Civil
SpaceX emphasizes coordination with other satellite operators
Two years after the close approach of a Starlink satellite with a European Space Agency satellite alarmed some in the space industry, SpaceX says it’s working closely with a wide range of satellite operators to ensure safe space operations.
ESA to be anchor customer on commercial lunar satellite
The European Space Agency has signed a contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to be the anchor customer on a commercial lunar communications satellite that company is developing.
China rolls out cargo mission rocket as Shenzhou-12 astronauts leave space station
China is preparing to launch its second space station cargo mission just as its Shenzhou-12 astronauts are set to return to Earth.
‘Taiwan must secure a strategic position in space industry’s supply chain’: president
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Sept. 14 the country “must secure a strategic position in the space industry’s supply chain” by leveraging its competitive edge in semiconductor and precision engineering.
NASA selects five companies for lunar lander studies
NASA will provide $146 million to five companies, representing the three teams that previously competed to develop the Artemis lunar lander, to perform studies for future lunar lander concepts.
NASA astronaut to stay on ISS for nearly a year
NASA confirmed Sept. 14 that one its astronauts, Mark Vande Hei, will remain on the International Space Station until next March, setting an American spaceflight duration record in the process.
South Korea seeks $553 million space budget for 2022
In a bid to nurture its nascent domestic space sector, South Korea is seeking a 640 billion won ($553 million) annual space budget for 2022. If granted in full, it would amount to a 4 percent increase from this year’s 615 billion won.
Planet provides data to federal civilian agencies under NASA contract
Researchers delving into climate change, biodiversity loss and other topics through work funded by U.S. federal civilian agencies and the National Science Foundation will have access to Planet Earth-observation data through September 2022, under a NASA contract announced Sept. 14.
Perseverance collects first Mars samples
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has collected and stored the first samples of Martian rock for later return to Earth, but exactly when those samples will arrive on Earth remains uncertain.
VP wants more diversity in the National Space Council’s industry advisory group
A notice could appear in the Federal Register as early as next week seeking nominations for the National Space Council’s industry advisory group, the council’s executive secretary Chirag Parikh said Sept. 9.
JWST gets mid-December launch date
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is finally scheduled to launch Dec. 18 on an Ariane 5 from French Guiana after years of development delays.
South Korea to spend $593 million on public-to-private transfer of rocket technologies
Starting next year, South Korea’s government will transfer state-owned space launch vehicle technologies to domestic aerospace companies in a move to help them penetrate an expanding global space launch market.
Bradford’s Comet production moves to Luxembourg
Bradford Space is updating its Comet electrothermal propulsion technology and transferring production of the small satellite thrusters from the United States to Luxembourg.
UN space office seeks consensus on space traffic management
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is poised to assist the international community in tackling the challenges posed by an increasingly diverse set of actors launching and operating spacecraft.
China’s Chang’e-5 orbiter is heading back to the moon
The Chang’e-5 orbiter module which facilitated China’s complex lunar sample return last year is on its way to the moon following deep space tests.
China is developing its own Mars helicopter
China is looking at ways of expanding its space exploration capabilities including through a vehicle similar in appearance to NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter.
