Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket ready for first launch
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 19:44
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Firefly Aerospace is ready to make its first orbital launch attempt next week as the company balances a transition to operations with plans to develop new rockets and spacecraft.
Orbion wins contract to demonstrate high-thrust propulsion
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 19:10 Write a comment
Orbion Space Technology announced a U.S. Air Force contract to develop and demonstrate high-thrust propulsion to help small satellites quickly dodge satellites or space debris.
Kendall reorganizes Space Force acquisition office, wants faster merger with Space Development Agency
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 19:07 Write a comment
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced Aug. 24 he is reorganizing the office that oversees Space Force acquisition programs.
Astronaut: Spacewalk postponed due to pinched nerve in neck (Update)
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 18:41 Write a comment
NASA is delaying a spacewalk at the International Space Station this week because of an undisclosed medical issue involving one of its astronauts.
NRO Director highlights cooperation and innovation
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 18:39 Write a comment
The National Reconnaissance Office is working closely with the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command after signing a document that clearly defines each organization's roles and responsibilities, NRO Director Christopher Scolese said Aug. 24 at the 36th Space Symposium.
Moran: two shots to increase NASA funding this year
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 18:31 Write a comment
A key senator said he will work to fund NASA priorities like its Artemis lunar exploration program through both the conventional appropriations process as well as a multi trillion-dollar budget reconciliation package.
Updated intelligence report calls for improved monitoring of cislunar space
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 17:39 Write a comment
An upcoming report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) discusses international activities beyond Earth’s orbit and helps to explain the U.S. Space Force’s effort to improve observation capabilities for cislunar space.
Dickinson: U.S. Space Command is now a ‘warfighting force,’ needs permanent home
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 16:56 Write a comment
The head of U.S. Space Command Army announced Aug. 24 that the command has reached “initial operational capability."
OneWeb unveils its smallest user terminal for LEO broadband
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 16:31 Write a comment
OneWeb has unveiled a briefcase-sized electronically steered user terminal called OW1, which it says is the smallest yet that is capable of connecting to its low Earth orbit constellation.
Raymond unveils new Space Force ad: ‘Space is hard’
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 15:55 Write a comment
Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond unveiled a new Space Force recruiting ad Aug. 24 aimed at attracting technically skilled candidates.
Russia postpones lunar mission over 'problems during testing'
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 15:43 Write a comment
Russia revealed Tuesday it postponed its first mission to the moon's surface in decades as a result of "problems" encountered during tests of the Luna-25 spacecraft.
The country's space agency Roscosmos announced last week that the mission—originally scheduled for October 1—from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East had been moved to May 2022.
The Luna-25 mission to the Moon's south pole aims to probe ice deposits there. It is set to be Russia's first mission to the moon's surface in 45 years and the first in its post-Soviet history.
The chief engineer of Russia's state NPO Lavochkin design bureau explained the delay Tuesday saying that "more time" was needed to complete successful trials.
"We have encountered certain problems during testing," Alexander Shirshakov told the Interfax news agency.
"A safe landing system is of crucial importance and we are working on Luna-25's soft landing system," Shirshakov said.
The race back to the moon is in full swing after China in December 2020 became the first country to return samples from the moon since the Soviet Luna-24 mission in 1976.
NorthStar SSA and Earth intelligence constellation gets key government approval
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 15:21 Write a comment
Canada’s government has conditionally approved startup NorthStar Earth & Space’s plan to deploy 52 commercial imaging satellites to keep tabs on what’s happening in orbit and down below.
Op-ed | Can Frank Kendall help the Space Force win the space race against China?
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 13:00 Write a comment
Kendall’s perception of what was needed for success in DoD procurement has largely tracked with what venture and private equity investors have pursued.
Numerica upgrades telescope network to track objects in LEO
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 12:00 Write a comment
Space data provider Numerica is upgrading its network of ground-based telescopes so they can track objects both in low Earth orbit and beyond.
Virgin Orbit to expand launch business, move into satellite services
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 10:37 Write a comment
Virgin Orbit will use the proceeds of a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company to expand its launch business and develop a satellite constellation for internet-of-things and Earth observation services.