Author: starpathwp-production
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Rocket Report: SpaceX tosses away a Falcon 9; a Somalian spaceport?
Welcome to Edition 7.29 of the Rocket Report! It may be difficult to believe, but we are already one full month into the new year. It will be hard to top this month in launch, however, given the historic debut of New Glenn, and fiery end of the seventh Starship flight test. And in truth,…
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NASA and Partners Approves Fourth Axiom Space Mission Crew to Space Station
NASA and its international partners have approved the crew for Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, launching from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than spring 2025. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO…
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Thales Alenia Space Secures $900 Million Contract for Lunar Descent Element Development
Thales Alenia Space has been awarded a contract valued at nearly $900 million to develop the Lunar Descent Element (LDE) for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Argonaut cargo lander, a key component for upcoming lunar missions set to begin in the 2030s. The contract, announced on January 30, covers mission design and the integration of…
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FCC Approves AST SpaceMobile Testing in the US With Verizon and AT&T
AST SpaceMobile can now test its satellite-to-cell service with partners Verizon and AT&T after the FCC granted the company special temporal authority (STA) in the United States. AST SpaceMobile announced the STA approval from the FCC on Jan. 31, explaining this enables the company’s five BlueBird satellites to start testing communications with unmodified smartphones using…
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Arianespace Secures Ariane 6 Launch Contract for Galileo’s Second-Gen Satellites
Arianespace announced at the 17th European Space Conference the signature of the launch contract with the European Commission and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to orbit the first pair of second-generation satellites (L17) of the Galileo navigation constellation on board an Ariane 6. Both satellites, weighing between 2,200 kg and 2,400…
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Space Industry Faces Talent Shortage, Panel Advocates for Career Standardization
As the commercial space industry rapidly expands, experts at the SpaceCom conference are urging the sector to develop standardized career paths to attract the talent needed to support its growth. Joseph Horvath, CEO of training provider Nova Space, highlighted the current challenges for professionals transitioning into the space industry. “One of the challenges right now…
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Planet Labs Joins ESA’s Copernicus Program to Enhance Earth Observation Data
Planet Labs Germany GmbH, a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth, announced that they have signed a multi-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). Through this contract, Planet joins the Copernicus Contributing Missions, officially contributing commercial satellite data alongside ESA’s Sentinel satellite data to the Copernicus services. Through this contract, Planet’s…
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Former head of Boeing’s Starliner program returns to role
Officials from NASA, Boeing, United Launch Alliance and the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron participate in a prelaunch briefing for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dec. 17, 2019. From left are Kathy Lueders, NASA Commercial Crew Program; John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew…
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Space ISAC Brings New Testing Capabilities to Members
The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) is bringing a new benefit to the space community in the battle against cyber threats. Space ISAC members now have access to Accelerating Space Capabilities 100 (ASC-100), an international federated network of testbeds and proving grounds, Space ISAC announced Jan. 30. ASC-100 will grant Space ISAC…
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Spanish Company AVS Secures Contract for ESA’s ARRAKIHS Mission, Eyes Satellite Market Expansion
Spanish aerospace company Added Value Solutions (AVS) has secured a contract for the early phases of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ARRAKIHS mission, marking a significant step as the company moves into the high-performance small satellite market. AVS announced on January 30 that it has won a study contract for Phases A and B of…