Small Satellites
Momentus to offer last-miles service from SpaceX rideshare flights
Momentus purchased rides on five SpaceX Falcon 9 SmallSat Rideshare missions in 2020 and 2021 to showcase the ability of its Vigoride in-space transportation vehicle to move customer satellites 300 to 1,200 kilometers beyond the drop-off point, the Santa Clara, California, company announced March 9.
Blue Canyon Technologies to supply bus for Made In Space’s Archinaut One
Blue Canyon Technologies announced plans Feb. 12 to supply its X-SAT small satellite for Made In Space’s Archinaut One on-orbit manufacturing demonstration mission.
China’s Spacety CEO sees future in radar satellites, data fusion
Feng Yang, Spacety CEO and founder, talked with SpaceNews about his plans for small synthetic aperture radar satellites and the origins of the company at the Space Tech Expo Europe.
Boeing veteran Dawn Harms joins Momentus leadership team
Dawn Harms, the former Boeing Satellite Systems International vice president for global sales and marketing, has joined Momentus to serve as chief revenue officer for the In-space transportation startup.
York Space Systems expands facility to speed up spacecraft production
York Space Systems is gearing up to produce hundreds of satellites annually.
Momentus reports success in testing water plasma propulsion
Momentus’ is reporting success in on-orbit testing of water plasma propulsion and other key elements of its Vigoride in-space transportation vehicle.
Air Force soliciting bids for small, medium satellite launch program
OSP-4 is designed to accommodate payloads greater than 400 lbs. The Air Force projects it will procure about 20 missions over nine years.
NOAA seeks to “kick the tires” on new instruments, mission concepts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to conduct technology demonstrations and pathfinder projects as it prepares to update its Earth observation constellations.
U.K. deepens space ties with U.S., announces investments in small satellites, responsive launch
The U.K. will invest $34 million in small satellites, will increase support for the Combined Space Operations Center.
Momentus reveals plans for Vigoride Extended Line service
Momentus is preparing to demonstrate its water plasma propulsion system on an Astro Digital 16-unit cubesat scheduled to launch July 5 on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Q&A: The changing assumptions of the small launch market
Do small launcher companies need megaconstellation business to survive? How should they approach a market that sometimes feels like its changing faster than the rockets themselves? Five launch companies discussed these topics March 13 at a Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion moderated by SpaceNews.
Exolaunch and Virgin Orbit sign memorandum of understanding
German launch services provider Exolaunch announced a memorandum of understanding April 11 with Virgin Orbit to send satellites into space as early as 2020 on LauncherOne dedicated and rideshare missions.
Blue Canyon Technologies: Doubling to meet demand
Blue Canyon Technologies, a company established in 2008 as a satellite component supplier, is expanding rapidly to meet growing demand for complete spacecraft and mission operations.
Exolaunch plans ambitious launch campaign
“We act as an essential interface between a heavy lift launch vehicle and a small satellite developer," said Jeanne Medvedeva, Exolaunch commercial director.
Momentus signs in-space transportation pact
In-space transportation startup Momentus announced Feb. 6 the first contract for its Vigoride and Vigoride Extended satellite repositioning services at the SmallSat Symposium here.
Op-ed | NewSpace must be regulated
Move fast and break things, the mantra of Silicon Valley startups, has now spread to the space sector with Swarm Technologies going as far as breaking the law.
