Telesat’s initial LEO constellation fully funded after manufacturer switch
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-11 18:31
Telesat saves $2 billion by pivoting to smaller satellites from MDA. MDA is building 198 satellites for Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation. Launches slated to start in the middle of mid-2026. Telesat expects the total cost for 156 satellites to be around $3.5 billion.
UPDATE: Success as SpaceX’s 22 Starlinks soar turning the early morning sky pink – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-11 00:00
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket originally scheduled to launch 22 of the second-generation “V2” mini satellites, is now rescheduled to 12:27 a.m. EDT (0427 UTC) early Friday morning. The 22 Starlink satellites will head into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This will be the 11th launch of the V2 minis. The company’s internet service is available in more than 60 countries and has more than 1.5 million subscribers.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink V2 mini small sats delayed and rescheduled – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-11 00:00
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket originally scheduled to launch 22 of the second-generation “V2” mini satellites, is now rescheduled to 12:27 a.m. EDT (0427 UTC) The 22 Starlink satellites will head into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This will be the 11th launch of the V2 minis.
Australia’s Neuman Space and Gilmour Space to provide more powerful version of the Neumann Drive® for SmallSats – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-11 00:00
Neumann Space and Gilmour Space Technologies will collaborate to develop a more powerful version of the Neumann Drive® for use by the SmallSat market. The development of this new space product is a primary focus for Neumann Space in the Australian Space Manufacturing Network (ASMN) Neumann Space launched its first propulsion system into space in June of this year.
SCOUT awarded million$ by SpaceWERX – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-11 00:00
SCOUT Space has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Phase II STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) in the amount of $1.5 million. SCOUT was awarded the Phase II Orbital Prime STTR in collaboration with Stanford University’s Space Rendezvous Laboratory (SLAB)
Meet the Mars Samples: Robine and Malay (Samples 6 and 7)
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet. NASA is teaming with ESA (European Space Agency) on this important endeavor.
Meet the Mars Samples: Salette and Coulettes (Samples 4 and 5)
The Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet and provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for ancient life.
Meet the Mars Samples: Montdenier and Montagnac (Samples 2 and 3)
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet and provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars.
Meet the Mars Samples: Roubion (Sample 1)
As of June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 19 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet. It provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for ancient life.
Meet the Mars Samples: Hazeltop and Bearwallow (Samples 12/13)
As of June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 19 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life.
Testing Out JPL’s New Snake Robot
A team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is creating and testing a snake-like robot called EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) Inspired by a desire to descend vents on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus and enter the subsurface ocean, this versatile robot is being developed to autonomously map, traverse, and explore previously inaccessible destinations on Earth, the Moon, and other worlds in our solar system.
Luna 25: the first Russian spacecraft in 47 years heading to the moon
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-10 20:33
Russian Luna 25 spacecraft launched on August 10, 2023, from Vostochny cosmodrome. This is the first mission to explore the Earth satellite created by the Russian Federation. The entire future of the lunar program in Russia depends on whether this spacecraft will be able to make a soft landing near the south pole of the Moon.