An independent Aerospace Review mandated by the Canadian government in its 2011 budget has completed an 11 month review of Canada's aerospace sector and released its recommendations today. The two volume report, one focusing on the aerospace sector, the other on the space sector, could have far reaching consequences depending on whether the government pays heed to the recommendations.
Skybox Imaging (Skybox) today announced the company has successfully completed the simulated space environmental test of its first high-resolution imaging microsatellite.
The GOES-R Series Program, which is leading the effort to replace and upgrade NOAA's existing fleet of geostationary satellites that track severe weather across the United States, received a favorable appraisal conducted by an external team of aerospace experts of its preparations to launch the new series, beginning in late 2015.
Boeing [and partner Orbital Sciences Corporation [NYSE: ORB] are a step closer to helping the government of Mexico provide advanced communications services throughout the country and surrounding maritime area with the completion of the MEXSAT Bicentenario communications satellite.
ESA has just concluded a successful two-day Council meeting at ministerial level in Naples, Italy. Ministers from ESA's 20 member states and Canada today allocated €10 billion for ESA's space activities and programmes for the years to come.
The UK Space Agency is set to invest £1.2 billion in some of Europe's biggest and most lucrative space projects, providing the UK with increased leadership in a rapidly growing global sector and building on the British space industry's £9.1 billion contribution to the economy.
SpaceIL and Odyssey Moon Ltd., two teams competing in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, announced today a joint teaming deal to pursue the competition purse.
The Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation has added eight new members to its Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) to provide recommendations about the agency's oversight and regulation of the commercial space transportation industry.
Last week at the Canadian Space Summit Pete Worden was one of the invited keynote speakers. His topic was Small Satellites for Science and Other Uses and as an example: Earth Observation, promises and challenges. Among the technologies he discusses is the Interplanetary Internet and what the future might hold. The talk is about 30 minutes with a 12 minute question and answer session.
Like sailors of old, satellites in space take their bearings from the stars. Startrackers are an essential ingredient of space missions - and European companies dominate their commercial supply, benefiting from ESA's long-term technical coordination.
Paragon Space Development Corporation(R) is now a Space Foundation Space Certification Program Partner and has been authorized to carry the Certified Space TechnologyTM seal. It is being recognized for its Modular Air Revitalization System (MARS).
Fiscal year (FY) 2012 ended on a high note for NASA with the successful landing of the rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars in August. Over the next several years, Curiosity will explore the Red Planet in an effort to determine if it has ever been able to support life.
XCOR Aerospace announced today that it has issued the initial phase of a two-phase contract to ATK's Aerospace Structures Division [for the detailed design and manufacture of the Lynx Mark I suborbital reusable launch vehicle (RLV) wings and control surfaces. This announcement represents a critical milestone in the march toward assembly, test and entry into commercial service of the Lynx.
Obviously, this is a disappointing outcome. But while iLIDS may not have been the right solution for the ISS Program, the technology that has been developed for this program remains very impressive and the work that everyone has done to bring it this far has been outstanding.
The House of Representatives today unanimously approved H.R. 6586, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-MS), that extends for two years a commercial space transportation risk-sharing and liability regime that was established by Congress in 1988 with passage and enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act.
Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage, Merlin 1D engine, four steel landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure. For a sense of its scale, note the blue pick-up truck to the left of Grasshopper in the photo above.
NuSTAR, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, contains the first focusing telescopes designed to look at high-energy X-ray radiation. It is expected to contribute to a better understanding of collapsing stars and black holes.
This evening, an Ariane 5 launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites, Eutelsat-21B and Star One-C3, into their planned transfer orbits.
Euroconsult's newly released research report, Satellites to be Built & Launched by 2021: World Market Survey, anticipates that 1,075 satellites will be built for launch worldwide over the next 10 years (2012-2021).
The UK's #9.1 billion space sector is about to become even bigger business after the Government today pledged an extra #60 million to the UK Space Agency for Europe's space programme.
On October 25-26 a special symposium took place to mark the 50 years of solar system exploration. The Solar system Exploration @ 50 Symposium was sponsored by the NASA History Program Office, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This video shows the panel: Politics and Policy in the Conduct of Solar System Exploration.
According to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne cut 100 jobs yesterday.
Arianespace has given the green light for the launch tomorrow of its dual payload the EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3 satellites. It is the sixth launch of the year for the heavy lift Ariane 5. The launch window opens up at 4:05 p.m. ET (9:05 GMT) and closes at 5:51 p.m. ET (10:51 GMT) and will be webcast on Arianespace TV.
In May at the International Space Development Conference hosted by the National Space Society a summit of the teams competing in the Google Lunar X PRIZE took place. The video shows thoughts and updates from some of the teams. Of note, and as expected, we should be hearing soon about more teams merging for the race to the finish line.
GeoEye announced it third quarter results today but did not hold a host a conference call to discuss results due to the pending merger with DigitalGlobe. The company has also suspended its full year 2012 guidance.
Late last Friday MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced it had formally closed the deal to acquire Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) after it had received regulatory approval and secured the necessary financing. MDA announced in their quarterly call yesterday that on the same day of the closing it had been contacted by the Canadian government with a request for proposal for the build phase, Phase D, for the oft-delayed RADARSAT Constellation Mission.
Futron is pleased to release a benchmarking assessment that evaluates the space competitiveness of the Isle of Man.
SpaceRef is committed to providing timely, useful news and analysis on a wide variety of topics. Our web site focusing on business has been up until today called Commercial Space Watch. Today I'm happy to announce that in the first of many changes to the site we''re rebranding it as SpaceRef Business (spaceref.biz). Over the coming months you'll see increased business coverage and services on the site.
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has completed its first three performance milestones for NASA's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers.
Futron presented a concept for an East African spaceport at the 5th Annual Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA) Conference. Conference stakeholders joined with Futron in recommending a feasibility study as the next step in the spaceport's development.
On Thursday, November 1, NASA officials held a briefing to discuss Kennedy Space Center's future for spaceflight. Present were Bob Cabana, Director, Kennedy Space Center, Bill Hill, Assistant deputy Associate Administrator, NASA's Exploration Systems Development, and Ed Mango, Manager, NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
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