Space

HONOLULU — As one astronomy cubesat reaches the end of its mission, scientists and NASA officials argue that such spacecraft have demonstrated they can perform useful science often not feasible with larger missions. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced Jan. 3 that it had lost contact with the Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics, or

HONOLULU — NASA and Boeing will cooperate on an investigation into a timer anomaly that cut short December’s uncrewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft as NASA weighs whether to require another such test flight. In a Jan. 7 statement, NASA said the agency and Boeing were establishing a “joint, independent investigation team” to

Arianespace will launch ESA’s Euclid mission to explore the dark universe in mid-2022 on a Ariane 62 or Soyuz rocket. HELSINKI – Arianespace and the European Space Agency announced the signing of a contract Tuesday for launch of the Euclid dark universe exploration mission. Euclid will be compatible with both the Ariane 62 and Soyuz

WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched 60 of its own Starlink broadband satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket Jan. 6, becoming the operator of the world’s largest commercial satellite constellation.  The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 9:19 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on SpaceX’s first launch of the year. The company’s 60 Starlink satellites, built

Today, the military services compete for talent at a disadvantage due to limited public awareness of military space programs. The creation of the United States Space Force demonstrates a national leadership emphasis on the importance of the space domain to military operations. In order to meet Space Force personnel requirements, the Air Force will have

WASHINGTON — MethaneSAT, a subsidiary of the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, has selected Blue Canyon Technologies to supply the platform for its donor-funded satellite.  MethaneSAT said Jan. 6 it will use X-SAT, Blue Canyon’s largest offered spacecraft bus, to carry a methane-detection payload from Ball Aerospace. The nonprofit hopes to launch the 350-kilogram satellite in

HONOLULU — A NASA Earth science hosted payload mission to study the planet’s carbon cycle has been confirmed for development, although exactly when and how it will fly have yet to be determined. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced in a Dec. 28 tweet that the GeoCarb mission had passed its confirmation review. “The innovative GeoCarb

Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess said the 45th Space Wing will continue to do what it has been doing. WASHINGTON — The SpaceX launch of Starlink satellites scheduled for Jan. 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida Space Coast will be first launch of 2020 and also the 45th Space Wing’s inaugural launch

WASHINGTON — Israel Aerospace Industries said Jan. 2 it will develop a national communications satellite for Israel called Dror-1.  The Dror-1 satellite will have a design life of 15 years and will rely primarily on domestic technologies from IAI and other Israeli firms, the company said.  IAI’s announcement about the satellite, shared on social media,

WASHINGTON — Canadian startup SkyWatch Space Applications has raised $7.5 million to continue developing software that makes satellite imagery more accessible.  SkyWatch is building up a distribution platform for satellite imagery, and software optimized for ground systems of remote-sensing satellites. The Waterloo company has raised $10.9 million to date, counting this Series A and a

HELSINKI — China’s main space contractor is aiming to carry out more than 40 launches in 2020, including lunar, interplanetary and space infrastructure missions. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), stated Jan. 2 (Chinese) that its major goals include completing the Beidou navigation satellite system, launching missions to Mars and a lunar sample

WASHINGTON — SpaceX enters 2020 with ambitious launch, spacecraft and other plans, but those expectations are modulated by what that company achieved, and didn’t achieve, in 2019. SpaceX is scheduled to perform its first launch of 2020 Jan. 6, when a Falcon 9 launches a third set of 60 Starlink satellites. That launch will be

SAN FRANCISCO – Silicon Valley startup Audacy failed to attract the funding necessary to build an inter-satellite communications relay network and closed up shop in 2019. Prior to the firm’s demise, customers signed memoranda of understanding to spend more than $100 million annually on Audacy’s network and the firm obtained a Federal Communications Commission license to

WASHINGTON — An agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce is developing its own estimate of the size of the space industry, the most authoritative effort to date to measure space’s role in the broader economy. In an article published in the December issue of its journal, the Survey of Current Business, the Bureau of

WASHINGTON — The head of India’s space agency confirmed Jan. 1 that it will attempt a second lunar landing, making that mission one of the top priorities of India’s space program. At a New Year’s Day press briefing, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said that the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander mission,

WASHINGTON — After falling short of plans to begin launches in 2019, Virgin Orbit now expects to perform its first orbital launch attempt in early 2020, a key year for the burgeoning small launch vehicle industry. In a Dec. 19 statement, Virgin Orbit says it is now in position to perform an “imminent orbital demo

Iridium wrapped up de-orbiting 65 first-generation satellites, but questions remain over what to do — if anything —  about the 30 that remain space junk.  WASHINGTON — Iridium Communications completed disposal of the last of its 65 working legacy satellites Dec. 28, while leaving open the possibility of paying an active-debris-removal company to deorbit 30

SANTA FE, N.M. — Maxar Technologies announced Dec. 30 it would sell its Canadian subsidiary to private equity firms, turning it into a standalone company while providing Maxar with much-needed debt relief. Maxar said that a consortium of firms led by Northern Private Capital, a Toronto-based private investment firm, agreed to purchase MDA, Maxar’s Canadian

SANTA FE, N.M. — The Boeing CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle that flew an abbreviated test flight this month appears to be in good condition as an investigation into the timer problem that shortened the flight continues. In a Dec. 28 update, Boeing said technicians are continuing processing of the Starliner vehicle that landed Dec.

SANTA FE, N.M. — A Florida airport is making progress on a long-running effort to obtain a commercial spaceport license despite a lack of customers for the facility. In a Federal Register notice published Dec. 19, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the release a draft environmental assessment for the Space Coast Regional Airport in Brevard