Dutch administrative court sides with Inmarsat on spectrum auction plan
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.
Virgin Orbit launches cubesats on second operational mission
WASHINGTON — Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne successfully launched seven cubesats June 30 in the second operational mission of the air-launch system.
Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747 aircraft, called Cosmic Girl, took off from Mojave Air and Space Port at approximately 9:50 a.m.
U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps service members selected to transfer to Space Force
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.
Japan eyes ‘Asia’s hub in space business’ with more spaceports
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.
Branson mum on when he'll launch to space on Virgin Galactic
![Branson mum on when he'll launch to space on Virgin Galactic](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/branson-mum-on-when-he.jpg "In this Monday, Oct. 28, 2019 file photo, Richard Branson, right, founder of Virgin Galactic, and company executives gather for photos outside the New York Stock Exchange before his company's IPO. In an interview after the Wednesday, June 30, 2021 satellite launch by his separate company Virgin Orbit, Branson said that he has to be "so circumspect" in what he says about Virgin Galactic. "All I can say is when the engineers tell me that I can go to space, I'm ready, fit and healthy to go. So we'll see," he said.")
Branson's Virgin Orbit launches 7 satellites from 747 plane
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit delivered satellites from three countries into space Wednesday, its second successful rocket launch from a plane.
Russian cargo ship lifts off for International Space Station
SpaceX launches second dedicated rideshare mission
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.
Space Development Agency celebrates launch of its first satellites
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.
Capella Space and Phase Four reveal Maxwell Engine performance
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.
