AI and robotics company, Machina, Labs has welcomed new members into its executive team: manufacturing veterans Alex Huckstepp to serve as the new Vice President of Sales and Alexander Kwan as Vice President of Operations.

NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited its first titanium sample tube containing a rock sample on Mars’ surface. The sample is the first of 10 forming a depot of tubes that will be considered to be brought back to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign, the agency said.

NASA’s Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio installed a Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to augment power generation on the station’s port truss structure, NASA said. The extravehicular activity (EVA) lasted 7 hours and 8 minutes.

Following consent from Transport Secretary Mark Harper, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued the final remaining licences to Virgin Orbit ahead of its planned launch from the UK, the UK Government stated. The CAA granted the licences within 15 months.

Long-term orbital sustainability provider, Astroscale Israel, a subsidiary of Astroscale US, has implemented changes in its executive leadership, naming Ofir Azriel the new Managing Director of the company.

UK-based software defined ground segment solution provider, Clutch Space, has signed a letter of intent with Luxembourg-based space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance company, Kleos Space, to participate in the demonstration and evaluation of the AnyTime micro ground station network.

Approximately 2 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff an anomaly occurred on the rocket’s Zefiro 40 second stage, thus ending Arianespace’s Vega C mission, the company said. Data analyses are currently in progress to determine the reasons of the launch failure.

HPS’ (High Performance Space Structure Systems) ADEO braking sail has successfully deployed aboard D-Orbit’s ION satellite carrier, which will now sail to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in the shortest possible time to then fully burn up, HPS said. The “Show me your Wings” mission is the final proof-of-concept flight.

Aerospace and defense technology innovator, L3Harris Technologies, signed a definitive agreement with propulsion systems and energetics provider, Aerojet Rocketdyne, for L3Harris to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for US $58 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at US $4.7 billion, inclusive of net debt, L3Harris said. The deal is expected to close in 2023.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Chair of the National Space Council, announced the names of the selected individuals to serve on the Council’s Users Advisory Group (UAG) to help maintain a robust and responsible U.S. space enterprise and preserve space for current and future generations, The White House stated. The members are currently awaiting their official appointment by the NASA Administrator Bill Nelson