Satellite Launch Business

European space tech company, The Exploration Company, has announced €40.5 million in Series A funding to enable an era of affordable, sustainable, and open space exploration. With the capital, The Exploration Company aims to commercialize its first full-scale space capsule (launch planned for 2026), finalize and test launch its second capsule demonstrator (launch planned for 2024), and expand the team.

We're excited to welcome world-renowned photographer, Max Alexander, to the Space Cafe podcast. With over 25 years of experience in editorial and commercial photography, Max has captured the likes of Neil Armstrong, Stephen Hawking, and Nelson Mandela. He specializes in science communication through photography and has been a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced a collaboration to demonstrate an in-space nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) engine. They will collaborate on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, enabling NASA crewed missions to Mars. The non-reimbursable agreement will benefit both agencies and outline the roles, responsibilities, and processes to speed up development efforts.

Isar Aerospace – a European launch service company – and US-based Spaceflight Inc. have announced they have signed a multi-launch services agreement. Spaceflight, a launch services provider, has secured one dedicated launch to a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) in 2026, launching from Andøya, Norway.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with David Henri, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Exotrail, about In-Space Mobility, the current status of the market and the readiness of Exotrail. And of course, we talked about talent acquisition and opportunities to fly YOUR 6U CubeSat this fall on an Exotrail mission

The Canadian Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, and the President of the Canadian Space Agency, Lisa Campbell, have announced the Government of Canada’s intention to support commercial space launch activities in Canada. As a result, the Canadian Government also announced measures it would take in the interim and in the future to facilitate the goal. 

Raytheon BBN has won a contract with the U.S. Air Force to develop a rocket cargo mission planning and Command and Control, or C2, system for the U.S. Air Force. The contract has a potential value of $8.7 million over four years and is part of the U.S. Air Force 2030 Science & Technology Strategy’s transformational science and technology portfolio.

The Sultanate of Oman is planning to build the Middle East’s first space rocket launch centre in the port town of Duqm this year, as reported by The National. The National Aerospace Services Company’s Etlaq Space Launch Complex could launch its first rocket as early as next year.

AAC Clyde Space has received a EUR 234,000 order from UK-based Space Forge to provide space products for a demonstration spacecraft that will leverage the space environment for production and experiments, capable of performing multiple trips to space.

Arianespace has appointed Steven Rutgers as Chief Commercial Officer as of 16th January, 2023. Rutgers reports to Stéphane Israël, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, and joins the company’s Executive Committee, Arianespace said.