Small Satellite Conference
SpaceNews is pleased to bring you comprehensive coverage of the 35th Small Satellite Conference, presented by Blue Canyon Technologies, Aug. 9-12.
Exponential growth of cubesats may be tapering off
The use of cubesats has grown dramatically in recent years, but some are wondering if the form factor has reached the limits of its usefulness.
Electrodynamic tethers speed up satellite reentry timelines
Tethers Unlimited’s Terminator Tape lowered a cubesat into Earth’s atmosphere in eight months, while a nearly identical satellite without a 70-meter conductive tail is expected to remain in orbit for more than a decade.
Euroconsult: Pandemic does little to slow smallsat sector
The space sector in general has proven resilient throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandre Najjar, Euroconsult senior consultant, said Aug. 12 during a Small Satellite Conference side panel.
Rocket Lab wins order for three Photon missions from space manufacturing startup
Rocket Lab will build and launch three of its Photon spacecraft to serve as platforms for a startup with space manufacturing aspirations.
Telesat close to completing Lightspeed funding
Telesat is close to securing all the funds it needs for Lightspeed, after the Canadian government said it would inject more than a billion dollars into the low Earth orbit constellation.
Op-ed | Clearing space debris is good business
Space debris removal is not just an environmental concern. It makes money for all parties involved.
South Korea’s Hanwha enlarges space focus with $300 million OneWeb investment
Satellite broadband startup OneWeb has secured $300 million of strategic investment from Hanwha, the South Korean conglomerate with plans for its own megaconstellation.
Astra announces launch contract with Spire
Small launch vehicle developer Astra Space announced Aug. 12 it has a contract with Spire Global to launch some of that company’s smallsats.
Lunar cubesats head to the launch pad
The first cubesats designed to study the moon are scheduled to launch late this year, with more in development in the next few years.
Supply of small launch vehicles continues to grow
The number of small launch vehicle projects continues to grow despite the pandemic and the widespread belief of there is a significant oversupply of such vehicles, but that growth may be showing signs of slowing.
Ground station collaboration paving way for pioneering space missions
Ground station providers anticipate a new era of collaboration after coming together to support Astroscale, the startup months away from conducting the world’s first privately funded debris-removal demonstration.
Unseenlabs lines up Vega flight for fourth maritime surveillance satellite
French startup Unseenlabs is set to fly its next maritime surveillance nanosatellite on an Arianespace Vega rocket in mid-August, instead of launching with Rocket Lab as it did for the first three BRO spacecraft the venture has launched since mid-2019.
Interoperability, sustainability and cybersecurity pose challenges for small satellite sector
Ensuring that small satellites can communicate not only within their own constellations but within a broader ecosystem is one of the primary challenges cited by Lt. Gen. John Shaw, U.S. Space Command deputy commander, in an Aug. 9 keynote at the 35th Small Satellite conference.
IHI Aerospace to offer Epsilon rocket commercially
Japanese company IHI Aerospace plans to market a version of the little-used Epsilon small launch vehicle to commercial customers, although at prices significantly higher than similar vehicles in development.
Accion to supply thrusters for Xplore ESPA-class satellite
Accion Systems plans to supply miniature ion thrusters for Xplore Inc.’s 150-kilogram LEO Xcraft satellite, under an agreement announced Aug. 10.
Rocket Lab to launch three sets of BlackSky satellites
Rocket Lab will conduct three launches of satellites for Earth observation company BlackSky in about one month, the fastest launch cadence the company had demonstrated to date.
