Civil
Stories about US and international civil space missions, including those led by NASA and ESA.
China Calls NASA On Orbital Conjunction
China’s message to the US space agency urged the American spacecraft to stay put while Beijing maneuvered its own assets, NASA space sustainability director Drew Alvin said during a panel at the International Astronautical Congress, noting that it’s “the first time that has ever happened.”
The EU Space Act Raises Questions
ICYMI: This week, Payload Europe hosted its first ever webinar—all about the EU Space Act.
Artemis II Astronauts Name Their Ride
“Integrity” was Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen’s idea to represent “peace and hope for all humankind.”
Firefly Earns Extra $10M For Blue Ghost Data
All told, the mission collected nearly 120 gigabytes of data during both its 45-day trek to the Moon and its two weeks on the lunar surface.
Dragonfly Mission Progresses Despite Cost Overruns
NASA is developing on a nuclear-powered rotorcraft, called Dragonfly, to explore Saturn’s moon Titan. How’s it going? Depends on who you ask.
Duffy Selects 20-Year NASA Vet as His Number Two
By promoting Kshatriya, Duffy is following through on his commitment to “move away” from Earth sciences in favor of greater space exploration.
NOAA’s Weather Sat Do-Over Starts With Less
The next-generation of US weather satellites isn’t so next-generation anymore.
Inside Aerospacelab’s Pitch to Build IRIS2
Payload sat down with Benoît Deper, Aerospacelab’s founder and CEO, to discuss the startup’s pitch to manufacture Europe’s secure satcom constellation.
What Happens to the UK Space Agency Now?
Industry leaders shared nuanced views with Payload on what a DSIT-run UKSA might mean for the future of the country’s space ambitions.
Organizations Band Together to Save NASA Science
The organizations’ plan is to educate members of Congress on the importance of NASA science, and the wide-ranging benefits the agency provides to the whole country.
Duffy Wants NASA To Leave the Earth Behind
NASA will begin “moving away” from Earth sciences, Acting Administrator Sean Duffy told Fox News last week—a sharp shift in the agency’s focus since it was established in 1958.
SmallSats Could Have Big Role in Solar Exploration, Too
Small sats have historically mainly made their homes in LEO, but more and more operators are shrinking the size of the platforms they send to GEO and beyond.
