Commercial
Luxembourg extends space resources work through new agreements with NASA and ESA
Agreements with NASA and the European Space Agency are the latest steps by the government of Luxembourg to support its emerging space resources industry.
SpaceX plans to start offering Starlink broadband services in 2020
The goal is to complete six to eight Starlink launches to get sufficient coverage to start offering the service to consumers in 2020.
Blue Origin, Lockheed, Northrop join forces for Artemis lunar lander
Blue Origin is joining forces with three other major aerospace firms in a “national team” to develop a human lunar lander for NASA.
Umbra emerges from stealth mode with plans to offer 25-centimeter radar at optical imagery prices
After years of secrecy, Umbra Lab is revealing details of its plan to launch a constellation of 50-kilogram synthetic aperture radar satellites to capture imagery with a resolution of 25 centimeters.
Defense Innovation Unit seeks stealthy satellite antennas, handheld navigation devices
DIU wants to 'make the process easy for companies that don't have time to answer traditional government solicitations.'
Report calls for changes in planetary protection policies
An independent report is calling on NASA to update decades’ old planetary protection policies to reflect changing knowledge of solar system habitability and to enable future exploration by both the space agency and commercial entities.
Senator pushes for FCC, not satellite operators, to run C-band auction
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said the FCC should be able to clear the spectrum just as fast as the C-Band Alliance, if not faster, by holding a public auction.
Rocket Lab launches Astro Digital satellite
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched a single cubesat for Astro Digital Oct. 16, placing the satellite into a much higher orbit than previous Electron launches.
OQ Technology hoping to jump ahead in IoT race through GomSpace cubesat tests
OQ Technology of Luxembourg used GomSpace’s two GOM-X4 cubesats in low Earth orbit to demonstrate waveforms for a future constellation.
Dankberg teases ViaSat-4 specs, still mulling MEO constellation
Viasat says that co-building its ViaSat-3 satellites with Boeing has given the company experience it can leverage to multiply the capacity achievable with a next-generation ViaSat-4 system.
SpaceX sees U.S. Army as possible customer for Starlink and Starship
Shotwell: “We’re talking to the Army about Starlink and Starship."
Thales Alenia Space expanding Spanish factory • Telesat completes $500 million debt refinancing
Thales Alenia Space said Oct. 16 it will add 600 square meters of clean room space at its Tres Cantos, Madrid, facility to support the integration of telecom, navigation, Earth observation and science spacecraft.
Iceye’s one-meter Spotlight becomes commercially available
Iceye announced plans Oct. 16 to begin offering commercial access to its Spotlight mode, offering one-meter resolution synthetic aperture radar imagery.
Spire to expand fleet and offer AirSafe API for global aircraft tracking
Spire Global plans to nearly double its satellite constellation and offer AirSafe API, a global aircraft tracking product that combines data from sensors in space and on the ground.
Sierra Nevada ready to complete assembly of first Dream Chaser spacecraft
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) says it’s ready to proceed into final assembly and testing of its first Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft, as the company retains plans to eventually develop a crewed version of the vehicle.
Planet to offer higher resolution, more spectral bands
Planet is preparing to offer 50-centimeter-resolution imagery from its SkySat constellation and updating Dove satellites to gather imagery in eight spectral bands.
