Payload Talks NASA Budget With Rep. George Whitesides
“The United States is leading the world in space technology, and we can’t give that up.”
91 articles for ”Golden Dome”
bluShift Aerospace Pivots After Latest Test
bluShift’s trajectory reflect the challenges of building a cost effective rocket engine in the face of shifting government priorities.
Redwire Stock Tumbles on US Contract Delays
Their argument that lumpy quarter-to-quarter contract values should be expected didn’t seem to buoy investor sentiment, as the company’s stock dipped 6.5% by market close.
Rocket Lab Wins Point-to-Point Demo Contract for Neutron
Time for a rocket cargo survivability experiment.
Ursa Major Had A Hot Week
The propulsion firm is carving out a niche in the fields of highest interest to the Pentagon.
AeroVironment Acquires BlueHalo in $4.1B Deal
As warfare becomes increasingly dependent on space-based infrastructure and the link between space capabilities and terrestrial systems, AV aims to use its technologies to connect military tech in different domains.
Apex Raises $200M Series C
“Demand has increased more than production capacity has,” CEO Ian Cinnamon told Payload. “This allows us to vertically integrate faster, and buy more parts ahead of time and stock inventory.”
NRO Launches First Payload Under New NatSec Contract
The NROL-145 launch is the first under the Space Force’s Phase 3 Lane 1 rubric—a launch contracting mechanism that will spend $5.6B on relatively simple launches with fewer requirements, which might suit new entrants to the national security launch game.
Axiom Launching Two Data Centers to LEO This Year
Many sectors of the space industry predict that AI and machine learning will help process the unprecedented amount of data collected in orbit. The ODC nodes will help enable that, according to Axiom.
SDA’s Tranche 0 Satellites Criticized, Tranche 1 Delayed
The Space Development Agency (SDA) announced last week it is pushing the launch of its Tranche 1 satellites until late summer due to system readiness and supply chain issues.
Op-ed: A Trump Presidency Means More Money for Space. So, What Can We Expect?
With space a focus of the new administration, and SpaceX founder Elon Musk as a senior advisor, we can expect to see money, more ambition, and fewer restrictions on private companies expanding America’s reach in LEO and beyond.
Tumbling Russian Sat Highlights Counterspace Threat
A prototype anti-sat weapon Russia launched into orbit in 2022 is tumbling out of control, according to commercial SSA companies who spotted it. That’s a sign the spacecraft is no longer functional.
The Highway to Mars
Five years ago, Adalberto Roca drove down the barren stretch of Texas highway from downtown Brownsville to Boca Chica Beach to start his first day of work at SpaceX building Starship rockets bound for orbit—and, one day, Mars.
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