North America

Senior British civil servants are reportedly urging government ministers to abandon plans to build the UK’s own global navigation satellite system (GNSS), arguing that the proposed £5 billion project is “unaffordable” amid the economic devastation being wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Virgin Group, through its subsidiary Vieco 10 Limited, announced on 11 May 2020 that it may offer and sell up to 25,000,000 shares of its common stock in Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc., to or through Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as sales agent or principal.

In partnership with the U.S. Space Force and Space Development Agency, DARPA’s Blackjack program is targeting flights to low-Earth orbit (LEO) later this year and in 2021. Using a series of small risk reduction satellites, the program aims to demonstrate advanced technology for satellite constellation autonomy and space mesh networks.

Rocket Lab, a space technology company and a global leader in dedicated small satellite launch, has resumed launch operations for its next Electron launch following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions at Launch Complex 1. The mission will launch payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space.

Relativity Space, the first company to utilize additive manufacturing and robotics to build an entire launch vehicle, today announced that it has secured a new headquarters in Long Beach, California.

NanoAvionics has received a contract to build two nanosatellites for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AERO-VISTA mission team at NanoAvionics’ recently-opened manufacturing facility in Columbia, Illinois, USA.

VOX Space, the Virgin Orbit subsidiary which provides responsive and affordable launch services for the U.S. national security community, has signed a new agreement with the Department of the Air Force, allowing the company’s LauncherOne system to conduct missions to space from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Using the most advanced Earth-observing laser instrument NASA has ever flown in space, scientists have made precise, detailed measurements of how the elevation of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have changed over 16 years.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a leading provider of economical and dependable launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services,  announced on 6 May 2020 that it has secured AS9100 quality certification as it advances from developmental to production phase ahead of the inaugural flight of its Alpha launch vehicle later this year.

ST Engineering iDirect, a company of ST Engineering North America, and its long-term partner, Spacecom, operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, announced the successful demonstration of VSAT return capabilities on AMOS-17.