Entrepreneurship

The Sultanate of Oman’s Space Communication Technologies LLC (SCT) issued on 3 June 2020 an invitation for consultancy bids to help the company determine the requirements for Oman’s first communications satellite.

Momentus, provider of in-space transportation services for satellites, and OrbAstro, a UK company focused on developing the technology to enable tiny satellites to operate in large flocks, announced on 4 June 2020 a launch contract to fly a 3U to SSO onboard the SpaceX Dedicated rideshare mission in 2021.

Astroscale U.S. Inc., the US unit of Astroscale Holdings Inc., a market leader in securing long-term orbital sustainability, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property and other assets and to hire certain members of the staff of Effective Space Solutions R&D Ltd. (ESS), an Israeli satellite life-extension and servicing company.

NASA has selected Astrobotic for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award to continue its development of UltraNav, a low-cost, autonomous, visual navigation system for spacecraft. The system has wide-ranging applications, from the servicing of Earth satellites to journeys to challenging space destinations such as the lunar poles or Martian mountains.

MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) announced on 2 June 2020 that retired astronaut Tim Kopra will join its leadership team as Vice President of Robotics and Space Operations, effective immediately. As the leader for this business area, he will be responsible for the work of the robotics and space operations teams at MDA sites in Brampton, Ottawa, Saint-Hubert and Houston.

Do you have an early-stage business idea that could benefit from an enriching environment and a fresh perspective? This is your moment! The Copernicus Accelerator 2021 is growing its community of Earth observation innovators.

As part of its ongoing Simplify & Amplify transformation programme, SES announced on 29 May 2020 that it plans to restructure its operations worldwide, including the consolidation of part of its European regional operations into the company’s global headquarters in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.

The launch campaign has resumed for Arianespace’s next mission, which will be the proof-of-concept flight with the Vega launcher’s “ride-share” configuration – known as the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS).

The CORI Innovation Fund (CIF) has announced an investment in Agile Space Industries (Agile), a designer and manufacturer of integrated aerospace propulsion systems and provider of related testing services.

Eutelsat Communications’ HOTBIRD video hotspot has been selected by Travel Africa Network for the broadcast of its first High Definition African travel channel, with 100% African content dedicated to promoting tourism and hospitality in Africa.