Science

WASHINGTON — NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will make one final close approach to the asteroid it collected samples from next week before heading back to Earth. On April 7, the spacecraft will pass 3.7 kilometers above the location on the asteroid Bennu called Nightingale where, in October, the spacecraft briefly touched down and collected as much

The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency started the accelerator program last year to strengthen ties with entrepreneurs WASHINGTON — A technology accelerator program funded by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency has selected eight startups that will receive $100,000 grants, mentoring and coaching from government officials and venture investors.  The program organizers, the venture investment firm Capital

TAMPA, Fla. — Jim Bridenstine has joined satellite operator Viasat’s board of directors in his second corporate role since stepping down as NASA’s administrator. U.S.-based Viasat is enlarging its board to eight members to add Bridenstine, who became a senior advisor for private equity firm Acorn Growth Companies soon after resigning from NASA Jan. 20

WASHINGTON — A NASA audit concluded that costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the agency could reach $3 billion, with several major science and exploration programs accounting for much of that cost. A March 31 report by the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated that the agency expects that the pandemic’s effects on

TAMPA, Fla. — Intelsat reported a 7% drop in revenue for 2020 after declines in multiple business units, underlining the importance of C-band clearing proceeds for the satellite operator’s recovery efforts. The company recorded $1.91 billion in 2020 revenue, compared with $2.06 billion for 2019, as COVID-19 hammered mobility and other markets. Adjusted EBITDA, or

HELSINKI — China successfully launched the Gaofen-12 (02) satellite Tuesday, marking latest in a line of high resolution satellites to boost the country’s Earth observation capabilities. A Long March 4C rocket lifted off from Jiuquan, northwest China at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Tuesday.  The first indication of the upcoming launch came from airspace closure notices, with

WASHINGTON — The private venture that purchased a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to low Earth orbit has finalized the crew for that mission, scheduled to launch as soon as September. The Inspiration4 mission, which describes itself as the “world’s first all-civilian mission to space,” revealed the crew that will accompany its sponsor, entrepreneur Jared Isaacman,

SEOUL, South Korea — Hanwha Systems, the South Korean conglomerate that added a bankrupt phased-array antenna maker to its growing portfolio last year, is planning to build and deploy a constellation of 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit by 2030 to provide connectivity to urban cargo-delivery drones and passenger airplanes.   To that end, the defense

WASHINGTON — As SpaceX gears up for another test flight of a Starship prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration is facing new scrutiny from Congress for how it handled SpaceX’s violation of its launch license on an earlier test flight. SpaceX had planned to launch its SN11 Starship vehicle March 29 from its Boca Chica, Texas,

TAMPA, Fla. — Inmarsat is launching legal action over the Dutch government’s plan to auction 3.5 GHz spectrum, which the British satellite operator uses for maritime safety services. The London-based company said it will seek a judge’s ruling on the potential illegality of the plan to sell the spectrum to terrestrial 5G providers next year. 

Since OneWeb came back from bankruptcy “we’ve been busy setting up engagements with the U.S. government,” said Dylan Browne. WASHINGTON — OneWeb plans to start offering broadband from space in the Arctic region this fall, a capability the company hopes will attract U.S. military and other national government customers. “Our focus now is Alaska and

WASHINGTON — NASA officials say the agency is still planning to make selections as part of its Human Landing System (HLS) program by the end of next month as it takes into account the reduced funding for the program. The “base period” awards made in April 2020 to teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and

TAMPA, Fla. — CEA Space Partners I Corp, a blank check company led by satellite industry veteran Edward Horowitz, plans to raise $250 million in a public stock offering to buy a space business. The special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), part of a growing trend in the space industry, said it has the backing of private

TAMPA, Fla. — Inaugural satellites for two startups that launched this week on separate rockets aim to disrupt the burgeoning internet-of-things (IoT) market.  Australia-based Myriota has started offering its IoT services in the U.S. and Canada, after Rocket Lab launched March 22 the first operational nanosatellite Myriota has ordered from scratch.  On the same day,

The Space Force is interested in LEO broadband for its fast speeds and low latency. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force last week asked satellite internet companies for updates on the performance and capabilities of their networks. This information is intended to help the government decide how to go about buying broadband services from operators

Credit: boozallen.com From analyzing the terrain on Mars to enhancing communications between satellites and ground communications, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing important role in space operations and exploration. It is a capability with numerous applications and vast promise for the data-rich and complex environment of space.  For example, many organizations with space operations

WASHINGTON — Small launch vehicle company Launcher has moved across the country to California as it takes its next steps in the development of its rocket. Launcher, which had been based in New York City, is in the process of moving into a 24,000-square-foot building it is leasing in Hawthorne, California, a few blocks from

WASHINGTON — NASA is looking at options to move up the launch of a small lunar orbiter mission, illustrating the challenges the agency faces as it seeks to make greater use of rideshare launch opportunities. The Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft is an orbiter equipped with a spectrometer and thermal mapper to study the distribution of water

SEOUL, South Korea — President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has vowed to launch the nation’s first robotic lunar lander on a domestically developed rocket by 2030. Moon also said feasibility studies are underway for sending a spacecraft to Apophis, an asteroid that will pass near Earth in 2029.  These space exploration goals were unveiled,

TAMPA, Fla. — Japanese satellite operator Sky Perfect JSAT has ordered a spacecraft from Airbus for the first time, choosing the European aerospace giant to build Superbird-9 for a launch in 2024. Superbird-9 will be based on Airbus’ reconfigurable payload platform OneSat, which can steer and reassign beams for different customers and services. JSAT said the geostationary (GEO) satellite will replace a key broadcasting mission,

WASHINGTON — A $1.6 billion Space Based Infrared System satellite arrived last week at Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The satellite, made by Lockheed Martin, is scheduled to launch May 17 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, the U.S. Space Force announced March 24. The geosynchronous SBIRS GEO-5 is the fifth satellite of

VALLETTA, Malta — The European Space Agency awarded UK-based launch startups Orbex and Skyrora a combined €10.45 million ($12.35 million) to support development of competing microlaunchers. The two support contracts announced March 24 were awarded under Boost!, an ESA program that aims to foster new commercial space transportation services. The agency adopted Boost! during Space19+,

“It validates the fact that the industry is maturing, and that it’s not a bunch of crazy rocket scientists out in the field blowing stuff up.” SAN FRANCISCO — Long-term space investors aren’t surprised by the recent surge of space industry mergers and acquisitions. In fact, they say, it’s right on time. Dylan Taylor, Voyager

SAN FRANCISCO – Italian ground segment provider Leaf Space announced plans March 24 to establish a U.S. office to serve government and commercial customers. “There is a clear appetite among U.S. satellite and launch vehicle operators to simplify, outsource and maximize the value from ground services and we believe that need is only going to

WASHINGTON — A small helicopter that hitched a ride on NASA’s Perseverance rover will attempt its first flight on Mars in early April, demonstrating technology that could be used on future missions. At a March 23 briefing, NASA officials discussed plans to perform the first flights of Ingenuity, a 1.8-kilogram helicopter currently attached to the

TAMPA, Fla. — Global Eagle Entertainment, a provider of media services and satellite Wi-Fi to aircraft, boats and remote locations, has exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Around half a dozen of the satellite communication provider’s lenders took control of the company March 23, shedding about $488 million of its debt in the process. The new owners

WASHINGTON — Canadian space technology company MDA Ltd. filed paperwork March 22 for an initial public offering of stock, raising funding to pay down its debt and invest in new projects. In a filing with Canadian securities regulators, MDA announced its intent to raise $500 million Canadian ($397 million U.S.) in an IPO, valuing the

WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab launched six smallsats for a variety of commercial and government customers March 22 on a mission also intended to demonstrate the performance of its own smallsat bus. The company’s Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The rocket deployed its kick

The Pentagon’s renewed focus on space and the standup of the U.S. Space Force are boosting demand for technologies being developed by commercial companies. The Air Force technology accelerator known as AFWERX is responding by creating new opportunities for space entrepreneurs. “We see space as a rapidly growing sector,” said Jason Rathje, who leads the

WASHINGTON — SpaceX has agreed to maneuver any of its Starlink satellites that come close to the International Space Station or other NASA spacecraft in low Earth orbit as part of an agreement between the agency and the company. NASA announced March 18 it had signed a Space Act Agreement with SpaceX regarding coordination of