Tag: North America
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U.S. Space Force Urged to Expand Planning for Cislunar Operations, Vice Chief Says
The U.S. Space Force needs to think more seriously about its future role in operations on and around the moon, even as its small size and near-term priorities have constrained long-term planning, Vice Chief of Space Operations Shawn Bratton said this week. Speaking on Jan. 21 at an event hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg…
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Blue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight, First Mission of 2026
Blue Origin has successfully completed its 38th New Shepard flight and the first mission of 2026, sending six passengers on a suborbital journey above the internationally recognised boundary of space before returning safely to Earth, the company said on Thursday. The mission, designated NS-38, lifted off from Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas and…
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Blue Origin Unveils TeraWave Satellite Network Targeting Multi-Terabit Global Connectivity
Blue Origin on Tuesday announced TeraWave, a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 terabits per second worldwide, targeting enterprise, data centre and government customers with mission-critical connectivity needs. The TeraWave system is based on a constellation of 5,408 optically interconnected satellites deployed across low Earth orbit (LEO) and…
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U.S. Space Agency Awards Starfish Space $52.5 Million Satellite Disposal Contract
The U.S. Space Development Agency has awarded Seattle-based Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to provide end-of-life disposal services for satellites in the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, marking what the company described as the first operational contract of its kind for on-orbit satellite disposal. Under the agreement, Starfish Space will use its Otter spacecraft…
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Vast Delays Haven-1 Commercial Space Station Launch to 2027
Vast has delayed the launch of its first commercial space station, Haven-1, until at least the first quarter of 2027, pushing back an earlier target of 2026, the company said on Tuesday. The single-module station is designed to host up to four commercial astronauts for missions lasting as long as two weeks. Astronaut transport and…
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Blue Origin to Launch Six Space Tourists on New Shepard Suborbital Flight
Blue Origin is set to launch six space tourists on Thursday as part of its latest suborbital spaceflight, marking another milestone for the company’s New Shepard programme and the commercial space tourism sector. The NS-38 mission is scheduled to lift off from Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas during a window that opens at…
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U.S. Senators Propose Bipartisan Bills to Streamline Space Rules and Expand Talent Pipeline
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced two bills aimed at easing regulatory hurdles and strengthening the talent base of the domestic space industry, as lawmakers seek to keep pace with rapid growth in commercial space activity. One proposal, the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act, would establish a formal public-private exchange allowing staff from…
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NASA to End Funding for Independent Planetary Science Advisory Groups
NASA said it will end financial support for a network of independent advisory groups that for decades have helped guide the agency’s planetary science research, a move that limits formal channels for outside scientific input and reduces public visibility into agency operations. The decision was communicated late Friday in a letter from Louise Prockter, director…
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NASA Rolls Artemis II Moon Rocket to Launchpad as Final Preparations Begin
NASA on Saturday began the final phase of launch preparations for its Artemis II mission, moving the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket toward its Florida launchpad ahead of the first crewed flight under its lunar return programme. The 322-foot-tall SLS rocket was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center…
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Canada Rocket Company Emerges From Stealth With $4.5 million Seed Round
Canada Rocket Company (CRC), a Toronto-based space launch startup, has emerged from stealth after securing C$6.2 million ($4.5 million) in seed funding, as it seeks to develop domestic light- and medium-lift rocket capabilities for Canada amid rising government investment in the space sector. The round was co-led by the Business Development Bank of Canada and…