The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) successfully delivered the sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite (SBIRS GEO-6) to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on June 2nd. The SBIRS GEO-6 space vehicle, marked to complete the SBIRS constellation, was safely transported from the Lockheed Martin Space facility in Sunnyvale, California, […]
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Airbus-built EO satellite (SARah-1) is ready for launch from VSFB for German Bundeswehr
The Airbus-built “SARah-1” Earth Observation (EO) satellite, under subcontract to OHB System AG, has been transported from Friedrichshafen, Germany, to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California — this satellite is currently being prepared for a June 2022 launch and subsequent operation on-orbit by Airbus. SARah is a new, operational, reconnaissance system consisting of several […]
Featurette: Maxar’s WeatherDesk predicts a significant decline in the Ukrainian crop harvests due to Russian attack… world food supply affected
Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy promoted the country’s agriculture capabilities in a March 2021 Atlantic Council article: the country’s active agricultural area is larger than Italy and it is one of the world’s top three grain exporters. However, Ukraine’s claim as the “breadbasket of Europe” is threatened by Russia’s invasion, which started in February of […]
General Hyten joins Blue Origin as the Executive Director of the ‘Club for the Future’ as well as a Strategic Advisor
Blue Origin has announced that General John Hyten (Ret.) will serve as executive director for its foundation, Club for the Future, and as a strategic advisor to senior leadership. General Hyten brings decades of experience as a space operations and acquisitions officer and held multiple assignments that included leading Air Force Space Command and U.S. […]
CDR for NOAA’s SWFO-L1 spacecraft completed by Ball Aerospace + also building WSF-M satellite for USSF / SSC
Ball Aerospace successfully completed critical design review (CDR) for the NOAA Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft — the company will now proceed with production, integration and testing of the spacecraft. Expected to launch in 2025, SWFO-L1 will collect solar wind data and coronal imagery to meet NOAA’s operational requirements to monitor and forecast […]
ThrustMe wins an ESA GSTP contract to develop + qualify an electric propulsion system
ThrustMe has been awarded an ESA GSTP contract to develop and qualify the electric propulsion system NPT30-I2-1.5U. ThrustMe technology will integrate the GomSpace lead technology demonstration GOMX-5 mission — the satellite will be equipped with several advanced payloads and ThrustMe will provide the maneuverability for orbit raising and end-of-life disposal. During the last few years, […]
GomSpace to build two smallsats for the German Space Agency (DLR)
GomSpace has been awarded a contract to deliver two, 12-unit, cubesats to the German Space Agency, DLR. These smallsats will be used for research by DLR’s Responsive Space Cluster Competence Center, RSC3, in Trauen, Germany. The contract value is 13 million Swedish Krona and delivery is planned for January of 2023. The formal contract will […]
AST SpaceMobile reveals their BlueWalker 3 test satellite will launch in mid-August
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has confirmed plans to launch their BlueWalker 3 test satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida, during the week of August 15, 2022. The actual launch date remains subject to change and is contingent on […]
Space Flight Laboratory deorbits the CanX-7 smallsat using drag sail technology
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) has announced the successful deorbiting of the 3.5 kg. CanX-7 demonstration smallsat using drag sail technology designed to reduce the time retired smallsats spend in orbit as space debris. CanX-7 burned up in Earth’s atmosphere in May, just five years after drag sail deployment and roughly 178 years before the satellite […]
Terran Orbital completes Fleet Space’s CENTAURI-5 bus commissioning
Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has concluded the bus commissioning for the CENTAURI-5 satellite with nominal health and status checkouts. Tyvak International SRL, Terran Orbital’s wholly-owned international subsidiary, designed and built this LEO satellite for Fleet Space Technologies. CENTAURI-5 adds capacity, reduces signal delay, and provides additional network redundancy. The 3D printed metal patch antenna […]