NASA announced that its Deep Space Optical Communications project has showcased the possibility of using optical communications to accelerate the sending of complex scientific information from space, including high-definition images and video. On April 8, the optical communication solution aboard the Psyche spacecraft achieved a maximum data transmission speed of 25 Mbps, surpassing the original goal […]
NASA has approved Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Pandora small satellite mission in its critical design review. The green light allows Pandora to progress toward launch and its mission to study exoplanets and their stars. Scheduled for launch in early 2025, Pandora is a 325 kilogram smallsat designed to enhance data collected by the James Webb […]
The Space Systems Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta has completed its mission of providing scientists with data on Earth’s atmospheric conditions from space. The CloudSat mission executed its final command on March 20, ending its operations after nearly 18 years of being the country’s first effort to better understand the impact of cloud profiles […]
Rocket Lab USA’s Electron rocket has deployed two satellites to distinct orbits on its 47th mission. The mission, which marks Rocket Lab’s fifth launch of 2024, launched from New Zealand on Wednesday, carrying payloads for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and NASA, Rocket Lab said. The primary satellite, KAIST’s NEONSAT-1, is an […]
Space access, mobility and logistics comprise the areas wherein the U.S. Space Force would fully rely on commercial solutions, according to Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, the U.S. Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs and requirements. Discussing at an Atlantic Council online event the eight priority mission areas of the recently released […]
Mercury Systems announced that BlueHalo has again tapped its support for the U.S. Space Force Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource project, building upon an initial production agreement in 2023. Under the new agreement, Mercury Systems will supply its field-programmable gate array-based common signal acquisition and digital beamforming solution to BlueHalo’s Broad Area Deployable Ground terminal enabling […]
NASA has welcomed Slovenia to the Artemis Accords, with Slovenian State Secretary Matevz Frangez of the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport signing the multi-nation pact for sustainable space development on the country’s behalf on Friday. Bill Nelson, NASA’s administrator, described the country’s entry into the Accords as a “new frontier” in the U.S. […]
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has demonstrated a fully virtualized satellite communications ground system for the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command in partnership with SES. The event showcased Kratos’ software-defined OpenSpace vStar satellite ground system, which enabled connecting a terminal in Port St. Lucie in the United States and a gateway in Lima, Peru, […]
The lack of existing standards for components and interfaces hampers collaboration between the United States and its allies in advancing space technologies. In a Defense Innovation Board meeting on Wednesday, Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted leader for Space Systems Command’s Intelligence Directorate, said that based on conversations with international partners, the lack of […]
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is soliciting inputs from the U.S. aerospace sector on almost 190 space technology shortfalls or gaps that it has identified as vital for future space missions and scientific endeavors. STMD is gathering feedback via the Space Tech Priorities website until May 13. Consultations through virtual meetings with key space technology […]
