Tag: Propulsion Systems
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Phase Four Awarded $14.9M Contract by DARPA to Develop Electric Propulsion for VLEO Satellites
Phase Four, one of the leading providers of next-generation electric propulsion (EP) solutions for satellites, was awarded a $14.9M contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to deliver an “air-breathing” EP system to enable extended satellite operations in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), at altitudes as low as 90-450 km. The award is part…
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Helicity Space Secures Funding from Lockheed Martin Ventures for Fusion Propulsion Tech
Helicity Space, a commercial space company developing in-space propulsion and power technology based on fusion power, announced an investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin. This latest raise from Lockheed Martin Ventures comes on the heels of a $5 million seed round of Helicity Space funding from investors including Airbus…
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Benchmark Space Systems Deploys its Xantus Electric Propulsion System on Orion’s Satellite
Benchmark Space Systems, one of the leading developers and providers of in-space mobility solutions, announced its next-gen Xantus electric propulsion system has successfully deployed and will undergo subsystem health check and operational verification, including a range of firing modes aboard mission prime Orion Space Solutions’ 12U cubesat in low Earth orbit. Benchmark’s first electric propulsion…
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Ursa Major’s Hadley Engine Powers Stratolaunch’s Testbed in Historic Hypersonic Test Flight
Ursa Major’s Hadley engine, a purpose-built engine to satisfy America’s commercial and national security space needs, flew for the first time powering Stratolaunch’s Talon-A1 (TA-1) testbed during a test over the Pacific Ocean. The test, which reached high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5, marks the first step toward flight of a hypersonic vehicle developed by…
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Astroscale Secures UK Space Agency Contract for ADR Refueling Mission
Astroscale, the UK subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings, one of the global leaders in In-Orbit Servicing (IOS) and End-of-Life (EOL) management services, announced a successful bid for the UK Space Agency’s Active Debris Removal (ADR) Refuelling feasibility study. This £2 million UKSA study program marks a significant milestone in the mission to transform the satellite industry…
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Momentus Secures Contract from NASA to Provide Flight and Payload Integration Services
Momentus, a provider company of in-space transportation services, announced that it has been awarded a NASA indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) base contract award with a performance period of five years to provide flight and payload integration services to advance technologies and procedures for operating in space. Under the ID/IQ contract awarded by NASA, Momentus is among 15…
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Rocket Lab Receives FAA Approval for Varda Space Industries’ Manufacturing Capsule Reentry
Rocket Lab USA, a launch and space systems company, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the reentry of Varda Space Industries’ in-space manufacturing capsule, enabling Rocket Lab to commence a series of complex in-space maneuvers and de-orbit burns on the Rocket Lab-built and operated satellite currently hosting the capsule on orbit. This…
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Pale Blue Receives Grant by MEXT to Develop Propulsion Systems for Space Debris Mitigation
Pale Blue has been awarded a grant by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the Small and Business Innovation Research 3 (SBIR-3) program to develop and demonstrate key technology for space debris mitigation. The grant is worth up to USD 27 million (JPY 4 billion) and will enable the development…
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ThrustMe Secures Contract from CNES for Several Off-the-Shelf Propulsion Systems
ThrustMe, a pioneering leader in advanced in-orbit propulsion systems, proudly announced a transformative off-the-shelf contract with the French Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES). This purchase agreement is a testimony to the rapidly changing aerospace sector, where the lines between the legacy and new space are blurring. Long-standing actors such as CNES can benefit from complete…
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JAXA Initiates Landing Preparation Phase for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is ready to begin preparations for landing descent, based on operational results since insertion into lunar orbit and future plans. It was therefore decided to move to the landing descent preparation phase on January 10, 2024, and the apolune…