Tag: United States
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Astrolab to Send Scientific Payloads to Lunar South Pole on FLIP Rover Mission
Astrolab is preparing to send a series of scientific payloads to the Moon later this year aboard its FLIP rover mission aimed at supporting future lunar exploration near the Moon’s south pole. The company said its FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform rover, known as FLIP, will carry multiple research instruments designed to study lunar surface conditions,…
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Vast Expands Into Satellite Bus Market With High-Power Spacecraft Platform
Vast said it will enter the satellite bus market with a new high-power spacecraft platform aimed at commercial, Earth observation and national security missions. The company announced plans to offer a 15-kilowatt-class satellite bus designed for high-volume and lower-cost deployment across a range of orbital applications. Vast also said customers will have the option to…
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ESA Chief Calls for Independent European Human Spaceflight Capability
European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher has called for Europe to establish its own independent human spaceflight capability, arguing that the continent has become overly dependent on decisions made by foreign partners. In an opinion article published on May 18, Aschbacher said recent changes to the United States’ Artemis programme architecture and Europe’s reduced…
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Star Catcher Raises $65 Million to Advance Space-Based Power Beaming Technology
Star Catcher has raised $65 million in Series A funding to support development of its orbital power-beaming technology and finance its first in-space demonstration mission later this year. The funding round was led by B Capital and co-led by Shield Capital and Cerberus Ventures. Additional investors included GreatPoint Ventures, Helena, Oceans Ventures and MVP Ventures.…
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Potomac Database Systems Targets Lunar Data Market With New Moon Missions
Potomac Database Systems has unveiled plans to develop a series of lunar missions aimed at collecting and selling scientific and operational data from the Moon. The Washington-based company said it intends to focus on supplying commercial and government customers with lunar surface data through three different mission concepts designed to support future exploration and development…
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Former NASA Chief Bridenstine Named CEO of Quantum Space
Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine will become chief executive of Quantum Space, a company focused on in-orbit maneuverability and satellite servicing technologies. Bridenstine, who led NASA from 2018 to 2021, said the new role aligns with his background in national security and defense. “That’s where my background is, and where my heart is,” he said,…
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Vantor Secures $70 Million NGA Contract to Deliver GEOINT Platform
Vantor said on Monday it has received a $70 million award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for the first option year of a programme providing access to a database of unclassified satellite and sensor-derived imagery. The award falls under NGA’s Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (G-EGD) programme, which the company—formerly known as Maxar—has managed for…
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Lockheed Martin Joins Seagate–Firefly Partnership on Sea-Based Launch Platform
Lockheed Martin is supporting a newly announced partnership between Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace to develop a sea-based launch system centred on an offshore platform for the Alpha rocket. The initiative builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in April between Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace to deploy Firefly’s Alpha launch vehicle from Seagate’s Gateway…
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Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess Nominated as Next Space Force Chief
The U.S. Space Force said on Friday that Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess has been nominated to serve as its next chief of space operations, the service’s top uniformed role. If confirmed, Schiess would become the third officer to hold the position since the Space Force was established in 2019, succeeding Jay Raymond and Chance Saltzman,…
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House Panel Advances $24.4 Billion NASA Budget, Rejecting Administration Proposal
U.S. lawmakers have taken an initial step to reject the administration’s proposed budget for NASA, with a House subcommittee advancing a funding bill that would significantly increase spending for the agency in fiscal year 2027. The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee approved a bill allocating $24.4 billion to NASA, above the administration’s $18.8…