Tag: Satellite
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Firefly Aerospace Selected by NRO as Launch Provider with Alpha Rocket
Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, announced it was selected by the National Reconnaissance Office to serve as a launch provider with Firefly’s Alpha rocket. As part of the NRO’s Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract (SLIC), the agreement has a 10-year ordering period with a ceiling value of $700 million across all firm…
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Exolaunch Awarded €18M Launch Services Contract by German Space Agency
Exolaunch, the Berlin-based global provider of launch mission management, integration, and deployment services, announced that it has been awarded a governmental contract under the Small Satellite Initiative run by the German Space Agency at DLR on behalf of the German Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). This novel initiative, aimed at providing wide-ranging launch…
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NASA Welcomes Belgium as Latest Signatory to Artemis Accords
During a ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium became the 34th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis campaign. “Congratulations to Belgium on becoming the newest member of the Artemis Accords…
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SDA Awards Contract to General Atomics for Optical Communication Terminals Demonstration
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has been awarded a contract from the Space Development Agency to demonstrate the capabilities of the company’s Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs) hosted on GA-EMS’ GA-75 (75-kilogram class) spacecraft while in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). GA-EMS is designing and building two OCTs to provide robust space-to-space communication in a degraded environment and…
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Sidus Space’s LizzieSat Arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base for Upcoming SpaceX Launch
Sidus Space, a multi-faceted Space and Data-as-a-Service company announced that its LizzieSat satellite has arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This marks a significant milestone as LizzieSat gears up for its inaugural mission, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2024 on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission. Upon arrival, the Sidus Space team began…
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GITAI’s Autonomous Robotic Arm Set for Launch to ISS for Demonstration Mission
GITAI USA, one of the world’s leading space robotics startups, has announced that its 1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (NG-20) on January 29. Having passed the required NASA safety reviews, the S2 will conduct an external demonstration of…
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TNO Achieves Breakthrough with Dutch Satellite Instrument’s Transfer of Laser Data to Earth
Researchers from TNO have successfully connected a satellite to a ground station on Earth via self-developed laser communication technology. It is the first time this has been achieved with a Dutch laser satellite instrument. The technology enables much faster and safer data transfer than the radio frequencies currently used for communication. “This pivotal milestone marks…
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ELA Reveals Horizontal Integration Facility Designs for Arnhem Space Centre
Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has revealed completed designs for its Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) buildings – state-of-the-art assembly, integration, and testing facilities for each of up to seven rocket launch companies to be based at the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC). The purpose-built buildings offer a 40m (L) x 26m (W) x 12m (H) in standard…
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NOAA’s Polar-Orbiting and Geostationary Satellites Helped Save 350 Lives in 2023
NOAA’s satellites, known for their pivotal role in tracking weather and climate, were behind the rescue of 350 people from harrowing, life-threatening ordeals in the U.S. and its surrounding waters in 2023. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the global Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, or COSPAS-SARSAT, which uses a network…
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Mitsubishi Electric Developed Smart Lander Achieves Historic Lunar Landing
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), developed by the company under contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, successfully landed on the lunar surface at 00:20 a.m. on January 20 (Japan Standard Time). This is Japan’s first lunar landing, making it the fifth country to safely land a spacecraft…