Space News for Friday, March 03, 2023

White House cybersecurity strategy warns of ‘complex threat environment’

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 21:34

The Biden administration is releasing an updated cybersecurity plan. The new document replaces the Trump administration’s 2018 cybersecurity strategy. Space Policy Directive 5 was billed as the first comprehensive government policy related to cybersecurity for satellites and related systems. Experts have warned that space systems are coming under increasing attacks.

China’s Shenzhou-15 astronauts conduct secretive second spacewalk

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 21:28

China for the first time provides no advance indication nor details of the event. The secrecy surrounding the spacewalk is in contrast to previous Tiangong EVAs. The lack of transparency may be seen by other space actors as troublesome. China is undergoing a reshuffle of key government positions ahead of its annual parliamentary session.

Raytheon wins $250 million contract for missile-tracking satellites

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 18:53

Raytheon to build seven missile-tracking satellites for SDA's low Earth orbit constellation. The satellites will be part of SDA’s Tracking Layer Tranche 1, a constellation of infrared-sensing satellites. Congress increased the agency’s 2023 budget by $250 million specifically to pay for missile-tracking satellites.

CesiumAstro wins SDA contract for Link 16 antennas

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 12:30

CesiumAstro wins $5 million contract from Pentagon's Space Development Agency. Austin-based startup specializing in phased array technology announced the award March 2. CesiumAstro’s flat panel active electronically scanned array antennas employ multiple beams. L3Harris Technologies announced plans in October to acquire Viasat’s Link 16 business.

SpaceX rocket boosts U.S.-Russian-Emirati crew into orbit

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday with a four-man crew heading for a six-month stay on the International Space Station. Commander Stephen Bowen, pilot Warren “Woody” Hoburg, astronaut Sultan Alneyadi from the United Arab Emirates, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev were strapped into their seats for the eight-and-a-half minute ride into orbit.

LATEST UPDATE: On their way as NASA’s CREW-6’s human spaceflight mission to ISS is successful – SatNews

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

The SpaceX Crew-6 mission launched at 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The international crew are the agency’s sixth commercial crew rotation mission with SpaceX aboard the orbital laboratory. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi.

constellr + Exolaunch sign MLA for smallsat AgTech constellation deployment – SatNews

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

ConstelIr and Exolaunch have signed a multi-launch agreement (MLA) for the former’s high precision versatile ecosphere monitoring (HiVE) smallsat constellation. The HiVE constellation is designed to provide advanced warning to AgTech companies of plant stress from temperature-induced evapotranspiration. The first two operational and commercial satellites of the HiVE constellation are planned to launch to SSO in 2024.

AAC Clyde Space’s first transformational EPIC VIEW satellite to deliver hyperspectral imagery data to Wyvern – SatNews

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

AAC Clyde Space has shipped the first of three satellites to Wyvern. The satellites will continue the transformation of AAC Clyde Space into a space-based data company over the coming years. The launch is planned for April on SpaceX’s Transporter 7 mission from California. The satellite is expected to start delivering data during the second quarter of 2023.

Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with Qualcomm and Iridium Communications to test Snapdragon Satellite connectivity on next-gen Android – SatNews

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

Rohde & Schwarz is the first to supply test and measurement equipment to support non-signaling R&D and production testing of this new feature. The R&S CMW100 communications manufacturing test set for non-signaling wireless device testing has been validated by Qualcomm Technologies for QDART.

ReliaSat’s acquisition of Arralis Technologies to refocus in Ka-band high data rate satellites, designing and manufacturing of space antennas and more – SatNews

Original Publication Date: 2023-03-02 00:00

ReliaSat Limited, an employee-owned wholly U.K. Enterprise, has agreed to acquire Arralis Technologies. Arralis Technologies was formerly a Hong Kong owned manufacturer of mmWave communications technology. ReliaSat will focus on Ka-Band high data rate satellites, targeting present and future Low Earth Orbit constellations.

NASA’s Quantum Detector Achieves World-Leading Milestone

Device developed by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech that can count huge numbers of single photons with incredible precision. Performance-Enhanced Array for Counting Optical Quanta (PEACOQ) detector is able to measure the precise time each photon hits it, within 100 trillionths of a second.