Tag: satellites
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Spaceflight and Tethers Unlimited team up on deorbiting system for satellite carrier
An artist’s conception shows Spaceflight’s Sherpa-FX, the first orbital transfer vehicle to debut in the company’s Sherpa-NG (next generation) program. The vehicle is capable of executing multiple deployments, as well as providing independent and detailed deployment telemetry. (Spaceflight Inc. Illustration) Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’ll use a notebook-sized deorbiting system developed by another Seattle-area company…
-
Air Force goes with BlackSky’s Spectra AI platform to track impact of COVID-19
A satellite image of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport reveals an unusually high number of parked airplanes (identified in yellow boxes) and an unusually low number of parked cars. That’s consistent with what would be expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. (BlackSky Photo) BlackSky, a satellite data venture with offices in Seattle, says it’s won a U.S.…
-
FCC chief seeks conditional approval for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellite network
Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, speaks at CES 2020 in Las Vegas in January. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota) The Federal Communications Commission’s chairman, Ajit Pai, says he’s proposing approval of Amazon’s plan to put more than 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit for a broadband internet constellation known as Project Kuiper…