Author: starpathwp-production
-
Pulsar Fusion Advances Electric Propulsion with Hall Effect Thruster Technology
Pulsar Fusion is advancing electric propulsion technology through a portfolio of Hall Effect Thrusters (HETs) designed to improve spacecraft efficiency, extend mission lifetimes and reduce operational costs. Intended for applications including attitude control, precision spacecraft control and low-thrust manoeuvres, the company’s plasma thrusters utilize high specific impulse (Isp) technology to deliver greater fuel efficiency than…
-
Rocket Lab to Acquire Iridium Creating a Vertically Integrated Space Powerhouse
Rocket Lab Corporation, a global leader in launch and space systems and Iridium Communications, a leading provider of global voice, data, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Rocket Lab will acquire Iridium. Rocket Lab will acquire all the outstanding shares of Iridium common…
-
Launch Preview: Swift rescue mission, final Atlas satellite launch
Several orbital launches are scheduled worldwide this week. A mission to rescue the Swift observatory spacecraft is planned along with the first full flight of a South Korean military launcher. This week could also see the final satellite launch by an Atlas family rocket. There is also an Electron launch from New Zealand. The Swift…
-
Four Satellite Operators Form NGSO Trade Group as Rocket Lab Moves to Buy Iridium
The association will operate as a 501(c)(6) organization focused on the distinct regulatory needs of low and medium Earth orbit constellations. SpaceX is not a member of the new group. The existing Satellite Industry Association continues to represent the wider space economy, and both Amazon and Iridium maintain their positions within that organization alongside their…
-
SpaceX Alumni Launch Eclipse Space to Build Sovereign Megaconstellations
The startup positions itself as an alternative to two existing paths for building a megaconstellation, both of which it describes as flawed. According to CEO Derek Huerta, those options have required either enormous capital investment or dependence on someone else’s infrastructure, with the strategic vulnerability that comes with it. Eclipse Space is led by Huerta,…
-
Saudia Debuts NSG Skywaves Inflight Connectivity on First Airbus A321XLR
Neo Space Group (NSG) and Saudia have activated the NSG Skywaves inflight connectivity (IFC) service aboard the airline’s first Airbus A321XLR aircraft, marking the first line-fit deployment of the system. SpaceTechnology The service combines NSG Skywaves with SES’s Open Orbits multi-orbit network, integrating geostationary (GEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite capabilities to provide low-latency,…
-
Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines Win NASA Lunar Delivery Missions
Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines have all received contracts to deliver NASA payloads to the surface of the Moon, as part of NASA’s work to establish a base on the Moon. The three providers will fly updated versions of their already-flown landers, and the missions are set to launch in late 2028, NASA said…
-
FCC Proposes Auction of 160 MHz in Upper C-Band Spectrum
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to vote on a proposal to auction 160 megahertz (MHz) of upper C-band spectrum, a move that would require satellite operators to clear frequencies by deploying new satellites and upgrading ground infrastructure. The proposal covers spectrum between 3.98 GHz and 4.14 GHz and is scheduled for a…
-
Ars Live, today: The latest on the aftermath of the New Glenn catastrophe
Nearly a month has passed since the New Glenn rocket exploded on its launch pad in Florida, creating a massive fireball. It was likely the largest ever rocket explosion at the historic Florida spaceport, and we are still dealing with its implications today. The rocket’s explosion took out its only launch pad, LC-36A. So even…
-
SiriusXM Lofts Most Powerful Satellite Yet on Falcon 9, Built by Intuitive Machines Subsidiary
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 occurred at 10:25 p.m. EDT, the opening of a four-hour window. The rocket flew an easterly trajectory after leaving the pad. The 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at the window’s opening, improving to 90 percent as the night progressed, with meteorologists watching for…