EOInternational

Limits on Collecting Satellite Imagery Over Israel Continue

As the world watches Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel unfold, American eyes in the sky are limited in what they can show because of a 1997 law.

MilitaryPolaris

Space Force Team Reps US at Lachs Space Moot

Three Space Force officers represented the service on the world stage in a new way last week: as the North American team at an international space law competition in Azerbaijan.

BusinessLEO

Voyager, Northrop Team Up For Private Space Station Competition

Northrop Grumman is pulling out of NASA’s competition to build a private space station in LEO as a solo entity to instead pair up with Voyager’s Nanoracks. 

DebrisPolaris

FCC Fines Dish Over Satellite Left In Orbit

The FCC has enforced consequences for the first time on a company that failed to stick to its deorbit plan, the agency announced yesterday.

Policy

Congress Considers Learning Period Extension Alongside CR

Congress is considering a stopgap funding bill that would also buy it more time to figure out whether to extend the moratorium on establishing regulations for commercial spaceflight.  The Senate’s continuing resolution introduced Tuesday by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, would keep the government funded through Nov. 17. It would…

PolarisQ&A

Rep. Eric Sorensen on Space Travel, Safety and Shuttle Ties

A space leader on Capitol Hill is looking at how to eliminate gaps between the agencies that oversee human spaceflight over concerns about maintaining the highest safety standards. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), the ranking member of the House space subcommittee, pointed out the multitude of groups that have a hand in regulating spaceflight, from the…

LaunchPolicy

FCC Opens Spectrum For Commercial Launch

The FCC adopted a new rule on Thursday that will ensure commercial launchers have access to the spectrum they need to communicate with the rocket during and after liftoff. The successful vote to approve the rule represents the conclusion of a multi-year push to set aside specific spectrum bands for commercial launch after FCC Chairwoman…

Q&AStartupsTechnology

A Q+A with Sita Sonty, Space Tango CEO

Sita Sonty has only been CEO of Space Tango for a couple weeks, but she already has big plans for the company, including opening a new fundraising round and growing the startup’s global client base.  “Details are in the works. It is a private, friends and family round,” she told Payload. “A big part of…

Polaris

Americans Lobby Congress on Planetary Science Priorities

Joseph Diggs, a science teacher in Anne Arundel county, MD, was doing a different kind of educating (and in a much grander classroom) on Monday. Diggs was one of 130+ people who traveled to DC for the Planetary Society’s Day of Action, during which people lobby their representatives to support scientific exploration of the cosmos.…

Policy

Exclusive: AIA Argues Critical Infrastructure Designation Would ‘Adversely Affect’ Space Industry

A leading trade group is urging the National Security Council to think twice before classifying the space sector as critical infrastructure.  Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association representing 320+ companies, sent a letter on Tuesday to NSC head Jake Sullivan arguing that designating space as critical infrastructure could actually hurt the…

Policy

Exclusive: A New Plan for Space to be Treated Like Other Infrastructure

AIAA will unveil a plan today that would help space organizations get access to a slew of federal economic development resources typically available to other infrastructure services such as airports, seaports, and highways. Project Clarity, which was drafted by AIAA’s Cislunar Ecosystem Task Force, will urge the government to say unequivocally that space projects shouldn’t…

Polaris

A Busy Fall on Capitol Hill

As lawmakers settle back into DC following the August recess, Congress is facing a long list of space to-dos—but not a lot of time to tackle them. Members have a little over two weeks to tackle three major priorities with deadlines at the end of September: passing a fiscal 2024 funding bill, deciding whether to…

StartupsVC/PE

Exclusive: Prewitt Ridge Raises $4.1M Seed Round

Prewitt Ridge has closed a $4.1M seed round, which will allow the startup to expand its go-to-market team and build new integrations for its Verve requirements management software, CEO Steven Massey told Payload.  The details: Squadra Ventures led the round, which also included participation from Stage Venture Partners, Aurelia Foundry, Wonder Ventures, Haystack, Acquia, techStars,…