North America

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has selected DCUBED as its first choice for space pin pullers for the critical Space Qualified Rover Lidar (SQRLi) Support project. The SQRLi project is a LIDAR engineering test unit with a 35m or greater range sensor array to provide a 40×40 field of view and operate under poor lighting conditions for rover-based missions and autonomous exploration of extreme environments like permanently shadowed lunar craters. 

The U.S. government has selected Rocket Lab to design, manufacture, deliver, and operate 18 space vehicles through a contract worth up to $515 million. Rocket Lab disclosed the award in a December 21 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to Rocket Lab’s SEC filing, the contract includes a base amount of $489 million, with incentives and options worth $26 million.

GPS signals that guide civilian aircraft in the Middle East and Ukraine are being jammed and spoofed, diverting flights and risking the safety of all onboard. Meanwhile, diplomats from 25 countries met again in Geneva to consider possible elements of a legally binding agreement to prevent an arms race in outer space (PAROS). Both situations arise from decades of unsuccessful diplomatic attempts to ensure that outer space – a shared, global environment on which the entire world depends – remains peaceful and available to all.

Space Systems Command (SSC) and SpaceX have successfully launched the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-52 mission using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex (LC)-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon Heavy carried the seventh mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the USSF.

NASA has released its initial assessment of models for a next generation microgravity national laboratory. In September 2022, the National Space Council directed NASA to develop a plan led by the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) and the Office for Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS). NASA’s OTPS conducted a study of various candidate models of future operations between a National Laboratory and various Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD). Six models were identified ranging from high to low levels of government oversight with three different economic models. 

A delegation from the French Space Agency CNES visited Colorado and Texas last week to expand ties between French and American aerospace companies, reported Space News. The officials plan to establish virtual hubs in Denver and Houston for Connect by CNES, a government initiative to spur space-related innovation. 

This episode is part of our Karman mini-series, produced in collaboration with the Karman Project. Every year, the Karman Project selects 15 fellows from around the world to foster trust, cooperation, and dialogue between global leaders in space. Today's guest is Trent Tresch, the founding director of the University of Arizona Center for Human Space Exploration.

Astrobotic announced on the 19th of December that their Peregrine lunar lander has successfully completed all integration milestones and was mated with United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket payload adapter on the 16th of November. After the three week campaign to fuel and complete final checkouts, the Peregrine spacecraft is ready to launch to the Moon on the 8th of January 2024. 

Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Aarti Holla-Maini, launches the “UNOOSA Space Bridge, Where Leaders Meet” at the World Space Forum in Vienna.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has successfully launched its 42nd Electron rocket and deployed a satellite for Japan-based Earth imaging company the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). The mission was Rocket Lab’s 10th Electron launch for the year, surpassing the Company’s previous annual record of nine launches in 2022. As a result of the launch, Electron retains the title of the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually for the fifth year in a row.