Polaris
Stories from Payload’s weekly space policy newsletter, Polaris.
FL Governor Candidate Launches Space Race Policy
“Right now, other states and other countries are competing for the launches, the investments, and the high-paying jobs that belong to our workers, our graduates, and our families. We are going to change that,” Donalds said at a press event.
Space Science’s Golden Age Problem
Last week, the White House OSTP released a sweeping vision for the nation’s R&D enterprise.
FCC Eyes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Bands for Satellites
The FCC announced that it will consider a proposal to allow unlicensed wireless devices to communicate directly with satellites.
Payload Field Guide: NSSL
The Space Force added two new companies to its stable of launchers on July 8, bringing the military’s launch acquisition program to seven companies.
FCC Poised To Advance Sat Licensing Reform
FCC Chair Brendan Carr announced last week that the commission is expected to vote on the Space Modernization Order on July 22.
NASA Watchdog: Launch Infrastructure Nearing Capacity
NASA’s launch facilities will likely reach capacity by the end of the decade as the number of commercial launches continues to skyrocket, according to a report from the space agency’s inspector general released Monday.
Bill Spotlight: NEW HORIZON Act
A bipartisan pair of senators introduced a bill last week that would consider allowing national security missions to tap into the commercial orbital data center craze.
FCC Gives Amazon Leo More Time to Launch
The FCC has granted Amazon Leo more time to get at least half of its constellation into orbit, but placed some restrictions on the satellite operator to encourage launching as quickly as possible.
NDAA Would Cut SDA, RCO Offices
The House’s annual defense authorization bill would eliminate the two offices within the Pentagon designed to speed up space acquisition.
CSF Forecasts Launch Supply Running Low
Depending on which scenario comes to fruition, the report predicts the space community will want to launch between 6,000 and 230,000 sats per year—requiring up to 7,000 launches annually, according to a release.
NASA’s Launch Director Pick Turns Political
Brian Hughes, who will serve as NASA’s first senior launch operations director, was the space agency’s chief of staff from May to December, departing the agency once Administrator Jared Isaacman took over.
Commerce Aiming to Open Novel Space Applications This Summer
In March, the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) unveiled its plan to serve as a one-stop shop for licensing novel space missions.
