Space Missions

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has set May 4 for the maiden launch of its Vulcan rocket. The flight will launch Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine spacecraft to land on the Moon as well as two other payloads.

Bayanat, a AI-powered geospatial solutions provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AI Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, to develop an in-country space programme. 

GHGSat has announced the upcoming launches of six additional satellites in 2023. The first three are GHGSat satellites, named Mey-Lin (C6), Gaspard (C7) and Océane (C8), which will travel into orbit this Spring onboard SpaceX’s Transporter-7 rideshare mission.

Rivada Space Networks GmbH (RSN), a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Rivada Networks, Inc., has engaged Terran Orbital’s wholly owned subsidiary Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. to manufacture 300 low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites for Rivada’s innovative “network in the sky.” RSN’s space-based data network will provide fiber-like low latency and gigabit per second data delivery, which is ultra-secure and extremely resilient. 

Vast, a start-up developing artificial-gravity space stations, has acquired launch services company Launcher, located in California to help it develop long-term human habitation in space. Vast is developing an artificial gravity station, greater in volume than the International Space Station, in low Earth orbit. 

Astrocast has announced the successful optimization of its satellite constellation with improved service quality and reliability. Following the launch of four satellites in November 2022, the company efficiently commissioned them and began computing and executing the necessary maneuvers to re-phase them with the correct angular separation to maximize service performance.

ClearSpace and its industrial partners have passed their first major program review with the European Space Agency (ESA) for its mission to remove a large debris object from Earth orbit. With this milestone, ClearSpace has shown the ability to meet the technology requirements this mission demands

NASA will launch Israel’s first space telescope mission, the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT). ULTRASAT, an ultraviolet observatory with a large field of view, will investigate the secrets of short-duration events in the universe, such as supernova explosions and the mergers of neutron stars.

SpaceIL and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have signed a cooperation agreement for the Beresheet2 space mission. The second lunar mission by SpaceIL will comprise three spacecraft systems, which will be tentatively complete by mid-2025.

InnovationAus has joined the Space Communications Alliance as an affiliate member. The Space Communications Alliance is a global network of communications organizations with a background and experience in telling the stories of the people, the technology and geopolitics driving the rapid development of the space industry. InnovationAus.com’s sister company Espresso Communications also joined the global network as a full member.