Firefly to continue responsive launch operations for future Alpha missions
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-02 20:35
Firefly Aerospace plans to make responsive launch operations the norm for upcoming launches. Firefly launched the Victus Nox mission for the U.S. Space Force Sept. 14 successfully placing a satellite into orbit. The company is planning four Alpha launches this year, the same figure the company offered before the mishap.
Eutelsat stops services on aging satellite following anomaly
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-02 16:41
Eutelsat says it has stopped providing services from an aging geostationary satellite. The 18-year-old Eutelsat 113 West A satellite had been providing video, data. The anomaly hit Jan. 31, three years after the end of its design life.
Satellite phone networks can democratize global communication
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-02 15:30
Aaron Shull: SpaceX has sent text messages using new Starlink direct-to-cell satellites. Shull: The satellite phone may soon be much more widely available worldwide. He says it raises fundamental questions about data sovereignty and legacy systems. Shull: This technology could help deliver on the initial promise of the internet.
Blue Origin touts capabilities of Blue Ring transfer vehicle
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-02 13:08
Blue Origin highlights capabilities of orbital transfer vehicle design it announced last year. Blue Ring provides a wide array of “in-space logistics and delivery” services. Company executive says there has been strong interest in the vehicle. Blue Ring is the core of a new business unit at Blue Origin called In-Space Systems.
OpenET Study Helps Water Managers and Farmers Put NASA Data to Work
OpenET data is already being put to work in Northern California. Water resource managers are using OpenET to help farmers comply with state rules. The new study “gives us more confidence that these numbers are accurate,” an engineer says. And that OpenET is continually improving over time.