Virgin Orbit is planning to expand its participation in the military by competing for tactically responsive launch contracts with Space Force, SpaceNews reports. They are trying to prove that rockets launched from airplanes in flight can be useful for national security.
Read More »Masten is to develop positioning and navigation network on the Moon
Masten Space Systems was awarded a Phase II SBIR contract to develop and test a lunar positioning and navigation network prototype, Masten said. The GPS-like solution is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX program. The network will boost cislunar security, improve landing accuracy and hazard avoidance by providing location tracking for spacecraft and astronauts on the lunar surface.
Read More »Firefly Alpha failure caused by uneventful engine shutdown
Investigation uncovered that Firefly Aerospace’s first Alpha rocket had failed due to the shutting down of one of its first-stage engines, Firefly said. The launch took place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 2nd September. The engine shut down just a few seconds after lift-off making the rocket tumble out of control two and a half minutes into the flight.
Read More »US signs outer space security agreement with South Korea
The U.S. Space Force and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Air Force reached an agreement on 27th August to join South Korea’s air force in U.S. Space Force-led military drills, ROK Air Force said. The aim is to reinforce the U.S. Space Force’s defence capabilities in outer space.
Read More »NASA’s air taxi flight testing in progress with Joby’s eVTOL
NASA began flight testing with Joby Aviation’s all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on 30th August, NASA reported. The testing forms part of the agency’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign. eVTOL aircraft could potentially be used as air taxis transporting people and cargo.
Read More »Space Café WebTalk with Ronald van der Breggen: Space lessons from a commercial strategist
For this week’s Space Café, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening got to sit down with Ronald van der Breggen, a Dutch business strategist and founder and CEO of Route206. Established in 2013 in the Netherlands, the company works with a wide range of clients in the space and satellite sector
Read More »#SpaceWatchGL Column: E2MC Update On Space-Financing Rounds in August 2021
August’s financing table is again led by a space company raising funds via a proposed merger with a SPAC: VirginOrbit who may raise up to US$483 million* from this deal. Over two dozen other rounds raised a total in excess of US$700 million. Besides yet another SPAC, other noteworthy deal structure were Swiss IoT constellation’s Astrocast’s,
Read More »FAA grounds Virgin Galactic space flights due to July mishap investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) barred Virgin Galactic from flying SpaceShipTwo until the final mishap investigation from its July flight is over, Reuters reports. The FAA is investigating a deviation in the descent of the Virgin Galactic space plane to determine the issues would not affect public safety. Virgin Galactic rocket plane carried Richard Branson to space on 11th July.
Read More »Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket explodes during launch after anomaly
Firefly’s Alpha rocket launched on 2nd September suffered a fatal problem, exploding in the California sky. The company’s first ever orbital test flight lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:59 p.m. EDT. The final launch was nearly an hour after an initial try had to be aborted during countdown.
Read More »Rocket Lab expands footprint with new production facility
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. announced the construction of a new production facility capable of supplying up to 2,000 reaction wheels per year. The news comes after the company signed contracts to supply major satellite constellations. The new production facility will add to Rocket Lab’s existing 35,303 square metres of manufacturing competence.
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