North America

Rocket Lab, a launch and space systems company successfully launched seven satellites for NASA, Space Flight Laboratory, and Spire Global from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

Above Space Development Corporation announced that it has signed an Umbrella Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA on the 14th of July.

The Space Café Podcast #85: Aaron Kemmer – Exploring Novel Ways of Building Structures in Space Beyond the Obvious, CEO & Co-founder @ Made In Space & Max Space. In this episode, Markus welcomes Aaron Kemmer, the ambitious CEO and co-founder of multiple ventures such as Magic, Made In Space and Max Space. They delve into the transformative realm of in-space manufacturing, discussing how advances in technology and innovative solutions are changing the face of space exploration and development.

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. has announced the crew of its seventh spaceflight and second commercial spaceflight, ‘Galactic 02,’ which will fly three private passengers to space, achieving several historical milestones and furthering the Company’s mission of broadening access to space.

Viasat, Inc. has disclosed that an unexpected event occurred during reflector deployment that may materially impact the performance of the ViaSat-3 Americas satellite. Viasat and its reflector provider are conducting a rigorous review of the development and deployment of the affected reflector to determine its impact and potential remedial measures.

HawkEye 360 Inc. has announced that it has closed $58 million in new funding to develop new space systems and expand analytics that support high-value defense missions. This Series D-1 enjoyed participation from BlackRock, Manhattan Venture Partners, and existing investors, including Insight Partners, NightDragon, Strategic Development Fund (SDF), Razor’s Edge, Alumni Ventures, and Adage Capital.

We are just halfway through 2023 and I have accumulated enough miles in the Space conference business that I feel I can sit down and put down some ideas, or notes at least, on what we at SpaceWatch.Global have seen and learned through the lens of the media in the past weeks and months. We have visited six countries, met thousands of people, and saw some new trends. But are these trends destined to ever be solved? Or are they just buzzwords echoed over and over again?

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Josef Aschbacher  – European Space Ambitions – ESA Agenda 2025, updates and goals” took place on the 7th July 2023. Josef Aschbacher earned both his Master’s degree and PhD in natural sciences from the University of Innsbruck. His impressive international career in the space sector spans over 35 years and encompasses work at the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology, and the University of Innsbruck. 

Impact Observatory, a US-based space observation system company, announced on the 5th of July that it has entered into a partnership with Planet Labs PBC, a provider of daily data and insights around the world. The partnership uses AI-powered analytics to monitor land cover and land use (LULC) on top of Planet Lab’s high-frequency, medium- and high-resolution satellite data. 

Vast has announced the appointment of Garrett Reisman, a veteran NASA astronaut, and accomplished space industry expert, as its newest advisor. With an impressive background in space exploration and extensive industry experience, Reisman brings invaluable expertise and strategic human spaceflight insights to Vast.