Tag Archives: Space

SpaceX has agreed to become Satellogic’s preferred provider of rideshare launch services in support of the latter's plan to develop its Earth Observation Constellation by 2022. Under a new partnership between the two companies, Satellogic said Tuesday its Earth observation satellites will launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, with the first mission scheduled for June this year.

Blue Origin, a space company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, used a capsule with updated crew systems during the company's 14th mission with the New Shepard rocket. The updated capsule featured new push-to-talk communications systems, noise reduction tools, cushioned wall linings, environmental systems and a crew alert system, Blue Origin said Thursday.

Intelligent Waves has won a spot on a potential $950 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Air Force to support Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2). “Leveraging our exceptional capabilities to deliver secure information sharing, for joint all-domain operations (JADO), is a strategic asset that more Defense and Intelligence Communities can now deploy with our subject matter expertise,” said Marqus Hutchinson, Intelligent Waves’ chief technical officer (CTO). 

A Teledyne Technologies business has unveiled two new ruggedized gallium nitride, high electron mobility transistors designed for high-reliability space, avionics and military applications. The 30-amp TDG650E30B and 15-amp TDG650E15B GaN HEMTs are the latest additions to Teledyne e2v HiRel’s family of 650-volt products based on GaN Systems’ technology.

Florida, the state that houses U.S. launch operations, hosted a total of 31 launches with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance in 2020, exhibiting a significant growth in liftoff records from previous years, Florida Today reported Friday.

An updated SpaceX-built spacecraft is slated to leave the International Space Station Jan. 11 following the delivery of over 6.4K pounds of research equipment, hardware and crew supplies to the orbital outpost.

NASA has claimed that it made notable progress on the Moon to Mars exploration strategy, the Artemis program, scientific advancements and spaceflight capabilities in 2020. “We made history with a U.S. commercial partner, made groundbreaking discoveries, advanced science, furthered aeronautics research and technology development, and even joined in the fight against COVID-19,” said  Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient.

Boeing has wrapped up a critical design review for the exploration upper stage of a rocket built in support of NASA's Artemis I mission, and will now begin its transition to hardware build phase.

James Taiclet, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, said acquiring Aerojet Rocketdyne will bring in propulsion systems for potential integration with Lockheed-built missile and rocket offerings, Via Satellite reported Monday. Taiclet told analysts Monday during a conference call he expects the transaction to support upfront design, production planning and engineering integration efforts at the Bethesda, Maryland-based aerospace and defense company.

SpaceX has brought a classified satellite from the National Reconnaissance Office into orbit via the company's Falcon 9 rocket, CBS News reported Saturday.

Payam Banazadeh, founder and CEO of Capella Space, has said the U.S. government needs to strike a balance between addressing national security concerns and ensuring private sector competitiveness in the global market, TechCrunch reported Monday.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded the Cold Stowage II contract from NASA. Under the potential $48.3 million, single award, cost-no-fee contract, the university will deliver a suite of freezers that will maintain a controlled temperature environment for science samples aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as well as to and from low-Earth orbit.

Raytheon Technologies' intelligence and space business has started the development of a software-based system designed to manage multiple satellite constellations untethered to any asset.

Perspecta has been awarded a potential five-year, $112 million single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to perform systems engineering and integration (SE&I) work for the Space Development Agency (SDA). The company’s work on the program began in late October under an initial $17.8 million task order. 

United Launch Alliance has launched a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office via the company's Delta IV Heavy rocket, following technical delays that have moved the launch date by months, Space.com reported Thursday. NROL-44, a classified spacecraft, launched Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a mission with undisclosed details.