Tag: space infrastructure
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Beyond Reach Labs Opens Brooklyn Facility to Scale Flarewing Solar Arrays
Beyond Reach Labs is opening a 16,000-square-foot manufacturing and testing facility at Brooklyn’s Industry City complex in New York on September 24, establishing dedicated production capacity for its Flarewing deployable solar array. The system is designed to provide high-density electrical power for commercial space stations, orbital computing platforms and direct-to-device satellite networks. Founded by former…
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Space-Based Optical Communications Move From Flight Demonstrations to Operational Networks
Space-based optical communications are moving from experimental missions toward operational deployment as satellite operators seek higher-capacity alternatives to congested radio-frequency links. An industry assessment published September 20 said space-qualified laser terminals are now supporting data rates of up to 10 gigabits per second in orbital applications, while standardized optical inter-satellite links are becoming part of…
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Turbopump Anomaly Cuts Ariane 6’s 2026 Launch Target to as Few as Six Flights
A turbopump anomaly discovered in August will prevent Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket from completing its planned eight missions in 2026, with the annual total potentially falling to six, according to industry officials. The disruption comes as Arianespace and ArianeGroup attempt to raise the vehicle’s flight rate toward an initial operational cadence of nine to ten…
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Sophia Space and SLI Outline $300 Million Financing for Orbital Compute Constellation
Sophia Space and aerospace leasing specialist SLI have outlined a $300 million asset-financing framework for a planned 10-satellite edge computing constellation, the companies announced September 13. The non-binding arrangement would fund spacecraft construction and deployment against defined milestones, with launches beginning as early as 2028. The proposed structure adapts operating leases widely used for aircraft,…
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DOT Forms SPACE Task Force, but Authority to Cut Launch Approval Times Remains Unclear
The US Department of Transportation established the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution Task Force on September 9 to accelerate commercial launch approvals, expand spaceport capacity and improve launch integration with the national airspace system. However, DOT did not announce approval-time targets, implementation deadlines or new licensing authority, leaving unresolved whether the group can remove…
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NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to Launch Services Roster
NASA added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its NASA Launch Services II contract on September 9, making the still-unflown vehicle eligible to compete for future agency launch orders. The award expands NASA’s pool of launch providers as Relativity prepares Terran R for its first flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late 2026.…
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NASA Seeks Industry Proposals for Lunar Power, Oxygen and Manufacturing Systems
NASA issued a solicitation on September 8 seeking industry-led proposals to mature five technologies needed for sustained operations at the lunar South Pole, including vertical solar arrays, oxygen production from regolith, radioisotope power, in-space manufacturing and advanced nanomaterials. The initiative is intended to close infrastructure gaps that would otherwise limit the duration and independence of…
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Besxar Secures 12 Falcon 9 Flights to Develop Orbital Semiconductor Factory
Besxar, a space manufacturing startup founded by former OpenAI employee Ashley Pilipiszyn, has reached an agreement with SpaceX to prototype an orbital semiconductor factory across 12 Falcon 9 flights. The company aims to manufacture critical precursor materials for advanced semiconductors in the vacuum of space and return them to Earth, targeting a market currently served…
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SpaceX Expands Starbase as Flight 14 Vehicles Complete Testing
SpaceX is expanding assembly, testing and launch infrastructure across Starbase, Texas, as Ship 41 and Booster 21 move through final checkout for Starship Flight 14. Recent aerial imagery shows simultaneous work at Massey’s test site, the Gigabay assembly building and both orbital launch pads, while hardware for Flight 15 and later vehicles is already entering…
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Brownsville Police Investigate Gunfire Outside Commissioner’s Home After SpaceX Land Vote
Brownsville police are investigating gunfire reported outside a city commissioner’s home early Saturday, September 5, days after the Brownsville City Commission unanimously approved the disannexation of more than 444 acres sought by SpaceX as part of a $220 million water-infrastructure agreement. No injuries were reported, and police have not established any connection between the shooting…