News

During the third Space Café Canada event, host Jessica West of Project Ploughshares sat down with Dr. Samantha Lawler, an orbital modeler and observational astronomer at the University of Regina to talk about the risks posed by light pollution and other environmental impacts of mega-constellations in outer space.  

Spire Global announced a new partnership with SpaceChain to launch a mission demonstrating the feasibility of blockchain technology computation in space. The cooperation aims to resolve land-based centralised infrastructure issues as well. SpaceChain is a global space-as-a-service solutions provider developing the world’s first decentralised satellite infrastructure (DSI).

After eight years of work: the new launch pad for Ariane 6 in French Guiana has been inaugurated, the French space agency CNES said. "ESA and ArianeGroup now have the means to launch the future Ariane 6, whose first flight is expected in 2022", CNES said.

The British Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Ministry of Defence, and the UK Space Agency announced the launch of a National Space Strategy. The plan is to make the UK a world class space nation by giving a boost to its space industry. Space is worth over £16 billion per year to the UK economy.

Two out of four: Blue Origin announced that New Shepard’s 18th mission, NS-18, will carry four astronauts to space, including Dr Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. Dr Boshuizen is a former NASA engineer and co-founder of Planet Labs while de Vries is the co-founder of Medidata. The two other astronauts will be announced at a later date.

Rocket Lab has been awarded a contract for $24 million with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) to develop the upper stage system of the Neutron launch vehicle, Rocket Lab announced. The funding will support improvements in support of national security and defence requirements.

Isotropic Systems raised $37 million in its latest series B funding round to accelerate the development of its multibeam antenna terminal and its launch next year, the company said.   The financing round was led by Seraphim Space Investment Trust – the world’s first listed space tech fund – in the first significant investment since its IPO on the London Stock Exchange in July, Isotropic said.

Small satellites at large: The nanosat provider Terran Orbital is planning to build “the world’s largest” spacecraft facility in Florida, the company´s CEO Marc Bell and Florida`s Governor Ron DeSantis announced. Terran Orbital will invest $300 million into a 660,000 square foot facility which will create 2,100 new jobs.

Space Structures (SPS) and MarketDev announced a business development partnership to extend SPS’s presence in North America and other international markets, SPS said. Berlin-based developer and manufacturer, SPS is planning to capitalize on the rapid growth of the space industry.

NASA has awarded a contract the development of the Orion Main Engine (OME), which will be used on the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis program, to Aerojet Rocketdyne, the U.S. space agency and the company said. Aerojet Rocketdyne will deliver up to 20 OME engines for use on Artemis missions beginning with Artemis VII.