Commercial
Geostationary satellite orders bouncing back
Satellite builders booked more commercial orders in 2019 than the prior two years combined, but the industry remains in flux.
Airbus, citing weak space market, to cut more than 2,300 jobs
Airbus Defence and Space will shed about 7% of its workforce because of weak sales, Airbus Group said Feb. 19.
Intelsat to FCC: C-Band Alliance is dead, we deserve more money
Intelsat on Feb. 19 urged the FCC to give the company at least $1 billion more of $9.7 billion in proposed compensation for clearing C-band spectrum for 5G networks and to treat the C-Band Alliance Intelsat formed with rivals SES and Telesat as essentially dead.
Spaceflight Industries says sale of rideshare business a “win-win” for all parties
Spaceflight Industries’ decision to sell its rideshare launch services company, Spaceflight, to two Japanese firms will benefit both Spaceflight and its parent company, executives of the two companies say.
Lockheed Martin lost $410 million on latest three commercial satellite orders
Lockheed Martin says it lost $410 million on the first three commercial satellites built on its new LM2100 platform, including the JCSAT-17 satellite Arianespace launched Feb. 18 on an Ariane 5 rocket.
Kleos Space borrows $3.7 million while awaiting first launch
Radio-frequency-mapping startup Kleos Space on Feb. 18 said it received a $3.4 million loan from Dubai-based Winance to keep the company “well funded” while it awaits the launch of its first satellites.
Space Adventures to fly tourists on Crew Dragon mission
Space Adventures announced Feb. 18 that it has an agreement with SpaceX to fly a dedicated Crew Dragon mission that would send four space tourists on a mission to a relatively high Earth orbit.
Blue Origin opens rocket engine factory
Blue Origin formally opened a factory Feb. 17 that the company plans to use to produce engines both for its vehicles and for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.
Cygnus launches to space station
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft launched Feb. 15 carrying more than three tons of supplies and experiments for the International Space Station.
Rocket Lab wins contract to launch NASA lunar cubesat mission
NASA awarded a contract to Rocket Lab Feb. 14 for the launch of a cubesat mission that will serve as a precursor for the agency’s planned lunar Gateway.
Astra emphasizes rapid iteration in its quest for low-cost, rapid launch
As Astra prepares for its first orbital launch attempt, the company is setting expectations accordingly and taking the long view towards its goal of frequent, low-cost access to space.
DirecTV’s defunct Spaceway-1 reaches high graveyard orbit in one piece
DirecTV’s Spaceway-1 satellite has been retired to a graveyard orbit 500 kilometers above the geostationary arc, eliminating the risk of the malfunctioning satellite exploding in an orbit populated by active satellites.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo arrives in New Mexico
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane arrived at the company’s spaceport in New Mexico Feb. 13, ready for a final series of test flights before the company starts commercial operations.
Astranis raises $90 million in debt and equity ahead of first launch
Astranis said it would use the new money to finish its first satellite, a broadband “MicroGEO” satellite that will deliver internet to Alaska.
Iceye establishes U.S. office, considers U.S. manufacturing
Iceye, the Finnish radar satellite operator, opened a U.S. office in the San Francisco Bay Area led by Mark Matossian, who managed a series of aerospace programs at Google including the Earth-imaging venture Terra Bella.
Astroscale wins first half of JAXA debris-removal mission
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has selected Astroscale to send a spacecraft into orbit to inspect a discarded Japanese rocket upper stage, a step that would pave the way for a debris-removal mission.
