Tag: Satellite
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SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network wins $885M in federal aid for rural broadband
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lofts a set of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit on Nov. 24. (SpaceX Photo) SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network — which relies on hundreds of spacecraft built in Redmond, Wash. — has been awarded $885.5 million in federal subsidies to boost high-speed internet service to rural Americans. The awards are part of…
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Spaceflight Inc. fills out its line of Sherpa orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites
An artist’s conception shows Spaceflight’s Sherpa-FX in orbit. (Spaceflight Illustration) Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. today unveiled two new options for its Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle — one that uses an environmentally friendly chemical thruster system to help get small satellites where they need to go, and another that’s powered by an electric propulsion system. Such options…
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Pentagon worries that satellite attacks could spark ‘mutually assured destruction’
Satellite constellations are becoming increasingly important for military communications. (DARPA Illustration) In the years ahead, the long-running nightmare of the nuclear Cold War — mutually assured destruction — could return in a new context on the final frontier, a Pentagon adviser said today at a Seattle-based space policy conference. Brad Townsend, a space strategy and…
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LeoStella takes on assembly role for NorthStar’s space traffic-monitoring satellites
An artist’s conception shows NorthStar’s Skylark constellation at work. (CNW Group / NorthStar Illustration) Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella will oversee the assembly of the first three satellites for a constellation that’s designed to keep track of space traffic. LeoStella’s new project is part of a bigger contract between Canada’s NorthStar Earth and Space on one hand,…
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Microsoft partners with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service for Azure Space cloud platform
Microsoft is partnering with a wide range of satellite and space companies to build its Azure Space cloud computing service. (Microsoft Illustration) Microsoft says it’s taking the next giant leap in cloud computing, in partnership with SpaceX and its Starlink broadband satellite constellation. “By partnering with leaders in the space community, we will extend the…
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Space Notes: Spaceflight makes launch deal, RBC Signals to host Swarm, and a new fellowship is born
An artist’s conception shows HawkEye 360’s satellites in orbit. (HawkEye 360 Illustration) — Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’s signed an agreement with HawkEye 360 to support multiple launches of the Virginia-based company’s radio-frequency mapping satellites. Spaceflight will provide mission management services for HawkEye 360’s Cluster 4, 5 and 6 launches. Each cluster consists of three…
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After a boost from Bill Gates, Kymeta wins FCC’s approval for next-gen antennas
Redmond, Wash.-based Kymeta Corp., the mobile connectivity venture backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, says it has won the Federal Communications Commission’s blanket authorization for the operation of its next-generation u8 antenna terminal. Kymeta says the authorization marks a major milestone for the u8 terminal, which is currently in beta testing with commercial release scheduled…
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BlackSky will add sharper focus and night vision to future Earth-watching satellites
One of BlackSky’s Global satellites sits on a stand that’s visible at the center of this view of the LeoStella satellite factory floor in Tukwila, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) BlackSky’s satellites are already producing frequently updated, high-resolution views of planet Earth — but now the company says its next-generation spacecraft will kick things…
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Kymeta goes beyond antennas with acquisition of Lepton satellite service company
A military-style Polaris RZR off-road vehicle plows through desert dunes with a Kymeta satellite antenna installed on top. Kymeta’s acquisition of Lepton Global Systems is aimed at strengthening the company’s offerings for government and military customers. (Kymeta Photo) Kymeta Corp. — the satellite antenna venture that’s based in Redmond, Wash., and backed by Microsoft co-founder…
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Amazon vows to invest $10B in Kuiper satellites after getting FCC’s go-ahead
An artist’s conception shows a constellation of satellites in orbit. (Credit: OneWeb) The Federal Communications Commission has authorized Amazon’s plans for a Project Kuiper constellation of 3,236 satellites that would provide broadband internet access across a wide swath of the globe — but on the condition that it doesn’t unduly interfere with previously authorized satellite…