NASA will launch an experiment to determine whether laser communications can support deep space missions. A system, called Deep Space Optical Communications, will share a ride with the space agency’s Psyche asteroid explorer set for launch on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Oct. 5 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both spacecraft will […]
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the development of operating tools for maneuverable satellites. The office set up Rapid Resilient Command and Control after acquisition head Frank Calvelli shifted tasks away from the Enterprise Ground Services program, which is intended to consolidate the Space Force’s ground systems. Col. Greg Hoffman, the […]
NASA has extended its contract with Spire Global, allowing the company to continue providing the agency and all U.S. government-funded research and federal agencies with Earth observation data, associated metadata and ancillary information from Spire’s constellation of low-Earth orbiting satellites. The 12-month contract renewal, valued at $6.5 million, was awarded under the Commercial Smallsat Data […]
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, a $36 million contract to develop and demonstrate a platform-agnostic satellite communications pod for beyond-line-of-sight capabilities. The communications pod will work to enable resilient, high-bandwidth, low-latency and multi-satellite communications and data transportation capabilities for warfighters. The communications pod must accommodate satellites in […]
Satellite observation data provider ICEYE US has received its first synthetic-aperture radar data task order under a blanket purchase agreement with NASA announced in April. The data will be provided to the scientific and academic communities to evaluate if the information is suitable for pursuing NASA’s Earth Science research objectives. The ICEYE-NASA agreement is the first […]
The U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX has awarded Starfish Space a $1.8 million contract to mature the company’s Cephalopod autonomous trajectory planning software designed to enable in-orbit satellite servicing, proximity operations and spacecraft deorbiting missions. Cephalopod is currently being tested on board the Otter Pup docking spacecraft launched in June on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter […]
Northrop Grumman has completed two key components for the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission and has advanced to the next phase of preparations. ASBM is a planned two-satellite constellation aimed at facilitating secure communications in the North Pole region. It is a joint effort with Space Norway and the U.S. Space Force built on the GEOStar-3 […]
Lockheed Martin has concluded the critical design review for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer program. During the CDR, Lockheed and SDA performed various validation activities, including a system optical communications terminal interoperability test, to ensure that T1TL works as intended. Lockheed also 3D-printed a full-size replica of the satellite vehicle testbed for […]
U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, head of the U.S. Southern Command, participated in a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on Friday, where she said partnerships with Latin American countries in space could help push back against the threat China poses. Richardson, who had accompanied NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during his recent tour of […]
LeoStella has introduced the LS300, a satellite bus for companies looking to work with the Space Development Agency. Tim Kienberger, CEO of LeoStella, noted in an interview that the new offering has 250 kilograms of available payload space. He explained that LS300 can carry optical inter-satellite links and radio frequency downlink and uplink technology, which […]
