Stoke Space raises $65 million for reusable launch vehicle development
Stoke Space raised $65 million in a Series A round announced Dec. 15, funding development and testing of the upper stage of a reusable launch vehicle.
Op-ed | Don’t wait for a disaster: Industry-led space traffic management
History indicates that it will take a crisis for any government-led STM solution to receive the necessary funding and reforms. Thus, the commercial space industry needs to step in now.
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter reaches a total of 30 minutes aloft
The 17th flight of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5 pushed the total flight time past the 30-minute mark. The 117-second sortie brought history's first aircraft to operate from the surface of another world closer to its original airfield, "Wright Brothers Field," where it will await the arrival of the agency's Perseverance Mars rover, currently exploring "South Séítah" region of Mars's Jezero Crater.
Iceye to provide satellite for MDA radar constellation
Canada’s MDA is acquiring an X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite from Iceye that will be part of its Chorus system intended to replace Radarsat-2.
Four NASA Earth Science missions to launch in 2022
NASA’s Earth Science Division is preparing to launch four satellite missions in 2022 to provide observations of weather conditions, mineral dust, oceans and surface water.
Honeywell and Skyloom to produce laser crosslinks for military and commercial satellites
Honeywell announced Dec. 15 it has teamed with telecommunications startup Skyloom to produce optical crosslink terminals for commercial and military satellites.
Biden taps former NRO official Frank Calvelli to run Space Force acquisitions
President Biden nominated Frank Calvelli to be assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition, the White House announced Dec. 15.
ESA contract to advance Vega-C competitiveness
ESA’s Vega-C launch vehicle will fly in the second quarter of 2022 offering more performance to all orbits and extended mission flexibility at a similar cost to the current Vega. A new contract aims to widen these mission capabilities to capture new opportunities and satisfy emerging market needs to 2027.
Mars helicopter Ingenuity ready to fly again as radio link is restored
NASA has regained its radio link with the Mars helicopter Ingenuity and plans its 18th flight on the Red Planet as early as Wednesday, the agency announced.
NASA had lost radio contact - except for very brief transmissions - after Ingenuity's Flight 17 on Dec. 5. Hills between the helicopter and the Perseverance rover blocked the link.
But the Mars helicopter's team said in a p Rock composition determines how deadly a meteorite impact is
A new University of Liverpool study has found that the minerology of the rocks that a meteorite hits, rather than the size of the impact, determines how deadly an impact it will have.
The earth has been bombarded by meteorites throughout its long history. Meteorite impacts generate atmospheric dust and cover the Earth's surface with debris and have long been considered as a trigger of mass 
