SpaceNews : SpaceX blames Starship Flight 8 mishap on engine hardware failure
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The failure of SpaceX’s Starship on its most recent test flight had a different root cause than the previous failure, despite happening at about the same time. SpaceX released details May 23 about the cause of the Flight 8 mishap that took place March 6, when several Raptor engines on the Starship […]
SpaceNews : Raytheon secures $380 million contract extension for GPS ground control system
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded Raytheon a $379.7 million contract extension to continue development of the long-delayed Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), a critical software upgrade for the Global Positioning System (GPS) infrastructure now more than eight years behind schedule. The extension, announced May 21, follows a $196.7 million award in […]
SpaceNews : Impulse Space to launch SES satellites
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — Impulse Space has signed an agreement with satellite operator SES to transport that company’s satellites to medium and geostationary orbits. The companies announced May 22 that they signed a multi-launch agreement that starts with a mission in 2027 where Impulse’s Helios kick stage, placed into low Earth orbit by a medium-class rocket, […]
SpaceNews : Space sponsorship: the next frontier for revenue generation
[[{“value”:” As a new era of space exploration and development unfolds — one with far more private-sector investment and leadership — the potential for rapid growth is promising. National security, deep space exploration, and a plethora of emerging commercial applications are driving up global space sector revenue, projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035 versus […]
SpaceNews : Senate sets up early June vote on Isaacman nomination to lead NASA
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The Senate is set to vote on confirming Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator in early June. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) filed cloture on Isaacman’s nomination May 22, a procedural move that would set up a vote on the nomination in early June. The Senate is not in session […]
SpaceNews : Dawn Aerospace begins sales of Aurora suborbital spaceplane
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — Dawn Aerospace announced May 22 that it has started taking orders for an uncrewed spaceplane capable of taking small payloads on suborbital flights. The New Zealand company said it is beginning sales of the Aurora spaceplane, a vehicle capable of carrying six kilograms of payload to an altitude of 100 kilometers. First […]
SpaceNews : FAA provides final approval for next Starship launch
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has given final approval to SpaceX for the next Starship launch, now scheduled for no earlier than next week. The FAA announced May 22 that it approved the return to flight for Starship. The FAA updated the launch license for Starship May 15 that included changes such as […]
SpaceNews : Pentagon boosts budget for Palantir’s AI software in major expansion of Project Maven
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is dramatically increasing spending on artificial intelligence for military operations, raising the contract ceiling for Palantir Technologies’ Maven Smart System to nearly $1.3 billion through 2029. The Defense Department announced May 21 it is upping the spending limit for software licenses under Maven by $795 million, compared to a ceiling […]
SpaceNews : ESA seeks funding for ‘security and resilience’ satellite program
[[{“value”:” WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency will request funding from member states for an Earth observation satellite system for security applications, blurring the line between the agency’s traditional civil focus and new defense work. In an interview broadcast by Friends of Europe May 21, Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, said ESA will seek funding […]
SpaceNews : PiLogic raises $4 million for bespoke satellite AI models
[[{“value”:” TAMPA, Fla. — Californian software startup PiLogic announced $4 million in seed funding May 22 to develop satellite diagnostics and other artificial intelligence tools tailored for space applications. The first satellite equipped with the venture’s electrical power system diagnostics model is slated to launch this year for an undisclosed customer, according to Johannes Waldstein, […]