Spire
Spire to host payloads for defense contractor
Spire Global announced March 11 that it has signed a deal to host reconnaissance payloads from a defense contractor on its cubesat constellation.
Spire seeks to expand business with Pentagon
Spire Global, the company that operates a constellation of cubesats that collects a variety of radiofrequency data, is hiring a former Marine to help the company grow its business in the national security sector.
Op-Ed | The space industry’s game-changing role in next-generation aircraft tracking and surveillance
“Traditional” ADS-B transmits to ground-based communication systems and lacks coverage over oceans and remote areas. This is where the space industry is stepping up to play a game-changing role in the next generation of aviation.
PSLV launch a boost for smallsat IoT, remote-sensing constellations
A total of 30 small satellites flew as secondary payloads with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s HysIS hyperspectral imaging satellite when it launched Nov. 29 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on the Indian island of Sriharikota at 11:28 p.m. Eastern.
Commercial EO innovation challenges snail-pace government timescales
Leaps in capabilities of commercial constellations of small Earth-observation satellites and the decreasing cost of their services were at the center of a debate about the future of publicly funded Earth-observation missions after Spire CEO Peter Platzer introduced the company’s ambition to become “the Amazon” of space.
Price swings expected during launch industry shakeout
The next two to three years will be a time of adjustment in the space launch industry, according to panelists at Satellite Innovation 2018 here.
Three companies win NOAA commercial weather data pilot contracts
NOAA awarded more than $8 million in contracts this week to three companies in the second round of a commercial satellite weather data pilot program.
Rocket Lab sets date for first commercial launch
Rocket Lab plans to perform the first commercial launch of its Electron rocket later this month, carrying satellites for at least two companies, the company announced April 3.
Smallsat launch providers face pricing pressure from Chinese vehicles
Companies that are developing small launch vehicles or who provide rideshare launch services say they expect new Chinese launch vehicles to drive down launch prices, raising concerns among some of unfair competition.
Largest cubesat operators say 25-year deorbit guideline a priority
Planet and Spire, operators of the two largest commercial cubesat constellations in orbit, say they manage their fleets to prevent retired spacecraft from lingering in space beyond internationally accepted guidelines.
The still-unrealized promise of commercial Earth science data
Proponents of commercial satellite weather programs have talked up the promise of government data buys from such systems. The results so far have been underwhelming.
New companies needed to maintain small satellite market growth
The number of small satellites launched in 2017 exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts, but continued growth of the market will require new companies to start deploying constellations in the next few years.
PSLV launch a milestone for India and several companies
The successful launch of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Jan. 11 marked not just the return to flight of the rocket but also major achievements for several of the companies with payloads on board the vehicle.
Luxembourg to invest in Spire
An agreement announced Nov. 15 brings together a space company looking to grow its capabilities with a government seeking to expand its presence in the space industry.
Rocket Lab to fly satellites on second Electron launch
Rocket Lab, the U.S.-New Zealand company developing the Electron small launch vehicle, said Sept. 26 that it will fly four cubesats from two companies on the rocket’s next test flight late this year.
Minotaur 4’s canceled commercial cubesat rideshares could spark policy changes
Following a decision to pull eight Spire commercial cubesats from an Orbital ATK Minotaur 4 launch from Cape Canaveral Aug. 26 carrying a military payload, the U.S. Air Force says it and other government agencies are crafting clear procedures on how to handle such future rideshare agreements.
