Astranis’ Arcturus Satellite Malfunctions
Astranis’ first satellite, Arcturus, has run into a snag in its mission to provide internet connectivity over Alaska from GEO. An anomaly with the solar array drive assembly, which is meant to keep the solar arrays pointed toward the sun, has left the craft unable to keep its payload fully charged. Despite the power problems,…
Amazon Plans a $120M-Satellite Facility in Florida
Amazon will invest $120M to build out a Project Kuiper satellite processing facility at NASA’s KSC in Florida that will be used for final satellite prep before launch, the company announced Friday. Kuiper: Amazon is building a $10B, 3,236-bird LEO internet constellation. The tech giant has already booked 77 (!) heavy-lift launches, mostly with Blue…
Fusion Investment Rises, Space Propulsion a Key Focus Area
The emerging fusion energy industry has attracted $6B+ in total investment, including $1.4B raised last year, the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) wrote in its annual state-of-the-market report. Out of 40 fusion startups surveyed by the association, five companies, including Helicity Space, NearStar, Princeton Fusion Systems, and Avalanche, said space propulsion is one of their primary…
House Approves FAA Reauthorization Bill
Lawmakers are trying to make sure the growing pace of commercial space launches can peacefully coexist with commercial air travel. The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, which addresses the fight over shared airspace, passed the House on Thursday by a 351-69 vote, sending the bill to be considered by the Senate.…
Steering the Future with Active Phased Arrays
Active phased arrays represent a transformative leap in radio frequency communication and will reshape how we connect and transmit data. At its core, an active phased array antenna is a collection of individual antenna elements, each with its own amplifier and phase shifter. By altering the phase or timing and power level of each antenna…
Three Lunar Landers Will Head to the Moon this Summer
54 years have passed since Armstrong took that iconic step on the Moon, marking an apex in the Apollo program and lunar exploration more broadly. Starting in 1977, however, a 36-year quiet period ensued, with zero lunar landing attempts until 2013, and only six since then. In a sign that the lunar lull is coming…
Astroscale, Wind River Team To Clean Up in Orbit
Astroscale’s space vacuum is getting a boost. The company is partnering with space software startup Wind River to provide the on-board computer for ELSA-M, a mission to remove multiple pieces of debris from orbit, according to a joint announcement Wednesday. “Our ELSA-M service strives to solve satellite operators’ end-of-life disposal challenges,” Stephen Wokes, director of…
Hyperspace Challenge Partners with USSF Rapid Capabilities Office
The Hyperspace Challenge accelerator announced a new partnership with the US Space Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) just before applications open for this year’s class of startups. Hyperspace 101 The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) launched the challenge in 2018 to recruit small businesses to solve DoD’s problems and make officials more aware of the…
NASA Touts Small Business Investment
NASA is a *star* student of the Biden administration’s efforts to send more federal dollars to small businesses, earning an “A” for the sixth year in a row in a Small Business Administration scorecard released Tuesday. The gradebook: SBA releases a small business procurement scorecard each year that measures how close federal agencies are able…
The More That You Learn, The More Places You’ll Go
Virgin Galactic sent three Italian researchers to the edge of space last month, and is expecting to launch its first tourists as soon as Aug. 10. Three people—including businessman and race car driver John Shoffner—hitched a ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon for an eight-day stay on the ISS in May. And Blue Origin, which…
Seraphim Releases Space Index
Seraphim, a leading space VC firm HQ’d in the UK, has released its yearly index on funding and acquisition activity across the space industry. Seraphim’s tracking data shows signs that investment activity is bouncing back from the economic woes and restrained capital markets of last year. Deals, deals, deals: The trailing twelve months (TTM) analysis…
Kall Morris Wins USAF Debris Removal Contract
This morning, Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) announced that it’s notched an agreement with the US Air Force to explore its proposed method to dock with uncontrolled pieces of debris in orbit for removal. TumblEye-ing: Under the contract, Kall Morris plans to test its TumblEye system for active debris removal (ADR) applications for USAF. Removing a…
