSON both sit at the end of Perseverance's robotic arm, and their names pay homag
Scientists to explore lunar construction materials, tech
Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:06The Beijing Institute of Technology recently received 500 milligrams of the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e 5 mission. BIT's research team will study the material characteristics of these samples and related manufacturing technology, with the building of a future lunar research station in mind. Shen Jun, a professor with the School of Mechanical Engineering at BIT, noted th