China’s Space Build Up in America’s ‘Backyard’
Sen. Joni Ernst raised concerns about China’s growing space footprint “in our backyard,” which could increase the PRC’s ability to track and spy on American satellites in orbit. There are 11 space facilities linked to the PRC in South America – more than any other geographic combatant command, Gen. Laura Richardson, the head of U.S.…
NASA Taps Top Scientist for Crewed Moon Return
Noah Petro will be the science lead for Artemis III, which aims to return humans to the Moon by mid-decade, officials announced last week during NASA’s Artemis town hall briefing at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). Petro is the project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The satellite’s observations have helped…
Rosotics Unveils A New Kind of 3D Printer
Rosotics is on a mission to revolutionize additive manufacturing. This morning in Mesa, AZ, the 3D-printing startup will debut the first completed prototype of its Mantis printer—a huge, unfolding contraption capable of printing 45 kg of material per hour on the power from a standard 240V outlet. The first printers are marked for delivery in…
Starlink V2 Minis Experience Issues
Starlink’s V2 satellites are having some issues. On Tuesday, Elon tweeted an explanation for observations that some of the V2 Minis launched last month have changed the altitude and eccentricity of their orbits: The new technologies: The Starlink V2 Minis are essentially trial runs for technology that will fly on the much larger final V2…
NRO Awards Six Hyperspectral Imaging Contracts
The National Reconnaissance Office on Wednesday awarded six companies study contracts for commercial hyperspectral imaging, which can detect changes in satellite images that would be invisible to the human eye. “We are operating the largest, most diverse, most capable overhead constellation in NRO’s history as we face increasingly complex threats in space and on the…
Virgin Orbit Nears Deal to Raise $200M From Texas Investor
In a story that nearly writes itself, a Texas investor is swooping in to save a troubled rocket company just as it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Dallas-based VC Matthew Brown is set to invest $200M into Virgin Orbit ($VORB), a source told Payload. The news was first reported by Reuters on Wednesday. …
Terran Orbital Triples Revenue
Terran Orbital ($LLAP) saw sales triple in Q4 compared to the prior year, the company revealed Tuesday in fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 financial results. Terran Orbital’s Q4, by the numbers: Terran generated 2022 sales of $94.2M, driven by a record 19 satellite deliveries (10 were SDA/Lockheed birds). Rivada contract: Last month, Terran won the monster…
Deloitte Releases Report Predicting Industry Growth
This morning, Deloitte released a forecast on the potential for growth within the space industry. The report, which pairs market data with a survey of space industry leaders, is intended to give execs in other industries the background they need to incorporate space into their businesses. Bottom line upfront: “For space to grow, and fulfill…
UKSA Funds Rolls-Royce’s Lunar Nuclear Reactor
The UK Space Agency has awarded Rolls-Royce £2.9M ($3.5M) to continue development of a lunar nuclear reactor. Under the contract, UKSA and Rolls-Royce are aiming to get a demo model on the Moon’s surface by 2029. The agency previously funded a £249,000 (~$305,000) study last year. The micro-reactor program A bet on nuclear energy is…
Innoflight Lifts Off from Brazil
South Korea is angling to join the elite club of major spacefaring nations. Now, the second rocket developed domestically in the country has achieved liftoff. Innospace, a Korean launch startup developing a suite of small-lift rockets, successfully got its Hanbit-TLV suborbital test rocket off the ground on Sunday. The flight lifted off from the Alcântara…
Payload Presents: Mars Madness
In March Madness, your bracket can be busted by an unexpected upset, leaving your dream of predicting the perfect outcome in shambles. On expeditions to Mars, outcomes are equally unpredictable, with a mission’s fate resting on anything from a software glitch to a cosmic dust storm to a mix-up between metric and imperial units. Today,…
Satellogic Launches “Space Systems”
Satellogic is launching a new Space Systems product, the publicly traded satellite operator ($SATL) announced last week. With Space Systems, Satellogic says countries or companies can buy and fly their own EO satellite “with submeter resolution, proven performance, and custom mission options.” In other words, the product represents a space-as-a-service offering for those who have…
