On-Orbit Blockchain Demonstration

Spire Global is working with SpaceChain, a company focused on space applications for blockchain technology, to demonstrate the technology in space and to highlight benefits and challenges. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

DoD looking for commercially available nuclear propulsion for small spacecraft

The Defense Innovation Unit last week issued a call for bids for small nuclear-powered engines for space missions beyond Earth orbit. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Britain charts a new course for satellite navigation

When it comes to satellite navigation, the British government has struggled to find its way over the last five years. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China Researching Challenges of Kilometer-Scale Ultra-Large Spacecraft

The National Natural Science Foundation of China has outlined a five-year project for researchers to study the assembly of ultra-large spacecraft. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Firefly Hires Former SpaceX, Blue Origin Engineer as COO

Firefly Aerospace has hired a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer as its new chief operating officer to guide the company’s shift to production. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

U.S. Space Command is now a ‘warfighting force,’ needs permanent home

The head of U.S. Space Command Army announced Aug. 24 that the command has reached “initial operational capability." | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Startup wants to develop commercial cargo services for Chinese space station

A Chinese startup is aiming to developing spacecraft capable of sending cargo to China’s space station, with a first small demonstration launch set for 2022. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Blue Origin suit stops work on NASA HLS contract with SpaceX

NASA will stop work on a Human Landing System award to SpaceX through the end of October as a federal court takes up a suit filed by Blue Origin. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

FCC grants permission for polar launch of Starlink satellites

The FCC will allow SpaceX to launch 10 Starlink satellites into polar orbit on an upcoming mission, but deferred a decision on its overall license change. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Bezos offers billions in incentives for NASA lunar lander contract

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos says his company will cover more than $2 billion in costs if NASA will award it a second Human Landing System (HLS) contract. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Exodus Orbitals Is Developing an Open Satellite Platform

Canadian startup Exodus Orbitals plans to launch its first satellite in March to take the software-defined space trend a step further, providing a platform for third parties to upload and run their applications from orbit. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Russia Launches Nauka Module to International Space Station

Russia launched a long-delayed module for its segment of the International Space Station July 21, but that module reportedly suffered technical problems. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China launches secretive suborbital vehicle for reusable space transport system

China conducted a clandestine first test flight of a reusable suborbital vehicle Friday as a part of development of a reusable space transportation system. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Supply chain, Artemis program limit SLS use for science missions – SpaceNews

A limited supply chain and the demands of the Artemis program will prevent the use of the SLS for alternative roles until at least late this decade. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

America’s permanent and resilient presence in space will be nuclear powered

As Congress prepares NASA’s budget for fiscal year 2022, it has a valuable opportunity to ensure that America remains the world’s leader in sustainable space exploration by continuing to fund the development of advanced space nuclear technology. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China conducts third orbital launch inside four days

China launched a Tianlian-1 data tracking and relay communications satellite Tuesday, marking the country’s third successful mission in four days. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China’s super heavy rocket to construct space-based solar power station

China plans to use a new super heavy-lift rocket currently under development to construct a massive space-based solar power station in geostationary orbit. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

U.S. national lab launches space debris warning satellite

Tyvak released the first high-resolution images of objects in orbit and on the ground captured by telescopes the satellite manufacturer developed with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

NASA studying larger Mars helicopters

With the Ingenuity helicopter continuing to demonstrate its abilities on Mars, NASA engineers are examining concepts for larger, more capable helicopters. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Japan passes resources law to enable space mining

Japan passed a law that allows companies to extract and utilize space resources as the head of Russia’s space agency criticized similar national laws. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

NASA soliciting proposals for two private astronaut missions

NASA announced June 11 that it is requesting proposals for two private astronaut missions to the ISS that would fly by the end of 2023. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

New Virginia spaceport head seeks to increase launch activity

The new head of Virginia’s commercial spaceport on Wallops Island says he wants to increase launch activity at the site. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Companies and government agencies announce plans for lunar rover projects

Two governments announced plans May 26 to send small rovers to the moon, as Lockheed Martin and General Motors proposeed a rover for NASA’s Artemis program. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Viasat asks FCC to halt Starlink launches while it seeks court ruling

Satellite operator Viasat is asking the FCC to stop SpaceX from launching more Starlink satellites as it heads to court to compel a thorough environmental review of the rapidly growing megaconstellation. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Peggy Whitson to command second Axiom Space mission

A former NASA astronaut who holds the record for the most time spent in space by an American will command Axiom Space’s second mission to the ISS. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Rocket looks set for uncontrolled reentry following Chinese space station launch

The Long March 5B rocket which launched China's first space station module Thursday is likely to undergo an uncontrolled reentry into the Earth's atmosphere in the coming says. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China launches Tianhe space station core module into orbit

China successfully launched a 22-metric-ton module late Wednesday, beginning an intense period of missions for constructing the nation’s own space station. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China is developing plans for a 13,000-satellite megaconstellation

China is to oversee the construction and operation of a national satellite internet megaconstellation by coordinating the country’s major space actors.  | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China to construct commercial spaceport to support booming space industry

China is to establish a commercial spaceport in the coming years to support the rapid growth of private space activities in the country. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

China successfully launches new Long March 7A on second attempt – SpaceNews

China launched a new-generation Long March 7A rocket Thursday, sending a classified, experimental payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Umbra's Satellite Just Raised $32M Dollars from a Hedge Fund

Earth observation startup Umbra raised $32 million in its latest investment round. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

NASA hikes prices for commercial ISS users

NASA has sharply increased the prices it charges commercial users of the ISS for cargo and other resources, a move that has left some firms frustrated. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Engine shutdown led to failed Falcon 9 booster landing – SpaceNews

A Falcon 9 first stage failed to land after a launch last month because one of its engines shut down during flight after hot gas breached a worn-out cover. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Redwire Acquires Deployable Space Systems

Redwire has acquired Deployable Space Systems (DSS) Inc., the Santa Barbara, California, the rapidly growing Goleta, California, company that manufactures various structures and mechanisms including the Roll-Out Solar Array. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Firefly wins NASA CLPS lunar lander contract

NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace to deliver a set of 10 research payloads to the moon in 2023, the latest award in its CLPS program. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Op-ed – No, Mars is not a free planet, no matter what SpaceX says

Taken literally, Starlink users must agree with SpaceX that Mars is a “free planet” and that disputes concerning Starlink services provided on Mars or while en route to the red planet via a SpaceX Starship will be settled through self-regulation. But is this clause valid? | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Bridenstine joins private equity firm

Less than a week after leaving the agency, former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining a private equity firm that invests in aerospace firms. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Arecibo replacement could support military with space situational awareness

A proposal to replace the giant radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico suggests it could be used for tracking space objects. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

SpinLaunch expands New Mexico test site

SpinLaunch expects to perform the first suborbital tests of a prototype of its centrifugal system for launching smallsats later this year from New Mexico. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

SpaceX wraps up 2020 with Falcon 9 launch of classified NRO satellite

A Falcon 9 carrying the NROL-108 mission lifted off at Dec. 19 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Capella Space releases Spotlight imagery satellites that see through

Capella Space released radar satellite images with a resolution of 50 centimeters by 50 centimeters, which the San Francisco startup says is the highest resolution available from a commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite operator. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

White House releases space nuclear power strategy

The White House released a new space policy directive Dec. 16 intended to serve as a strategic roadmap for work on space nuclear power and propulsion. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Satellogic launches 10 satellites to provide high-resolution imagery

With the successful launch of 10 satellites, Earth observation company Satellogic says it can now move ahead of its rivals in offering high-resolution images. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

Chinese rocket firm Galactic Energy succeeds with first orbital launch

Chinese rocket firm Galactic Energy successfully sent a small satellite into orbit Saturday with the first launch of its Ceres-1 launch vehicle. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 3 years ago

SpaceX, L3Harris win contracts to build missile-warning satellites

SpaceX is developing a new satellite bus for the Space Development Agency based on the Starlink design. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 4 years ago

NASA administrator Bridenstine hints Artemis 3 could land near Apollo site

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine suggested Sept. 14 that NASA might send the first Artemis human landing mission away from the south pole. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 4 years ago

China carries out secretive launch of ‘reusable experimental spacecraft’

China launched an experimental reusable spacecraft Friday following months of low-key preparations at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 4 years ago

US Space Command eager to hand over space traffic duties to Commerce Department

Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting said the transfer of space traffic management responsibilities can't happen until Commerce gets the necessary resources. | Continue reading


@spacenews.com | 4 years ago