Jacqueline Feldscher
The More That You Learn, The More Places You’ll Go
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…
Q&A with ispace US CEO Ronald Garan
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…
Chamber of Commerce Teaches How Space Affects All
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…
Edgybees’ American Hive is Buzzing, Officials Say
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…
State Sees a ‘Significant Uptick’ in Global Space Collaboration
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…
Biden Administration Highlights Climate, DEI Efforts
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…
For India, US, ‘The Sky is Not the Limit’
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:…
Exclusive: Continuum Announces $3M Seed Round
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…
Danti Emerges From Stealth With $2.75M Pre-Seed Round
Danti is emerging from stealth today with the announcement of a $2.75M pre-seed funding round, according to a release shared with Payload. What is Danti? The startup, which was founded this year, seeks to make the huge amount of EO information collected in space and from other sources easier to use. The company is building…
NDAA Preview: Spaceport of the Future
One lawmaker is looking to make military launch facilities run more like commercial airports with a pair of amendments set to be introduced tomorrow when the House Armed Services Committee debates its version of the NDAA. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) is expected to introduce two amendments on the Spaceport of the Future: one to allow…
US Urges Open Comms With Beijing in Orbit
When the US talks to China, China never talks back, according to a senior DoD official. Lt. Gen. John Shaw, the second in command at US Space Command, said there are “a couple” Chinese email addresses registered with the government’s space-track.org site, which alerts operators about potential collisions in orbit, giving them an opportunity to…
World Economic Forum Releases New Space Debris Guidelines
The World Economic Forum and ESA joined forces to draft a new set of orbital debris mitigation recommendations, which were released Tuesday. The four-page guideline already has support from more than two dozen industry players, including Airbus, Planet, Astroscale, and SES. “Space is critical for our modern way of life,” the document says. “We therefore…
Summit for Space Sustainability: Day 1 Highlights
Space sustainability enthusiasts who gathered in New York this week for the fifth iteration of the Secure World Foundation’s Summit for Space Sustainability were faced with a dizzying stat: more than 2,700 spacecraft have been launched since the organization’s last meeting a year ago. The first day of the conference was all about the need…
