ICYMI, and you probably didn’t, SpaceX and T-Mobile have teamed up to bring satellite-to-smartphone connectivity to mobile networks. SpaceX is working on connecting existing, unmodified phones to a new type of mobile network. Big, if true This technology could blanket the globe with a new layer of cellular connectivity. And the tie-up has the potential […]
SatixFy is bucking the trend and staying the course. SatixFy 101 The Israeli startup is a fabless chipmaker and developer of electronically steered antennas. Its portfolio consists of “end-to-end” products, ranging from satellite payloads to end-user terminals. SatixFy recently unveiled Onyx Aero, a terminal for commercial airliners and large corporate jets that can connect to […]
Scottish launch startup Orbex has announced that it plans to add 50 new staff to its ranks over the next six months. Orbex is developing its 19-meter two-stage Prime vehicle, which can lift 150 kg payloads to orbit. The company unveiled the first full-scale prototype of the vehicle in May, which is currently being used […]
Atlas Space Operations has raised a $26M Series B led by Mitsui. The ground-software-as-a-service provider is turning its attention to growth. Atlas 101: Though the Michigan-based startup provides service from a network of 13 ground stations across the globe, its key value lies in its software, CEO Sean McDaniel told Payload. “We solve the hard […]
Today marks the six-month anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine. Over the last half year, space-based services have played an integral role in each step of the conflict. Today, we’re providing a partial accounting of how space-based services and hardware have altered the course of the conflict (and how the space industry has itself been changed). […]
A new space station has moved one step closer to reality. Yesterday, Blue Origin and Sierra Space announced that their Orbital Reef project has passed its system definition review for NASA. The orbital outpost is now ready to enter the design phase. Orbital Reef 101 The ISS is destined for a watery grave in 2030—or […]
Today’s Pathfinder takes us back and forth across the Kármán line plenty of times. Our guest is Giuseppe Santangelo, president at Red Cat Holdings ($RCAT) and founder of Skypersonic. The company develops drones that can be remotely piloted from thousands of miles away, and operated in high-risk, confined, and GPS-denied locations. Santangelo is no stranger […]
DARPA, the Pentagon’s high-risk, high-reward R&D arm, has its mind on laser links. The agency is specifically working to develop an interconnected network of links for speedy and secure communications between military, civilian, and commercial space assets. The DARPA program, known as the Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN), recently announced 11 Phase 1 awardees. Space-BACN: […]
Editor’s note: Payload space cadets Ryan Duffy (managing editor) and Mo Islam (cofounder) originally penned this essay for Not Boring, an uber-popular newsletter on tech, strategy, startups, and investing. Nearing 150,000 subscribers, Not Boring is primarily authored by Packy McCormick, with editing and research duties fulfilled by Dan McCormick and Rahul Rana. What you’re about […]
ICEYE signed a contract with the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation yesterday to provide the Ukrainian government with access to its SAR constellation’s imaging capabilities. The background: ICEYE has launched 21 satellites to date and owns the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation. SAR satellites can gather information day and night, in all weather conditions—a major asset […]
Earlier this week, Space in Africa published its report on the state of the African space industry. Between 2019 and 2021, the “new space” industry in Africa has reportedly seen major growth, and is valued at $19.5B as of the end of 2021. Africa’s space: The space industry in Africa is currently dominated by global […]
All is not well with the spacesuits aboard the ISS. Yesterday, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was instructed by Roscosmos ground control to “drop everything and go back” to the ISS when he was three hours into a spacewalk. The issue: a flaw in the Orlan EVA suit’s electrical system that caused an unexpected drop in […]
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