Author: starpathwp-production
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Pale Blue Teams Up with D-Orbit to Advance Water-Based Propulsion for Small Satellites
Pale Blue, a University of Tokyo spinoff, is set to demonstrate its water-based ion thruster technology in collaboration with D-Orbit, marking a significant milestone in sustainable space operations. Pale Blue’s latest propulsion system, the Pale Blue 1U+ Water Ion Thruster, is designed to help small satellites navigate through space by allowing them to maneuver, avoid…
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Space Health Research Faces New Challenges as Commercial Spaceflight Expands
With the rise of commercial spaceflight, scientists are facing new challenges in understanding the effects of space travel on the human body. The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is spearheading efforts to standardize health data collection from private astronauts and ensure the ethical management of this growing field. Space Adaptation Syndrome, which affects…
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Rocket Lab Completes Preliminary Design Review for SDA T2TL Beta Satellites
Rocket Lab completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta layer satellites the company is building for the Space Development Agency (SDA), Rocket Lab announced Thursday. With the PDR completed, Rocket Lab now moves into the detailed design phase of the contract. The SDA awarded Rocket Lab a $515 million contract…
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Ligado Networks Sues Viasat’s Inmarsat Over Alleged Breach of Spectrum Agreement
Satellite operator Ligado Networks, currently undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, has filed a lawsuit against Viasat’s Inmarsat subsidiary, accusing it of breaching a long-standing partnership related to L-band spectrum. Ligado Networks, which is embroiled in a legal battle with the U.S. government over its delayed 5G plans, filed the lawsuit on January 7. The company…
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NASA defers decision on Mars Sample Return to the Trump administration
For nearly four years, NASA’s Perseverance rover has journeyed across an unexplored patch of land on Mars—once home to an ancient river delta—and collected a slew of rock samples sealed inside cigar-sized titanium tubes. These tubes might contain tantalizing clues about past life on Mars, but NASA’s ever-changing plans to bring them back to Earth…
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Greenland’s Strategic Role in U.S. Space Security and Arctic Geopolitics
As the geopolitical importance of the Arctic increases, U.S. officials are renewing discussions about Greenland’s role in space security and national defense. President-elect Donald Trump has called for American ownership of Greenland, citing the island’s critical importance for U.S. military and space operations. In a series of Truth Social posts, President-elect Donald Trump emphasized the…
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Intuitive Machines set for second landing, looking to build a lunar economy
Five years ago, a small company in Houston named Intuitive Machines had just 30 employees, a couple of 3D printers, and a few soldering irons. Oh, and it had some big dreams. The company’s founders wanted to open a business on the Moon. On Wednesday morning, when I drove into the company’s new headquarters at…
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Rocket Lab Urges NASA to Consider Faster, Cheaper Mars Sample Return Plan
Rocket Lab has called on NASA’s incoming administration to reconsider the agency’s approach to the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, proposing a faster and more cost-effective alternative. NASA announced on January 7 that it will spend the next year and a half evaluating two new potential architectures for its Mars Sample Return mission. These options…
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Pale Blue and D-Orbit to Test World-First 1U+ Water Ion Thruster in Orbit
Pale Blue has announced that the company will demonstrate the world-first 1U+ Water Ion Thruster (PBI) on D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier twice in 2025. By adding space heritage multiple times, Pale Blue will diversify its offering to better meet the rising demand on orbit control and debris mitigation for small satellite missions with its ground-breaking…
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Blue Origin postpones first launch of New Glenn rocket due to high seas for landing
Blue Origin’s New Glenn on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. (Blue Origin Image) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture says it’s delaying the first-ever launch of its orbital-class New Glenn rocket due to unfavorable weather conditions for landing the first-stage booster. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36…