Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
Exolaunch, the leading rideshare services provider for the NewSpace industry and trendsetter in deployment solutions, has introduced its space tug program, featuring a new line of revolutionary orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) that will launch satellites to custom orbits in an environmentally responsible way - the first of its kind in the OTV industry. The company's space tug testing and flight

Washington DC (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
DARPA has awarded contracts for the first phase of the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. The goal of the DRACO program is to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system above low Earth orbit in 2025. The three prime contractors are General Atomics, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin. Rapid maneuver is a core tenet of modern Department of Defense (D

Tucson AZ (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
A serendipitous discovery by citizen scientists has provided a unique new window into the diverse environments that produce stars and star clusters, revealing the presence of "stellar nurseries" before infant stars emerge from their birth clouds, according to Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Grace Wolf-Chase. "Yellowballs are small compact features that were identified in infra

Munich, Germany (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
There are many questions surrounding the elementary particle neutrino, in particular regarding its mass. Physicists are also interested in whether besides the "classic" neutrinos there are variants such as the so-called sterile neutrinos. The KATRIN experiment has now succeeded in strongly narrowing the search for these elusive particles. The publication appeared recently in the journal Physical

Dulles VA (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
Northrop Grumman and the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC, have successfully completed the docking of the Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) to the Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02) commercial communications satellite to deliver life-extension services. The docking was completed at 1:34 p.m. EST. Northrop Grumman is the only provider of flight-proven life extension services f

London, UK (SPX) Apr 13, 2021
In-Space Missions, the Hampshire-based company that designs, builds and operates satellites and plans space missions for clients all over the UK and internationally, has expanded into state-of-the-art new premises and announced plans to create some 200 new high-skilled jobs. In-Space has expanded into dedicated 500m2 offices in Alton, Hampshire in the UK to support its growing team and bus

Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 13, 2021
The next Meteor-M model Russian meteorological satellite will be launched from the Vostochny spaceport on 30 November, Sputnik learned on Monday from the printed materials of an international space forum taking place at the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU). The chief of Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said last November that the Meteor-M satellite, number

SAN FRANCISCO — Orbital Sidekick announced a $16 million Series A funding round April 13 led by Singapore investment giant Temasek that clears the way for the company to complete development of its first constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s Space Development Agency wants to hear from satellite manufacturers about their capabilities to support the agency’s plans to deploy a large network of spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. 

SDA in a request for information issued April 10 asks companies that intend to compete for an upcoming contract to confirm that they will be able to meet specific technical requirements.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency selected Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin to develop competing spacecraft concepts for a demonstration of nuclear thermal propulsion, the agency announced April 12.

Under a program called DRACO, short for demonstration rocket for agile cislunar operations, DARPA wants to demonstrate nuclear thermal propulsion technology — using a nuclear reactor to heat up rocket fuel to generate thrust.