Two Maxar Space Systems-built WorldView Legion satellites for Maxar Intelligence have arrived and are preparing for launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. These satellites will ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit as soon as April.
Read More »Space One KAIROS Rocket Explodes Midair after Launch
Space One, a Japanese private launch services provider, suffered a setback during its inaugural rocket launch as the rocket, KAIROS, exploded midair a few seconds after liftoff. The Company aimed to be the first private Japanese outfit to launch a satellite into Orbit, launching the ill-fated rocket from a new space facility in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture. The rocket carried a small intelligence satellite for the Japanese Government, which it planned to insert into orbit about 500 km above the Earth's surface.
Read More »Rocket Lab Launches StriX-3 Satellite for Synspective
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has launched its 45th Electron rocket, successfully deploying a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation. "Owl Night Long", a dedicated mission for Synspective, launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The mission delivered a single spacecraft, the StriX-3 satellite, to a 561km Sun Synchronous Orbit, where it joined Synspective’s growing constellation.
Read More »Exotrail Completes In-Orbit Delivery of a Commercial Satellite
Exotrail has announced the successful release in orbit of an 8U satellite by its Spacevan orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), gaining meaningful space heritage with a first “last-mile” in-space delivery. Endurosat manufactured the 8U satellite, named EXO-0, which in turn carried an Airbus Defense and Space payload. This success is an essential achievement for the Company on its path towards becoming a space logistics leader worldwide.
Read More »HyImpulse Receives First Flight License for its Sounding Rocket
HyImpulse has received its first flight license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its sounding rocket, which is now ready to launch from the Shetland Islands thanks to the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). Furthermore, the Company plans consecutive launches of the sounding rocket for later this year from the SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland. The rocket’s maiden launch will tentatively commence from Australia this April.
Read More »Agile Space Receives SpaceWERX Contract to Deliver MPPCs
In-space propulsion solution provider Agile Space Industries has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from SpaceWERX. SpaceWERX is part of the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a part of AFWERX, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Agile was one of 19 company winners of the 2023 SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) Challenge. The Space Safari program office at USSF Space Systems Command, which identifies cutting-edge TacRS, sponsored the challenge.
Read More »NASA Launches PACE Mission to Study Ocean and Atmosphere
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite. The satellite launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity. NASA subsequently confirmed signal acquisition from the satellite about five minutes after launch.
Read More »Astroscale Debris Mission to Launch on February 19
Astroscale Japan Inc., a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., will launch its commercial debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J), on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, on Sunday, February 18 UTC. Furthermore, the Company has shipped ADRAS-J from its headquarters in Tokyo, and final preparations for launch are underway at Rocket Lab’s facilities, in addition to operational control testing from the Mission Control Center in Tokyo.
Read More »Space Cafè Radio – European Space Conference Translated – with Dr Luigi Scatteia
In this latest episode of Space Cafè Radio, Dr Emma Gatti, the editor-in-chief of SpaceWatch Global, interviews Dr Luigi Scatteia, PWC Advisory France Global Space Practice Lead, at the 16th European Space Conference in Brussels. They discuss Commissioner Breton's keynote speech, emphasizing Europe's challenges in the global geopolitical theme and the need for independence and non-dependency in the space sector.
Read More »Impulse Space Unveils Design Specifications for Helios
Impulse Space has unveiled design specifications for its latest vehicle: Helios, a high-performance kick stage. Using a medium-lift launch vehicle, Helios will take payloads of over 5 tons directly from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Orbit (GEO) in less than 24 hours. Paired with affordable launches to LEO, Helios aims to dramatically cut the costs of accessing MEO, GEO, and beyond by many tens of millions of dollars.
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