North America

Solar Orbiter is the ESA/NASA mission launched on February 10, 2020, meant to observe the polar regions of the Sundown to 0.28 AU distance (42 million kilometres). It carries 10 instruments to investigate how our Star generates and controls the heliosphere. 

SpaceX has acquired the low-cost nano-satellite startup Swarm Technologies, filings to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) showed. Swarm Technologies operates “the world´s lowest cost two-way satellite communications network”, as the company says, with sandwich-sized satellites and “out-of-the-box” satellite kits and modems.

The space-based data and analytics provider Spire Global will provide radio occultation satellite data to Eumetsat, the company said. Eumetsat, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites – is a satellite agency which gathers, and gives access to, accurate and reliable satellite data on weather, climate, and the environment.

Planet announced having signed a multi-year, multi-launch agreement with SpaceX. This means that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will be launching Planet’s satellites through the end of 2025. The news comes after Planet entered into a definitive merger agreement with dMY Technology Group, Inc. IV last month to become a publicly-traded company.

NASA is recruiting its first crew members for their one-year analog mission based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The analog, planned to launch in autumn 2022 will simulate life on a distant planet. NASA is planning to conduct research to prevent and resolve potential problems that could arise during future manned missions to the Moon and Mars.

0-G Launch is providing “ground-breaking airborne platforms” to allow the space industry to “test and accelerate its technological developments,” said Robert Feierbach, CEO & COO of 0-G Launch. With Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic recently validating commercial space travel and with the space industry growing into a forecasted 1 trillion USD business in the next decade, cheaper platforms

A rocket boost for the stock: The launch startup Astra Space announced its first commercial orbital launch for the United States Space Force for the end of August and the stock of the Nasdaq-listed company rose by nearly 25% yesterday. Space Force contracted the launch through the Defense Innovation Unit’s Other Transaction Agreement with Astra

In March of this year, the giant container vessel “Ever Given” disrupted global commerce when it was lodged into the bank of the Suez Canal for nearly a week. According to Reuters, about twelve percent of total global trade passes through this canal.

Ispace raised nearly €39 million in a Series C funding round, with Incubate Fund as the lead investor, the Japanese startup said. The new round brings ispace’s cumulative total funding to approximately €84.5 million, ispace said, including past Series B, Series A and seed investment, as well as its existing and new bank loan financing announced in June 2021.

Iridium will connect the vessels of the Canadian Coast Guard with its Thales terminals, the company said. The Canadian Coast Guard deployed dozens of Certus terminals on its vessels, including icebreakers, to contribute to reliable internet connectivity, ensure the safety of mariners in Canadian waters and protect Canada’s marine environment, Iridium said.