Rachael Zisk
Searching for Biomolecules on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently trekking through an ancient river delta on the Red Planet, searching for signs of life. As it journeys through the great rocky wasteland, here and there, the rover is taking small samples of Mars rocks a few centimeters deep and storing them in little metal tubes. But our favorite little…
Regulating Orbital Debris, Part Three
This is the third installment of our deep dive on orbital debris. Read Part One and Part Two. – Space is getting more crowded, especially in the regions where satellite operators vie for the best orbits. The density of operational satellites is increasing faster each year. And as for the debris already up there? It’s…
Senate Introduces ORBITS Act
This week, Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act on the Congress floor. The bipartisan bill is aimed at developing active debris removal (ADR) technology, with the eventual goal of removing dangerous debris objects from orbit. The debris problem: 100M+ individual pieces…
Slingshot Offers Beacon SSA Platform Free of Charge
In an attempt to get as many space operators communicating on the same platform as possible to lower collision risks in space, Slingshot Aerospace today announced that it plans to offer a version of its Beacon space situational awareness (SSA) platform for free. “We just feel a grand responsibility here, since we do have the…
TechStars LA Announces September Cohort
TechStars LA has announced its September cohort. This year, seven of the twelve total companies joining the startup accelerator hail from aerospace. TechStars: The startup accelerator began in 2019 with the vision of connecting the innovative technology developing as part of the growing new aerospace industry in LA with the DoD. “I saw an opportunity…
FCC Considers Shortening Deorbit Deadline
The FCC is cracking down on spent satellites left in LEO. In a draft report and order released yesterday, the commission revealed plans to cut the post-mission disposal time from the currently recommended 25 years to five years. The growing debris problem: The DoD’s Space Surveillance Network currently tracks ~27,000 pieces of debris larger than…
A New Kind of Galaxy Death
This is the way a galaxy dies. Not with a bang but a whimper. Or, at least, that’s the case for a galaxy identified in a paper released last week. The study challenges the conventional wisdom that galaxy death—which happens when galaxies stop forming new stars—occurs alongside major cosmic events like supernovae or black hole…
Scotland Releases Space Sustainability Roadmap
Scotland’s space program is making moves to encourage a more sustainable approach to spaceflight. Space Scotland has published a roadmap to grow its space sector in a sustainable way through strategically funding greener space technologies. The ultimate goal: reaching net zero emissions and space debris neutrality by 2045. Scotland in space: The country’s space initiatives…
DIU Releases State of Space Industrial Base Report
Last week, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Space Force, and the Air Force Research Laboratory released their fourth annual joint report on the state of the space industrial base. The verdict: The US has a lot of work to do if it wants to compete with China over the long run. Penned by four…
Ursa Major Wins USAF TACFI Contract
The US Air Force is tapping Ursa Major for rocket engines. The Colorado-based propulsion company has signed a $3.6M contract under USAF’s TACFI (Tactical Funding Increase) program to supply a flight-qualified, oxygen-rich staged combustion (ORSC) Hadley engine. The contract, Ursa Major CEO Joe Laurienti told Payload, is the first of its kind in propulsion. “More…
The Rockefeller Foundation Funds EO Climate Project in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Rockefeller Foundation announced a $5.5M initiative that will use our eyes in space— EO satellites—to track the effects of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. The project: The Electricity Growth and Use in Developing Economies (e-GUIDE) Initiative and Atlas AI, a company that aims to help maximize the impact of infrastructure changes, are collaborating on…
NASA Scrubs Artemis I Launch
We’ll be waiting a few more days for NASA’s return to the moon. This morning, SLS’ debut flight was scrubbed at T-40 minutes after a handful of weather- and engine-related delays. Artemis I: The first mission in NASA’s Moon-to-Mars program will be an uncrewed test flight, sending the Orion crew capsule on a 42-day trip…
