Orbital ATK‘s Cygnus spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time after it performed three in-orbit scientific missions and delivered approximately 7,900 pounds of scientific experiments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. The atmospheric re-entry of the space vehicle, also known as S.S. Rick Husband, loaded with 4,087 pounds of items for disposal marks the company’s […] More

Orbital ATK‘s cargo ship Cygnus is set to proceed with three in-orbit scientific missions after the spacecraft completed its mission to deliver around 7,900 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. Cygnus, nicknamed S.S. Rick Husband, departed from the orbiting laboratory Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time after an 81-day stay there, Orbital ATK said Tuesday. The OA-6 mission represents the company’s fifth mission under […] More

Lockheed Martin plans to introduce a concept for a spacecraft that would be manned by six astronauts and would establish and operate a laboratory in Mars orbit by 2028, Popular Science reported Wednesday. Sarah Fecht writes Lockheed plans to launch the “Mars Base Camp” concept at the Humans to Mars conference in support of NASA’s plan to […] More

NASA has opened up its intellectual property for 56 agency-built technological platforms to the commercial space industry as part of the agency’s technology transfer efforts. “By releasing this collection into the public domain, we are encouraging entrepreneurs to explore new ways to commercialize NASA technologies,” Daniel Lockney, NASA’s technology transfer program executive, said in a statement released Friday. The agency […] More

Iridium Communications remains on schedule to launch the first 10 satellites of the Iridium NEXT constellation in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Space News reported Friday. Peter de Selding writes the initial launch date may change by a few weeks based on SpaceX’s availability and will be followed by six sets of 10 satellites that are expected to […] More

A SpaceX-built spacecraft lifted off Friday onboard the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to deliver 7,000 pounds of scientific instruments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. NASA said Saturday the Dragon space vehicle’s launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida marks SpaceX’s eighth cargo delivery mission to the ISS under the Commercial Resupply Services contract […] More

NASA has completed a series of environmental and functional tests on software and systems in a Ball Aerospace & Technologies-built spacecraft designed to demonstrate a green propellant alternative to hydrazine. The space agency plans to launch in 2017 the Ball Configurable Platform-100 small satellite in an effort to carry and demonstrate the AF-M315E fuel as part […] More

Orbital ATK and NASA are set to launch a company-built Cygnus spacecraft on Tuesday to transport approximately 7,900 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. The cargo spaceship, nicknamed S.S. Rick Husband, is scheduled to take off Tuesday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, NASA said […] More

  The government contracting industry experienced a robust period of mergers and acquisitions that reshaped its composition in 2015 and continued executive transitions between companies. As companies merge and new identities enter the market, some businesses face a challenge to fill vacant leadership positions. From time to time, GovCon firms of all shape and sizes […] More

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force Research Laboratory will perform in January live-fire tests on a General Atomics-built laser weapon that works to generate up to 150 kilowatts of energy, Breaking Defense reported Monday. Richard Whittle writes the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System based-laser platform will be test-fired at various aerial […] More

Lockheed Martin has delivered a company-built Mars lander to a launch site in California for NASA‘s upcoming mission to study the red planet’s deep interior. A U.S. military aircraft transported InSight on Wednesday from Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where the space vehicle will undergo final integration and tests, Lockheed said […] More

An Orbital ATK-built unmanned spacecraft is scheduled to launch Thursday afternoon on a mission to deliver about 7,300 pounds of scientific payload and crew equipment to the International Space Station. NASA said Tuesday the Cygnus OA-4 spaceship will lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on United Launch Alliance‘s Atlas V rocket Thursday at around 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. […] More