North America

SpaceWatch.Global Senior Editor and SpaceCafé Italy Host Dr. Emma Gatti spoke with Elkin Norena, SLS resident manager at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, about the SLS, the rocket that will take humanity back to the moon and to Mars. Elkin discusses the Artemis 1 mission and what the agency hopes to learn from this first launch of the SLS rocket.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rejected LTD Broadband and Starlink’s applications for support through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, causing the companies to lose out on US $1.3 billion and US $900 million respectively. The FCC made the decision based on the conclusion that the providers failed to demonstrate that they could deliver the promised services.  

Kayhan Space unveiled its next-gen Pathfinder spaceflight safety platform which will enable satellite and mission operators to better manage operational risks and make precautionary maneuvers based on precision analytics to avoid collisions and congestion in space.

Space launch systems operator Virgin Orbit, has signed an agreement with South Korean investment group J-Space, to assess candidate spaceport launch sites in South Korea, to conduct satellite launch services from there using the LauncherOne System, Virgin said.

Northrop Grumman and end-to-end space transportation company Firefly Aerospace, are collaborating to provide an American-built first-stage upgrade for the Antares rocket as well as a new medium launch vehicle to serve commercial, civil and national security space launch markets, Northrop Grumman said. 

Space communications infrastructure company, SpaceLink, has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, SpaceLink said. The organizations will explore alternative space communications pathways together to ensure resiliency and reduce sensor-to-shooter latency.

International private equity firm, Antarctica Capital (Antarctica), acquired a controlling interest in geospatial intelligence company, Descartes Labs, providing solutions for commercial and government clients. Antarctica's portfolio comprises companies such as New Space, Data Analytics and Digital Infrastructure.

Space launch company, Astra Space, cancelled its Rocket 3 program after two successful and two failed Rocket 3 flights, to focus on the next version of its launch system, Launch System 2.0, Astra said. The firm is currently working on re-manifesting payloads onto the new system.

Space-based data, analytics, and space services provider, Spire Global, will host a second Earth-imaging payload, Hancom-2 satellite, for South Korean space services company, Hancom InSpace as part of expanding its East Asian operations. Hancom is the first South Korean private company to operate a commercial satellite mission

Space simulation and analytics solutions company, Slingshot Aerospace, has acquired space, air and missile defense firm, Numerica’s Space Division and UK-based satellite database and space market analysis company, Seradata.  Slingshot will be able to strengthen its position in driving the space economy towards sustainability with these acquisitions