Space Industry Analysis
Sep 24, 2012
The French Polynesian island of Bora-Bora gleams in 1.5-meter (5-ft.) resolution in this image collected by the new SPOT 6 Earth-observation satellite three days after its Sept. 9 launch from the Satish Dhawan space center on Sriharikota Island on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C21). Built by Astrium Services, the 800-kg (1,765-lb.) spacecraft images a 60-km (37-mi.) swath and can be complemented by 50-cm (20-in.) data from the very-high-resolution Pleiades 1A satellite, Astrium says.
Sep 24, 2012
Researchers from industry, academia and government agencies now have access to the Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) testbed on the International Space Station (ISS). NASA's Glenn Research Center hopes to begin demonstrations as early as late next year of new waveforms and software designed to enhance data delivery from scientific spacecraft. Announcements of opportunity to use SCAN are on the street, with industry and government researchers invited to enter Space Act agreements, and academic researchers to propose cooperative agreements.
Sep 24, 2012
A business aviation-related article in the Sept. 17 issue (page 62) incorrectly identified which Bombardier Global model will offer a 7,300-nm range at Mach 0.85 cruise when it becomes available in 2016. It is the Global 7000.
Sep 17, 2012
As CEO of EADS, Louis Gallois was repeatedly rebuffed by his board when he sought to acquire U.S. defense companies. Less than four months after Gallois' retirement, a single deal could finally make EADS a top supplier to the Pentagon—and in the process create the largest aerospace and defense (A&D) company ever.
Sep 17, 2012
Mars Curiosity rover's three left wheels frame the lower slopes of Mount Sharp in this two-frame mosaic collected Sept. 9 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (Mahli) during tests of the robotic arm.
Sep 17, 2012
An article on Neil Armstrong in the Sept. 3/10 issue (page 32) misstated the date of the Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1 fire and referred to alarms on the Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle, with the command module's name, Columbia. Also, details of Gemini 8's early return to Earth were omitted. After the pilots disengaged the primary maneuvering system and used the reentry system to regain control of the spacecraft, flight rules dictated that they deorbit.
May 26, 2020
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) ninth resupply mission completed a 4-ton cargo delivery to the International Space Station (ISS) early May 25.
May 26, 2020
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk started SpaceX with the goal of building an inexpensive, reliable rocket to launch satellites—and then people—to…
May 25, 2020
SpaceX is looking to shave development time for Starship crewed flights to less than half of the six years it has taken to get the Falcon 9-Dragon system ready to fly people for the first time.
May 25, 2020
Space company Virgin Orbit is reviewing telemetry data from the first LauncherOne launch vehicle orbital test flight attempt, which was terminated after an anomaly occurred shortly after launch May 25.
May 25, 2020
Work on SpaceX’s prototype Starship spacecraft has eased up while the company focuses on launching its first people into orbit, says CEO Elon Musk.
May 22, 2020
NASA completed a two-day Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for the Demo-2 test mission, confirming a launch attempt on May 27 for SpaceX’s first human spaceflight and NASA’s first launch of astronauts on a U.S. system since 2011.
May 22, 2020
The Space Force is moving forward in its effort to unify the Pentagon’s architecture for missile defense.
May 22, 2020
The U.S. Air Force has submitted a report to Congress on an alternative acquisition system for the Space Force.