Space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider Kleos Space, has been awarded a contract from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (SCE BAA) Framework, Kleos said.

Our Space Café WebTalk “33 minutes with Dennis Stone about the World Space Week 2022: An insight into space and sustainability” took place on Tuesday, 4th October. Dennis is a volunteer president of the World Space Week Association, the global coordinator of the UN-declared World Space Week

The Space2Earth Accelerator is back for its second edition! Apply now for the 2023 Cohort and boost your company into new markets. The Space2Earth Accelerator is an international acceleration program by Space4Impact for data applications in industries like Agriculture, Supply Chain, and Finance supported by the Canton of Vaud. T

Global network company Rivada Space Networks, has signed a partnership agreement with quantum-secure communications systems provider SpeQtral to advance secure, global connectivity for governments and enterprises, Rivada said. Quantum-secure communications systems like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology are crucial for secure, satellite-enabled connectivity networks.

French startup Share My Space, won a contract to provide real-time space traffic mapping for the first three flights of Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle Spectrum, Share My Space said. The first test flight of the Spectrum launch vehicle is planned for 2023.  Isar Aerospace chose Share My Space over other solutions as its optical sensors allow for great flexibility and real autonomy.

Laser communications products provider Mynaric, has been chosen to provide Northrop Grumman with optical communications terminals for 14 satellites as part of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer program, Mynarix said. 

UK-based spaceflight company Orbex, has secured a US $45.53 million funding in a Series C funding round, led by a new investor, the Scottish National Investment Bank, Orbex said. The company will use the financing to scale up its resources ahead of its first vertical launch from UK soil.

Software-as-a-service provider Kayhan Space, along with partners Astroscale US and the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin), has won a US Space Force award to develop an intelligent platform that autonomously enables spacecraft to safely engage with on-orbit support vehicles for services such as refueling, maintenance, debris removal and national security. Kayhan Space said.

Scottish startup Skyrora, has attempted to launch its suborbital Skylark L in Langanes, Iceland, testing critical processes and components ahead of the first vertical launch from UK soil in 2023. The vehicle experienced an anomaly after leaving the launch pad, causing it to land in the Norwegian Sea 500 metres away.

Satellite communications company Viasat has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Link 16 Tactical Data Links (TDL) business to L3Harris Technologies for US $1.96 billion, Viasat said. The sale of Viasat’s Link 16 Tactical Data Link business includes the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) platforms.