LEO
Stories about operations in low-Earth orbit.
Max Space Unveils Expandable Habitat
Shooting a Beyonce music video in zero gravity, farming to feed astronauts on the Moon, and storing fuel in orbit could all become possible with a new expandable space habitat designed and built by Max Space,, cofounder Aaron Kemmer told Payload.
NASA and Boeing Are (Finally) Putting Astronauts on Starliner
Starliner is finally ready for its maiden mission—seven years after the capsule was expected to make its first flight.
A Satellite Conjunction Scare Marks an “Inflection Point” in Collision Risk
This is just the sixth time in the last two years that two non-maneuverable space objects have come so close.
Vast to Bid on Private Astronaut Missions to the ISS
Vast announced its intention to compete for NASA contracts to organize private astronaut missions to the ISS—a role that has been filled exclusively by Axiom Space since the flights commenced in 2022.
China Could Fill Potential Post-ISS Gap in LEO, Industry Says
The US is at risk of losing leadership in LEO to China if commercial space stations do not come to fruition before the ISS plunges into the sea, two industry officials told lawmakers on Wednesday.
A-Rod Will Take Satellite-to-Phone Firm Lynk Public
Lynk, which operates satellites that connect directly to mobile phones to provide emergency connectivity, laid out its plans to go public later this year by merging with a blank check firm run by former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.
Sierra Space Eyes IPO After Years of Prep
The company building the next American space plane is preparing to go public, despite listed space firms recently facing rough waters.
Starship Will Launch Starlab’s Commercial Space Station
Starlab Space, a joint venture between Airbus and Voyager Space, chose SpaceX’s Starship to launch a commercial station.
Commerce Takes the First Step Towards Civil Space Traffic Coordination
The Office of Space Commerce awarded the first contracts to shape the long-awaited Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS)
How Momentus Became The Latest SPAC On The Rocks
Momentus, the space tug company attempting to rebound from a troubled SPAC transaction in 2021, is now on the verge of bankruptcy.
Voyager, Northrop Team Up For Private Space Station Competition
Northrop Grumman is pulling out of NASA’s competition to build a private space station in LEO as a solo entity to instead pair up with Voyager’s Nanoracks.
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…
