Space

The recently established consortium of 22 European companies from 8 countries, New Symphonie, has won a concept study for the European Commission (EC) aiming to develop new ideas for an innovative European broadband constellation, Euroconsult reported. The project is called “New Space solutions for long-term availability of reliable, secure, cost-effective space-based connectivity”.

Blue Origin conducted its third space flight on Saturday, after high winds forced a delay on the Thursday launch. The roughly 11-minute trip on the reusable, automated capsule carried four paying customers and two guests just beyond the Kármán line. The four paying customers were space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor,

The European Space Agency (ESA) prepares the post-ISS era and Europe´s continued presence in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and solicitates private companies to work and collaborate with ESA on commercial concepts. ESA launched a project called SciHab (Science and Habitation), “an orbital human-tended platform with a modular design and open to commercial services”, the agency said.

The data analytics provider Spire Global received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to fly its Adler-1 satellite on Virgin Orbit’s upcoming, the company said. The satellite, which was integrated at Virgin Orbit’s Long Beach facility in the U.S. within 36 hours, will fly as the third customer in the “Above the Clouds” mission,

No SPAC mergers with space companies in November, but a blockbuster round of US$1.4 billion for Sierra Space. We also had ‘traditional’ public listings by Telesat and Mynaric (of ADSs). It was also an interesting month on the M&A front with deals including Redwire / Techshot, Inmarsat / Viasat, Planet / VanderSat, and Rocket Lab / Planetary Systems Corp

In this session of Space Cafè “Moriba’s Vox Populi 08” Dr. Moriba Jah talked about the Russian Anti-Satellite Test - What are the intended and unintended consequences? with Alex Fielding, Artem Mokhnatkin, Holger Krag, Michael Byers, Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Col. Scott Brodeur, Victoria Newberry,

NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission launched yesterday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA reported. The joint project with the Italian Space Agency will examine exploding stars and black holes, among other space objects.

Astranis announced it has signed an agreement with Grupo Andesat to provide broadband capacity using Astranis MicroGEO communications satellites. The partnership will bring broadband internet access to communities in the Peruvian jungles, deserts and mountains for the first time.

Roscosmos and Space Adventures has launched and successfully docked the Soyuz MS-20 space tourism mission with two space tourists on board, NASA reported. The spacecraft docked with the ISS’ Poisk module six hours after launch. The crew of three, including two Japanese space tourists will stay on the Space Station for 12 days.

Loft Orbital raised US $140M in a new round of funding led by investment company BlackRock, CNBC reports. Loft launched its first two commercial ride-share satellites in Earth orbit earlier this year. The company is to use the new capital to extend its business and double its team.