A Viasat ($VSAT) communications satellite has malfunctioned, the company announced Thursday, marking the second such failure within the span of a month. This time, the issue is with a new member of the Inmarsat fleet, which Viasat acquired in May. The I6 F2 satellite launched in February as a backup, providing spare L-band and Ka-band […]
China and South Africa have agreed to partner on space initiatives for the first time. During a meeting of BRICS nation leaders—a group consisting of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa—Chinese President Xi Jinping signed two agreements with South Africa to collaborate on space-related projects. According to Chinese state media agency Xinhua News, one of […]
Hypergiant Industries, a software company building an AI-powered decision-making product, announced this morning that it has been acquired by PE firm Trive Capital. Hypergiant 101: The Austin, TX-based company is built around using AI to solve data accessibility and usability issues for defense, space, and critical infrastructure. Its main offering is an AI-powered geospatial data […]
The Space Development Agency (SDA) is going full steam ahead on its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Yesterday, the agency announced that it has awarded the first two contracts to build and operate spacecraft for the second tranche of the network. The two contracts are worth a combined $1.5B and secure 72 satellites. The birds […]
The FAA is working on new rules aimed at ensuring the safety of commercial crew flights. In a notice of proposed rulemaking issued Friday, the FAA suggested a few new regulations to be officially incorporated into the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (CSLCA), mainly focusing on definitions and safety training for government astronauts. A […]
SpaceX is dramatically outpacing the rest of the world in launch cadence and capacity. In its Q2 2023 launch trends briefing, BryceTech quantified just how much the launcher is breaking away from the competition. SpaceX vs. the world: On each of the launch metrics tracked by BryceTech—that is, number of launches, number of satellites launched, […]
Seattle-based Integrate Space has closed a $3.4M seed round that will help expand its team and grow its customer roster, the company announced yesterday. The round for the program management software company was led by Hyperplane and included participation from Riot Ventures, Ravelin Capital, and John Capodilupo. Integrate 101: Space industry veteran John Conafay, formerly […]
Telesat’s ($TSAT) LEO broadband plans are back on track. On Friday, the company announced a $2.1B CAD ($1.6B) contract with Canadian space tech company MDA ($MDA) to build 198 satellites. The deal puts an end to Telesat’s previous plan to build its constellation using slightly larger satellites from Thales Alenia Space, which has been beset […]
York Space Systems is expanding. This morning, the Denver, CO-based satellite manufacturer announced that it will open the doors to a fourth production facility, dubbed Potomac, and start cranking out buses by Q4. “Our new Potomac facility represents a significant milestone in York’s growth trajectory, driven by steadily increasing demand from new and existing customers,” […]
Quindar, a startup building a software platform for satellite constellation mission analysis, testing, and operations, announced this morning that it has won a $1.2M Direct-to-Phase II contract from the US Air Force. Under the contract, granted through AFWERX, USAF’s innovation arm, Quindar will focus on automating constellation operations across multiple missions. Quindar 101 The startup’s […]
Artemis II crew, meet Orion. NASA is gearing up for the second installment of its campaign to get humans back to the Moon. On Artemis II, four astronauts will ride the Orion capsule around the Moon to test its systems and pave the way for a landing on the next trip. Yesterday, that crew—made up […]
Benchmark Space Systems, the Burlington, VT-based propulsion systems provider, is keeping busy. This week, the company announced a $33M Series B funding round, unveiled new digs, and debuted a brand-new satellite autopilot product called SmartAIM. Benchmark’s Series B Benchmark announced this morning that it’s closed a $33M Series B to speed up the process of […]
