News
Daily coverage of the global space industry with an emphasis on business and political news.
Intelsat returning JCSAT-RA satellite to Japan’s Sky Perfect JSAT
Intelsat is seeking regulatory permission to hand the JCSAT-RA satellite back to Japan’s Sky Perfect JSAT as a commercial deal between the satellite operators ends.
Space Force sees ‘advantages and opportunities’ in nuclear-powered space missions
Space vehicles powered by small nuclear reactors could be used for military missions in deep space, the vice chief of the U.S. Space Force said July 28.
R3-IoT gets funding for satellite-enabled sensor connectivity solutions
Scottish startup R3-IoT is expanding to North America after raising early funds for connecting sensors and devices with satellite-enabled solutions.
Isar Aerospace raises $75 million
Isar Aerospace, a German small launch vehicle company, has raised an additional $75 million that will allow the company to expand its manufacturing and launch capabilities.
Weather key issue for Starliner launch
NASA and Boeing say a second test flight of the company’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle remains on track for launch July 30, with weather the biggest concern.
Anuvu orders first satellites for small GEO mobility constellation
Anuvu has ordered the first two of an eight-strong constellation of small geostationary orbit satellites as demand returns for Wi-Fi on aircraft, boats and remote locations.
House panel wants details on Space Force plans to upgrade launch infrastructure
The House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces in its markup of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act raises concerns about the state of the U.S. space launch infrastructure.
Astroscale and rocket maker MHI team up to develop debris removal technology
Astroscale announced July 27 that it will be working with rocket maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on technologies to help clean up space junk.
Astronomers back technical efforts to reduce impacts of satellite megaconstellations while seeking regulatory solutions
With slow progress on regulation and policy, astronomers are making progress on other approaches to mitigate the effects that satellite megaconstellations will have on their observations.
Chinese rocket company Space Pioneer secures major funding ahead of first launch
Chinese commercial rocket company Space Pioneer has secured a large funding round ahead of reusable “hop” tests and a first orbital launch.
DoD calls for broader dialogue on space rules of behavior
Guidelines issued by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for responsible space operations should be part of a wider conversation about how to maintain safety and security in space, a senior Pentagon official said July 26.
SpaceX or ULA to launch future Space Development Agency satellites
Launch services for Space Development Agency satellites will be procured under the National Security Space Launch program run by the U.S. Space Force.
U.K. to strengthen regulations for Starlink, OneWeb and other NGSO constellations
British telecoms regulator Ofcom is proposing rule changes that would affect Starlink, OneWeb and other satellite constellations operating in non-geostationary orbits (NGSO).
Bezos offers billions in incentives for NASA lunar lander contract
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos says his company will cover more than $2 billion in costs if NASA will award it a second Human Landing System (HLS) contract.
Report calls on government agencies to better coordinate spectrum
An interagency dispute about the use of a spectrum band for weather forecasting versus terrestrial wireless services illustrates the need for the federal government to reform its spectrum management processes, a report concluded.
