Satellite Launch Business

Isar Aerospace and Astrocast announced they have signed a launch services agreement according to which Isar will launch Astrocast’s satellite by 2024. The rideshare mission will take the nanosatellite company’s spacecraft to Sun synchronous orbit from its launch site in Andøya, Norway. The contract includes options for the launch of additional satellites.

SpaceWatch.Global has been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts by Steven Freeland. This is “What Sort of Space “Race” Should We Be Pursuing?”, originally published 15 December 2021 at Australian Institute of International Affairs by Steven Freeland. If a war in space does take place, the devastation would be long-lasting and perhaps irreversible.

Rocket Lab acquires the space solar power firm SolAero for $80 million, the company said. SolAero is a supplier of space solar power products and precision aerospace structures for the global aerospace market. The strategic acquisition will see Rocket Lab add the world’s largest production line of high-performing space solar cells to its growing space systems business, Rocket Lab said.

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Orbital Gateway Consulting we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 6 - 13 December 2021”. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup!

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

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.

The space system startup GomSpace and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a contract for the ESA SCOUT Earth Observation mission to be launched in 2024. The contract value is € 24 million, GomSpace said. The mission will consist of three 12U cubesats and will become the first “climate mission” of its kind, GomSpace said.

Rocket Lab announced it has signed a deal with Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective to carry out three Electron launches. The missions are dedicated to Synspective which means that the StriX satellites will be the only payload, giving the company control over launch schedule. Last year, Rocket Lab launched ‘The Owl’s Night Begins’ mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) has asked Airbus to build its Ariel exoplanet satellite that is due for launch in 2029, ESA said. Ariel stands for Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey and is the third in a trio of dedicated exoplanet missions conceived by ESA; it will follow Cheops, which launched in 2019, and Plato, scheduled for launch in 2026.