Commercial
Rocket Lab says SPAC deal will accelerate development of Neutron rocket
A growing realization of the need for a medium-class launch vehicle led Rocket Lab to speed up its plans to go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Falling foam insulation caused Chinese commercial rocket failure
Chinese commercial launch company iSpace stated Monday that an errant piece of foam insulation caused the loss of its Hyperbola-1 rocket in February.
Crew-2 on schedule for April launch while next Starliner flight delayed
NASA officials said March 1 that the next SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station remains on schedule for late April, but that a Boeing uncrewed test flight is facing further delays.
Spire Global joins rush to public markets with $1.6 billion SPAC deal
Satellite operator Spire Global has unveiled the space-powered Big Data market’s second SPAC deal in just over a week, as the rush to public markets accelerates across commercial space sectors.
Op-ed | Representing the private astronaut is a new step for human spaceflight — and for space lawyers
In addition to adding a new dimension for space travel, several future missions create new challenges and opportunities for space lawyers — representing private astronauts.
Astra’s 100-year plan: Q&A with CEO Chris Kemp
Astra, the once-stealthy launch startup, is about to go public via a SPAC. CEO Chris Kemp discusses the merger, plans for ramping up launch activity and how it will compete against both small and large launch providers.
Hanwha Aerospace bets big on space business
Hanwha Aerospace, the leading aircraft engine producer in South Korea, is stepping up efforts to expand its space business.
Rocket Lab to go public through SPAC merger and develop medium-lift rocket
Rocket Lab, a developer of launch vehicles and smallsats, will merge with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to support development of a larger launch vehicle, part of the latest wave of deals to take space companies public.
Astra, Rocket Lab win launch contracts
Astra has won a NASA contract to launch a small constellation of Earth science cubesats, while General Atomics selected Rocket Lab for the launch of a small satellite with a NOAA hosted payload.
Lockheed Martin to upgrade GPS satellites for in-orbit servicing
Lockheed Martin is redesigning the bus used for Global Positioning System satellites so they can be upgraded with new hardware on orbit.
Automaker Geely gains approval for satellites for self-driving constellation
Chinese automaker Geely has got the green light to begin manufacturing satellites for navigation, connectivity and communications needed for self-driving cars.
Nicole Robinson named president of Ursa Space Systems
After 14 years at satellite communications fleet operator SES, Nicole Robinson is taking on a new role: president of Ursa Space Systems, the geospatial analytics firm based in Ithaca, New York.
Virgin Galactic further delays SpaceShipTwo test flights
Virgin Galactic says it is delaying the next test flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle by more than two months to address technical issues, part of a revamped flight test program that will postpone flights of space tourists to 2022.
Orbex commissions 3D printer capable of producing 35+ rocket engines a year
On the heels of raising $24 million in December, Orbex announced Feb. 24 that it has commissioned AMCM to build a large-volume 3D printer for manufacturing its rocket engines.
Maxar remains focused on multiyear diversification strategy
Maxar Technologies is continuing to diversify its business but remains in the “early innings” in attracting expanding defense and intelligence work, said Dan Jablonsky, Maxar president and CEO.
Stoke raises seed round to work on fully reusable rockets
A startup founded by a group of former Blue Origin and SpaceX employees has raised a seed round of funding to support their effort to make a fully reusable launch vehicle.
