Tag Archives: Nasa

CesiumAstro, engineer and manufacturer of communication modules, payloads, and satellites, announced on the 18th of October it has been awarded a contract by NASA. Under the contract CesiumAstro will perform a wideband satellite communications capability study to further the agency’s long-term goal of a smooth transition to fully commercialised communications services for near-Earth users. 

Bob Smith, the now retiring former CEO of Blue Origin, was invited at the Financial Times Investing in Space Summit in June 2023 to provide an overview of the future of Orbital Reef, the commercial space station being developed jointly by Blue Origin and Sierra Space. His statements about Orbital Reef were considered a bit disappointing by the inner circle of Space analysts, but nothing in Smith’s tone hinted at the shocking developments that just unfolded.

Ubotica Technologies, an Irish space company, announced on the 10th of October the formation of a new US corporate entity alongside the opening of its new US headquarters situated within the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI).

Relativity Space, an American 3D printing rocket company, announced on the 11th of October that it has signed a multi-year, multi-launch Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Intelsat. Under the agreement Relativity will launch Intelsat satellites on Terran R as early as 2026.

Astrobotic, an American company developing space robotics technology for lunar and planetary missions, announced on the 10th of October that it has successfully completed a flight test campaign for the University of Central Florida (UCF). The flight test took place last week at the company’s facility in Mojave, California. 

Voyager Space announced on the 4th of October that they plan to enter a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman. The agreement will include developing a fully autonomous rendezvous and docking technology for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft. Voyager will provide cargo resupply services for the Starlab space station, which will be built and operated under a transatlantic joint venture between Voyager and Airbus Defence and Space. 

NASA has selected seven companies to provide commercial data in support of the agency’s Earth science research. The Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program will acquire Earth observation data and related services from commercial sources for NASA. This fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract will be effective for a period of five years with an option to extend services for an additional six months. The maximum potential value is a cumulative $476 million among all contractors NASA selected.

Axiom Space has announced a collaboration with Prada on NASA's lunar spacesuits for the Artemis III mission. As a result, Prada’s engineers will work alongside the Axiom Space systems team throughout the design process, developing solutions for materials and design features to protect against the unique challenge of space and the lunar environment.

Blue Origin and Sierra Space may soon end a corporate partnership they formed years ago to build Orbital Reef, a commercial space station. n 2021, Blue Origin announced its partnership to build what it envisioned as a "business park in space" with Sierra Space, a spinoff from defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp.

Capella Space Corp, an American space technology company, announced the moving into a new facility. The new 32,000 square foot facility is in Louisville and will be able to accommodate more than 150 employees.