Entrepreneurship

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced on 27 April 2020 the signing of a contract with AVIO S.p.A., industrial prime contractor of the VEGA launch vehicle, in the frame of LEAP program of the European Space Agency (ESA),

The Dorado, named after the swordfish constellation, will be Equatorial Space’s second rocket after the Low Altitude Demonstrator, pending launch due to the COVID-19 work and travel restrictions.

On 6 April 2020, US President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources.

Virgin Orbit, Sir Richard Branson’s responsive satellite launch company, announced on 23 April 2020 that regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted an Emergency Use Authorization for the immediate delivery and use of a new “bridge” ventilator designed and built by the aerospace firm.

Songhai Labs, a knowledge broker platform based in Cameroon, and SatSure, a satellite precision company headquartered in Switzerland and with offices in India, UK, and Australia, have announced a strategic partnership.

Is it time for a shift in norms: does the recent pandemic finally push the space sector into using asset-based financing? Could the OneWeb insolvency have ended differently?

NEC Corporation announced on 23 April 2020 that it received an order from Sumitomo Corporation for the manufacture and launch of the "LOTUSat-1" Earth observation satellite system for the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC).

On the 50th anniversary of China’s first satellite launch, Geely Technology Group subsidiary, Geespace announced on 24 April 2020 that its first two satellites will undergo final validation testing in June before being shipped to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for launch into low-orbit. Along with the launch of its first satellites, Geespace is also launching its OmniCloud satellite-based AI cloud platform.

CYSEC SA, a cybersecurity company from Switzerland has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a solution mitigating the cyber risks related to ship tracking using satellite communications.

Speedcast International Limited announced on 23 April 2020 that, after evaluating a variety of options to strengthen its balance sheet in ways that support its long-term growth and success, it has initiated a voluntary financial restructuring under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.