ISAM
Stories about missions to service and assemble spacecraft in orbit, in addition to in-space manufacturing capabilities.
Space Force Backs Multi-Vehicle Commercial RPO Demos
Rocket Lab and True Anomaly will square off in orbit next year.
The State of OSAM
Private companies are already launching missions that capture the key technology needs for OSAM.
Katalyst Joins DARPA to Demo the Upgrade Economy in Orbit
The mission aims to give a spacecraft the vision necessary to serve as a training platform for Space Force Guardians.
Orbit Fab Starts Shipping RAFTI Ports
Orbit Fab’s RAFTI satellite fueling ports have officially been qualified, and the hardware is beginning to ship to customers, two senior leaders at the startup told Payload.
NASA Cans OSAM-1 After Maxar Delays
An October 2023 report from NASA’s inspector general blamed Maxar, which built the spacecraft bus and a robotic arm for the mission.
Swiss Start-up Studying Satellite Refueling for UK
The UK Space Agency has tapped in-orbit servicing start-up ClearSpace to research satellite refueling, taking a step toward the British agency’s commitment last fall to invest in space sustainability.
Space Force Prefers Northrop Grumman’s Fuel Port
The Space Force chose Northrop’s ($NOC) satellite propellant refueling system as a standard design for future military spacecraft, a decision that could shape the orbital servicing industry.
Orbit Fab and ClearSpace Collaborate on In-Orbit Refueling
Orbit Fab and ClearSpace are teaming up to bring their in-space servicing capabilities together in orbit.
Orbit Fab and Space Machines Company Partner on In-Orbit Servicing
Orbit Fab, a US-based company building in-space refueling infrastructure (i.e., orbital gas stations), announced this morning that it is teaming up with the Aussie-based Space Machines Company (SMC) to attach more efficient docking hardware to SMC’s orbital transfer vehicle, which is expected to launch next year.
Payload Pioneers 2023: Neil Buchanan
Neil Buchanan wasted no time after completing his Master’s thesis on in-space manufacturing to jump in and get hands-on.
Exclusive: Spaceium and Aphelia Partner on In-Space Recharging
In-orbit wireless charging for spacecraft, here we come.
USAF and FAA Deny Varda Reentry and Recovery Permission
Varda’s first in-space manufacturing capsule can’t come back down to Earth. On Friday, TechCrunch reported that the US Air Force denied Varda Space Industries permission to use a Utah recovery range, and the FAA also denied a reentry license, leaving the company’s orbiting pharmaceutical factory waiting in orbit. “The request to use the Utah Test…
Starfish Breaks Otter Pup’s Death Spiral
Otter Pup is back, baby. The spacecraft from Starfish Space tumbled through space for about six weeks after an emergency deployment from Launcher’s Orbiter craft in June. Yesterday, the Seattle-based startup announced that the craft is finally stabilized. “Less than two months after being deployed with rotation rates 100 times greater than normal operating conditions,…
