FAA Releases Starship Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact
After a long and arduous review process, the FAA has finally released its environmental assessment of SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy launch site in Boca Chica. The agency found that the site would have no significant impact on the local environment—and that SpaceX is essentially cleared to proceed, but with some caveats. SpaceX will need to take…
Pathfinder #0003: Building a Great Crew with Lauren Lyons
Welcome to the third episode of Pathfinder, a weekly show where Payload managing editor and host Ryan Duffy sits down with the top shot-callers in space. Pathfinder is brought to you by SpiderOak Mission Systems, an industry leader in space cybersecurity. Check out their space cybersecurity white paper. Joining us this week is Lauren Lyons, a space…
Cloud to Street Partners to Launch Parametric Flood Insurance Product in Colombia
Last week, NYC-based Cloud to Street announced a partnership with Raincoat, a parametric insurance provider, and Munich Re Group, a major international reinsurer. The three are launching a flood insurance product in Colombia. The national program will make flood insurance policies available to 100,000+ Colombian farmers for the first time. In effect, that means that…
NASA Delays Psyche Mission
NASA has delayed its Psyche mission, which was previously meant to launch on a Falcon Heavy in early August to begin its journey to study the eponymous asteroid. Another NASA mission, Janus, is hitching a ride on Psyche’s rocket, but the launch delay poses a problem—the two Janus probes may not be able to meet…
NASA OIG Releases Second Mobile Launcher Report
The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) published its report on the agency’s management of a second mobile launch tower for the SLS mega-moon rocket—and the forecast isn’t looking good. Right now, the OIG anticipates that the project will cost more than twice what was originally budgeted and will be completed ~2.5 years behind schedule.…
JWST Sustains Micrometeoroid Impact
Earlier this year, we held our breaths for weeks as the super-powerful and highly delicate JWST made a galactic journey a million miles away to its final orbit and unfolded all its individual components. The observatory had 344 single points of failure in its deployment phase. In January, NASA announced that the telescope had fully…
ION-X raises €3.8 million for disruptive smallsat thruster solution
French startup ION-X has raised €3.8M ($4.1M) to fund further R&D and field a demo mission of its scalable small satellite propulsion system. Joining the round: Bpifrance, the French public investment bank. TF Participations, the investment arm of deeptech startup studio TechnoFounders. Geodesic, an investment vehicle that will make way for the future Expansion fund,…
A Q+A with Redwire’s Andrew Rush
Image: Redwire Last month, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson visited Redwire Space’s headquarters in Jacksonville, FL, and said the city has become “the center for space technology.” To be fair, Nelson was a three-term Florida senator…so he’s not entirely impartial. Nonetheless, Redwire has helped make Jacksonville a space hub, with its corporate HQ and 37,000 square…
France Signs Artemis Accords
France has signed the Artemis Accords, joining 19 other signatories in an agreement to maintain safe and cooperative operations in space. About the accords: In 2020, NASA kickstarted an initiative to foster international cooperation and set some ground rules for spacefaring before humans returned to the moon. Nations who sign the Artemis Accords agree to…
Pathfinder #0002: Rob Meyerson on building Blue Origin and the lunar economy
In Pathfinder #0002, we sit down with Rob Meyerson, the founder and CEO of Delalune Space and former president of Blue Origin. While at Blue, Rob reported directly to Jeff Bezos, oversaw the company’s growth from 10 to 1,500 employees, and managed development of New Shepard, among many other programs. Pathfinder is presented by SpiderOak Mission…
Vega C debut set for first week of July
Arianespace’s head of sales for the Asia-Pacific region Vivian Quenet said last week that the debut of the Avio Vega C would occur in the first week of July. The announcement came during Asia Satellite Business Week in Singapore. During the chat, Quenet also revealed that the maiden flight of Ariane 6 would occur towards…
Sony Opens Laser Communications Business
Japanese communications and entertainment giant Sony has opened the doors to a new business: Sony Space Communications. The new San Mateo, CA-based business plans to begin developing laser optical communications tech for small satellites in LEO. This isn’t Sony’s first venture into space tech. Since 2016, the company has worked with JAXA on optical communications…
