Space enthusiasts bought a slice of history Thursday, shelling out a combined ~$680,000 at Sotheby’s annual space exploration auction. The online auction sold more than 60 pieces of historical memorabilia, signed photos, and items that had flown to space. Big ticket: The top seller was an Apollo 13 flight plan signed and inscribed by capsule […]
The fight over where US Space Command will put down roots has become a central part of the debate on this year’s NDAA, and the longer the industry awaits a final decision, the more charged the spat becomes. How we got here: A quick recap if you’ve somehow avoided this years-long saga. In January 2021, […]
Lawmakers are trying to make sure the growing pace of commercial space launches can peacefully coexist with commercial air travel. The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, which addresses the fight over shared airspace, passed the House on Thursday by a 351-69 vote, sending the bill to be considered by the Senate. […]
NASA is a *star* student of the Biden administration’s efforts to send more federal dollars to small businesses, earning an “A” for the sixth year in a row in a Small Business Administration scorecard released Tuesday. The gradebook: SBA releases a small business procurement scorecard each year that measures how close federal agencies are able […]
Virgin Galactic sent three Italian researchers to the edge of space last month, and is expecting to launch its first tourists as soon as Aug. 10. Three people—including businessman and race car driver John Shoffner—hitched a ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon for an eight-day stay on the ISS in May. And Blue Origin, which […]
The countdown has started on ispace’s NASA-backed date with the Moon in June 2025, and the US team has locked itself in a room this week to game out the details. The company began a four-day exercise on Monday akin to a military-style wargame that will help the company zero in on when the spacecraft […]
It’s a common refrain at space events of all shapes and sizes: satellites enabled the GPS that helped your Uber find its way here. But what’s accepted among space insiders is not such common knowledge in the broader public, and the Chamber of Commerce is ramping up its space efforts to spread the word so […]
Ken Campbell, the newly-tapped head of Edgybee’s US arm, told Payload that it was an “easy decision” to come out of retirement to work with Edgybees because he believes the company’s tech will be so helpful to troops. Campbell, who served for 25 years as a Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer, has only been in […]
The Biden administration’s “very intentional” effort to make space part of its international engagement has boosted the number of partners interested in collaborating with the US in orbit, the State Department’s Valda Vikmanis-Keller told Payload. Last week, Ecuador and India became the 26th and 27th nations to join the Artemis Accords. Just a few months […]
The Biden administration hosted a pair of events last week showcasing two of its top priorities for space: fighting climate change and promoting diversity in the industry. A warming climate: On Wednesday morning, NASA hosted a ribbon cutting for its Earth Information Center, an interactive exhibit at the space agency’s HQ in DC that’s been […]
From human spaceflight to responsible use of space, the US and India announced a number of space-related agreements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the White House on Thursday. “We are creating a strong and futuristic partnership,” Modi said at a joint press conference, highlighting the new agreements in space. Ready to launch: […]
Continuum Space Systems announced today that it has closed a $3M seed round, bringing the company’s total fundraising to more than $6M. Continuum’s mission: The startup, which was established in 2021, offers customers a cloud-based platform to take care of many of the logistics required to quickly get customers to space. Customers can come to […]
