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 ($SATL) announced last week. With Space Systems, Satellogic says countries or companies can buy and fly their own EO satellite “with submeter resolution, proven performance, and custom mission options.” In other words, the product represents a space-as-a-service offering for those who have…
Astra Requests an Extension to Avoid Nasdaq Delisting
Gravity may be a tough opponent, but it’s got nothing on the unrelenting forces of public markets. On Thursday, launch startup Astra ($ASTR) announced that it has requested additional time from Nasdaq to boost its share price and avoid a delisting. Astra’s road: Over the last couple of years, the Alameda, CA company has struggled…
Rivada Contracts Aalyria Spacetime for Network Coordination
Earlier this week, Rivada Space Networks announced that Aalyria will help manage and optimize communications across its planned LEO constellation. Aalyria emerged out of stealth late last year, with a trove of valuable IP it acquired from Google parent Alphabet. Rivada 101 Last year, Rivada announced itself to the world with a splashy plan to…
Scientists Identify an Active Volcano on Venus
Everyone’s favorite roiling, sulfuric hellscape just got a little more interesting. For the first time, scientists have identified active volcanism on Venus. Cutting through the clouds Venus doesn’t make studying it easy for scientists. Its clouds are dense and shiny, making telescope observations from afar very difficult, and the incredible heat and pressure of the…
Axiom Reveals its AxEMU Lunar Spacesuits
For the first time in decades, NASA astronauts will soon get a wardrobe revamp. On Wednesday, Axiom unveiled the new spacesuit designs that will be worn on the Artemis III mission to the Moon. For those concerned about the colorway, the dark blue is just a fabric cover, and the final spacesuits will be all…
Firefly Wins NASA CLPS Contract for the Dark Side of the Moon
Blue Ghost #2 is a go. Firefly has clinched a deal to travel to the dark side of the Moon in 2026. Yesterday, NASA awarded the Cedar Park, TX-based launcher a $112M contract to deliver several lunar payloads using the Blue Ghost spacecraft. The details: NASA awarded the contract through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services…
Amazon Announces Three Project Kuiper Terminals
Amazon unveiled three Project Kuiper terminal designs yesterday at Satellite 2023 in DC. Customers will use the antenna devices to connect users to Kuiper, Amazon’s planned LEO satellite internet network, starting in late 2024. Terminal lineup The Kuiper terminals incorporate proprietary antenna and baseband chip technology, and the e-commerce giant says it has already driven…
Unpacking NASA, Pentagon Space FY 24 Budget Requests
As we noted last Friday, the White House has requested $27.2B for NASA next year. That’d represent a 7%—or $1.8B—increase over the 2023 enacted level. Updated timetable: The agency’s FY 2024 Budget Request presentation gives top billing to the agency’s presence in LEO, from the ISS through CLD; establishing a “sustainable” lunar presence; and further…
Pale Blue Flies Water-Based Thrusters in Space
Japanese startup Pale Blue announced that it successfully tested its water propulsion thrusters in space for the first time. The propulsion system, which is installed on Sony’s “EYE” satellite, operated for 2 minutes without hiccups. “Water propulsion has been well known to exist, but I think performance has been the big reason why people wrote…
LeoLabs Announces Argentina Radar Site
LeoLabs announced that it has selected a site in Argentina for its next ground radar for remotely identifying and tracking objects in space. The new site, called the Argentina Space Radar (AGSR), is expected to be completed later this year. Keeping an eye on orbit: The Menlo Park, CA-based startup is building out a global…
CesiumAstro Announces IFC Plans
CesiumAstro announced this morning that it is officially getting into the in-flight connectivity (IFC) market. The company is planning to test a flat active phased array payload that can connect with satellites in orbit more easily and effectively than current systems, and has several demonstrations aboard Airbus craft set for the coming year. Active phased…
