News
Daily coverage of the global space industry with an emphasis on business and political news.
Canada developing lunar rover and science payloads
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is moving ahead on efforts to develop lunar science payloads and a small rover that could fly to the moon on a NASA-sponsored lander mission.
In call with troops, Trump basks in Space Force achievement
During a call with members of the military on his last Thanksgiving as commander in chief, President Trump touted his efforts to establish the Space Force.
Axelspace prepares to expand Earth-observation constellation
With four satellites scheduled to launch in 2021, Tokyo-based Axelspace Corp. is moving toward its goal of capturing daily, global Earth imagery.
Virgin Orbit planning second LauncherOne mission for December
Virgin Orbit is preparing to perform a second flight of its LauncherOne small launch vehicle in the second half of December, carrying a set of NASA-sponsored cubesats.
Japan’s new H3 launcher delayed by rocket engine component issues
The first launches of the new Japanese H3 launch vehicle are being delayed by issues with two components of the rocket’s main engine.
SpaceX ready for Starship suborbital flight as FAA begins new environmental study
As SpaceX prepares for the first high-altitude test flight of its Starship reusable launch vehicle, the FAA is starting a new environmental review required for the company’s future launch vehicle plans.
SpaceX sets new Falcon 9 reuse milestone on Starlink launch
SpaceX set a new milestone in Falcon 9 reuse with the latest Starlink satellite launch Nov. 24 as the company seeks permission to deploy Starlink satellites into a new orbit.
Traditional launch services may not suit the needs of the future Space Force
How the Pentagon buys launch services in the future could change as the military considers using emerging technologies and services known as “space mobility and logistics.”
Telesat and Loral to form Canadian public company
Canadian satellite fleet operator Telesat and Loral Space & Communications announced plans Nov. 24 to combine to form Telesat Corp., a Canadian public company, in a deal expected to close next year.
Rocket Lab declares success in Electron rocket recovery
Rocket Lab says its attempt to recover the first stage from its latest Electron launch was a “complete success,” but that the company still has work to do before it’s ready to attempt to reuse the stage.
Germany to become the first foreign military buyer of U.S. jam-resistant GPS receivers
Germany has ordered jam-resistant Global Positioning System receivers from the United States military, becoming the first buyer of the advanced GPS user equipment under the Foreign Military Sales program.
Relativity Space raises $500 million
Small launch vehicle startup Relativity Space has raised a $500 million funding round that the company says will enable it to accelerate its long-term vision of reshaping aerospace manufacturing.
China launches Chang’e-5 Moon sample return mission
A Long March 5 rocket launched China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft Monday to kick off a 23-day mission to deliver the first lunar samples to Earth since the 1970s.
Capella sends first task order through Inmarsat data relay
Fleet operator Inmarsat and communications technology firm Addvalue Innovation announced success Nov. 23 relaying data between Capella Space’s operations center on the ground and Capella’s Sequoia synthetic aperture radar satellite.
To boost its military space business, Lockheed Martin turns to commercial players
To compete in an unconventional program like the Space Development Agency's Transport Layer, Lockheed Martin decided to team up with commercial companies.
GeoOptics and Spire Global win NOAA weather data contracts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded its first contracts Nov. 20 to purchase radio occultation data from commercial satellite operators to GeoOptics and Spire Global.
