NASA has concluded a full-duration hot fire test for the RS-25 engine to help power the Space Launch System rocket for future Artemis missions. During the test, operators fired the engine for 10 minutes at power levels between 80 percent and 113 percent, allowing testers to study power outputs and capabilities within and beyond the […]
L3Harris’ infrared sensor satellite for a future U.S. military constellation has passed a preliminary review, enabling the defense contractor to participate in the U.S. Space Force’s Medium Earth Orbit Missile Warning and Tracking program. On Monday, Paul Wloszek, L3Harris’ general manager for missile defense, said that completing the review allows the program to remain on […]
SpaceX, Rocket Lab USA and 13 other companies have secured five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity base contracts worth a total of $45 million to provide NASA and other agencies with flight and payload integration services. The other recipients are Aerostar International, Angstrom Designs, Astrobotic Technology, Astro Digital, Blue Origin Texas, Galactic Enterprises, Loft Orbital Federal, Momentus Space, Near […]
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Boeing a $439.6 million contract to build the 12th Wideband Global SATCOM satellite for the Space Systems Command. The satellite will be part of the WGS constellation, designed to provide resilient, high-capacity satellite communications to the U.S. military and its allies. WGS delivers reliable connectivity to warfighters through the […]
NASA has scrapped its On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing 1 mission because of delays and cost overruns, as well as rapid developments in orbital technologies. According to NASA, changes to the costs, schedule and technical requirements, as well as an ongoing development across the space sector, meant that resources could not be dedicated to OSAM-1. […]
The House and Senate budget committees have approved a $24.875 billion 2024 NASA spending bill, down 2 percent from the 2023 budget and 8.5 percent less than the agency’s proposed $27.185 billion appropriation for 2024. The congressional appropriations bill shelved funding decision on NASA’s Mars Sample Return program, as the agency is reexamining the MSR […]
U.S. Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of the U.S. Space Command and a 2024 Wash100 winner, told lawmakers on Thursday that space assets face near-term risks as China and Russia develop anti-satellite weaponry. Speaking at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, he warned that space has become a contested warfighting domain because of the […]
The U.S. Space Systems Command has selected BAE Systems to create a prototype ground system under the first phase of the U.S. Space Force’s SSC Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution Command and Control project. BAE will use its existing capabilities to create a system that allows the Space Force to provide C2 capabilities for Next-Generation […]
A 10-day qualification testing of the SpaceX Starship Human Landing System’s docking system was recently performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to ensure the safety of astronauts who will fly to the moon during the Artemis III mission. The Starship is designed to dock with the lunar Gateway space station, where the spacecraft will wait […]
NASA and Nikon have entered into a Space Act Agreement partnership to develop a camera that will be used for the Artemis III lunar mission. Under the agreement, NASA and Nikon will work on the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera, a space-grade camera that can withstand lunar environments. The HULC comprises a modified Nikon Z 9 […]
