Satellite News
Intuitive-machines-lands-on-the-moon / US spaceship lying sideways after dramatic Moon touchdown
The first American spaceship to the Moon since the Apollo era is probably lying sideways following its dramatic landing, the company that built it said Friday, even as ground controllers work to download data and surface photos from the uncrewed robot. The Odysseus spacecraft landed near the lunar south pole Thursday at 6:23 pm Eastern Time (2323 GMT), after a nail-biting final descent when ground teams had to switch to a backup guidance system and took several minutes to establish radio contact after landing.
Launcher News
PLD Space wins an ESA Boost! contract to support flexible payload accommodation
PLD Space has signed a Boost! contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a payload accommodation system on MIURA 5
Gilmour Space raises million$$ for their Australian launch efforts in Australia
Australia’s space race is gathering pace with Queensland-based Gilmour Space Technologies raising a $55 million (US$36 million) Series D round ahead
Live and Let Fly’: Rocket Lab’s inaugural NRO launch from Wallops, Virginia
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. a leader in space launch services, is set to enhance its partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) through a groundbreaking launch from U.S. territory
Exploration News
Axiom Space and UK Space Agency seek innovative projects for upcoming mission
The UK Space Agency has announced the opening of two new funding calls, targeting science experiments and technology demonstrators, as part of the groundwork for a possible collaboration with Axiom
Space Perspective Unveils The Future Of Human Space Travel
Space Perspective, a trailblazer in the burgeoning space tourism industry, has recently made headlines with its unveiling of the Spaceship Neptune, setting a new standard for human space travel.
NASA Invests in Research to Secure the Future of Space and Lunar Operations
NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy (OTPS) has launched a significant funding initiative aimed at advancing the sustainability of activities in Earth’s orbit and on the lunar surface.
NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX Completes 1st Perihelion
NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft has successfully navigated its closest approach to the Sun. This maneuver, known as perihelion, brought the spacecraft 25 million miles closer to the Sun
What to know about the NASA-funded commercial Moon fleet
The year 2024 promises to be a busy one for American Moon landings, all under a new partnership between NASA and the space industry.
NewSpace News
Webinar Replay: Automating for SmallSat Success
KSF Space now offering a flexible CubeSat kit
KSF Space has introduced an innovative CubeSat kit, version 2.0, that includes four PCB boards plus ample room for extra payloads, allowing for the customization of a satellite to meet specific needs.the customization of a satellite to meet specific needs.
Unseenlabs launch of BRO-12 and BRO-13 will make a visible difference in detecting illegal activities
Space Safety News
Software problem blamed for Firefly Alpha mishap
A software glitch prevented the upper stage of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket from completing a second burn during a December launch, stranding its payload in a low orbit. Firefly said an error with the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) software for the upper stage kept the upper stage from firing as planned to circularize its orbit. That left the upper stage and its payload in an orbit with a low perigee.
Science & Technology News
ESA + Hassell design an inflatable lunar habitat
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently unveiled a plan for what a long-term structure on the Moon might look like — the agency partnered with an architectural firm, Hassell, to design a conceptual base
Varda capsule lands in Utah
The Varda-developed capsule, about 90 centimeters in diameter and weighing less than 90 kilograms, was part of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft launched in June 2023 on SpaceX’s Transporter-8 rideshare mission. Varda used the spacecraft to test space manufacturing technologies, producing crystals of a drug called ritonavir that would be returned to Earth in the capsule.
