Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has announced the closing of another tranche of financing, valuing the company at $1.5 billion pre-money. Existing investors led the round, including AE Industrial Partners, LP, as well as new investors, including Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Firefly has consequently raised approximately $300 million in funding since February 2023.
Read More »HyImpulse Secures Kooniba and SaxaVord Spaceports
HyImpulse has partnered with Southern Launch to launch into space from the Koonibba Test Range in 2024. In the same vein, the German rocket manufacturer has entered into agreements regarding the provision of facilities and services of the SaxaVord spaceport for future launch activities. As a result, HyImpulse will offer launch services from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, and test its SR75 rocket via a suborbital launch at the Koonibba test range.
Read More »NASCOM Awards Etlaq Spaceport Contract to UKLSL
The National Aerospace Services Company (NASCOM), the Sultanate of Oman's premier aerospace company, has awarded the UK Launch Service Limited the first major contract to deliver the plan for Etlaq Spaceport.
Read More »Airbus Launch Detumbler to Address In-Orbit Debris
Airbus’ patented Detumbler device launched on Saturday, 11 November and will undergo tests in space on the mission in association with Exotrail and EnduroSat early in 2024. Airbus developed the Detumbler in 2021, with support from the French Space Agency CNES under their Tech4SpaceCare initiative.
Read More »OKAPI: Orbits Launch its OKAPI: Astrolabe Product
OKAPI: Orbits has announced the launch of its latest innovation, OKAPI: Astrolabe, which aims to transform critical Conjunction Coordination and deliver unprecedented convenience and efficiency to Satellite Operators globally. The innovation seamlessly blends interoperability and decision-making processes to provide an intuitive and direct communication experience. Furthermore, combining the Astrolabe with OKAPI: Aether offers all-inclusive services like automated assessments of conjunction event criticality, maneuver evaluation, in-depth insights about in-orbit assets, and predictive evolution forecasting in a consolidated workspace.
Read More »Djibouti Launches First Satellite Aboard Transporter-9
Djibouti has launched its first satellite, Djibouti 1A, into orbit, aboard Space's Transporter-9 smallsat rideshare mission on November 11 2023. According to Space in Africa, the East African Country developed the satellite through a joint capacity-building program between Djibouti and its technical partner, the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM). As a result, Djiboutian engineers and technicians in France designed, constructed and tested the satellite.
Read More »Transporter-9 Launches Payload for Planet, D-Orbit, SpaceIn and others
SpaceX's transporter smallsat rideshare mission has launched more than 100 satellite payloads for various satellite companies in its ninth dedicated mission. The transporter-9 mission lifted from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 11, 2023, deploying payload for Planet, D-Orbit, Spire Global, Iceye, Umbra and SpaceIn, among others. The payload also included orbital transfer vehicles that would later deploy their satellites into orbit.
Read More »EU SST Wins T.S. Kelso Award for Flight Safety Contributions
Space Data Association has announced The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership (EU SST) as the recipient of the T.S. Kelso Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to space flight safety. The EU SST Partnership relies on the SSA capabilities of 15 Member states of the European Union to provide space safety services, with the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) acting as the Front Desk.
Read More »Rocket Lab Sets Next Electron Launch Window
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced it has set a return-to-launch window for its Electron launch vehicle. As a result, the Company will return to the pad at Launch Complex 1 with a dedicated Electron mission for Japan-based Earth imaging company iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc.) during a launch window which opens on November 28th, 2023 and extends into December.
Read More »Bulgaria Signs Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters
Bulgaria has become the 32nd signatory to the Artemis Accords after Milena Stoycheva, the Bulgarian minister of innovation and growth, signed the accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also participated in a signing ceremony, which took place on Thursday, 9 November. Also participating in the event at NASA Headquarters in Washington were NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Georgi Panayotov, ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States and Sonata Coulter, deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State.
Read More »