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Astrobotic has acquired space technologies company Masten Space Systems, providing suborbital payload testing services, including a heritage of more than 600 vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL) rocket flights, Astrobotic said. The two companies have a combined workforce of more than 200 employees, who will continue operations at two sites.

Space-resilient computing infrastructure provider Ramon.Space, and dynamic management systems provider Kythera Space Solutions, have partnered to deliver highly dynamic and flexible communications payload solutions, Ramon.Space announced at the World Satellite Business Week 2022. The partnership leverages Kythera’s Operating System as well as Ramon.Space’s space computing platform. 

Blue Origin’s New Shepard-23 (NS-23) uncrewed payload mission encountered an issue when the booster failed, which caused a fire and a subsequent ground impact. The capsule escape system successfully separated the capsule from the booster, no injuries were reported. The company is currently examining what caused the anomaly.

In this Space Café Radio – SpaceWatch.Global Event coordinator and Space Café Young Global Talents Host Chiara Moenter spoke with Dr. James (Jim) Green, scientist and senior advisor in the Office of the Chief Scientist at NASA, in the first week of the Space Studies Program (SSP22) of the International Space University (ISU).

Launch integration and mission management services provider TriSept Corporation, has completed the integration of two experimental mission payloads running its new TSEL satellite security operating software for a suborbital test flight aboard RocketStar’s launch vehicle set to liftoff from the Koehn Lake Bed in the Mojave Desert, TriSept said.  

Spaceflight hardware, software, and data provider Scout Space, has joined forces with data and intelligence platform provider Privateer Space, to enhance space operations safety, Scout said. The collaboration will integrate Scout’s data collection capabilities and systems architecture with Privateer’s data solutions, like Wayfinder.

In this first episode Senior Editor Dr. Emma Gatti interviewed John Huth, the Defense Intelligence Officer for Space and Counter Space, Defense Intelligence Agency of the United States of America. John discussed the recent advancement in space defense capabilities by China and Russia.

California, Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator and former Member of Congress from Oklahoma, has joined next generation electric propulsion provider, Phase Four’s Board of Directors, the company announced. Bridenstine will provide Phase Four with a wealth of experience stemming from his leadership role at NASA and legislative efforts as a member of Congress.

California, End-to-end space company Rocket Lab has successfully test fired a reused Rutherford first stage engine for the first time, in a significant step towards making the Electron launch vehicle the world’s first reusable orbital small rocket, the company said.

In this Space Café Radio – SpaceWatch.Global Senior Editor and Space Café Italy Host Dr. Emma Gatti spoke with Dr. Philip Metzger, planetary scientist at the University of Central Florida. In 2021 he was selected as the Kennedy Space Center’s NASA Scientist/Engineer of the Year for research into the blast effects of lunar landings.