Second Orbiter transfer vehicle malfunctions
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 22:55
Orbiter SN3 was part of a SpaceX rideshare mission that launched June 12. The vehicle caried several spacecraft intended to be deployed later. Controllers elected to immediately deploy all the smallsat payloads on board. That included Otter Pup, a technology demonstration spacecraft.
Lynk Global on verge of initial commercial direct-to-device services
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 21:38
Palau's largest telco says Lynk Global's technology will enable periodic texting. Customers would be able to send and receive texts up to three times a day. Lynk currently has three small satellites in a low Earth orbit constellation. The startup has announced plans to launch commercially in New Zealand this fall.
Space Leasing International sets sights on ground stations, satellites and launch infrastructure
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 20:01
Libra Group formed Space Leasing International to lease space assets. Libra Group has spent 45 years leasing assets in shipping, aviation and other fields. Libra Group and SLI have spoken with more than 30 space companies. SLI is moving into the space sector at a time when venture capital is becoming harder to attract.
Ovzon 3 on course to miss regulatory deadline after latest delay
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 12:24
Ovzon 3, the company's first broadband satellite, is now slated to launch no earlier than late 2023. Ovzon 3 will miss a July-September launch window because of final assembly and testing delays. Ovzon announced in February that it had switched launch providers from Arianespace to SpaceX.
Apex raises $16 million for spacecraft factory
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 11:25
Apex, a startup with plans to mass-manufacture satellite buses, has raised $16 million. The funds will be used for what the company calls Factory One, a 4,600-square-meter production facility. The company, building its first Aries spacecraft now, projects scaling up production to five in 2024.
Safran, Terran Orbital to explore joint production of satellite propulsion systems
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 10:30
Safran, Terran Orbital to explore U.S.-based production of satellite propulsion systems. Propulsion hardware would be made in Irvine, California. Terran Orbital makes small satellites in Irvine. Safran says its PPSX00 plasma thrusters, rated at about one kilowatt of power.
SpaceX closes out first half of 2023 with another Starlink launch
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 00:00
SpaceX’s 44th launch of the year is scheduled to take off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:35 a.m. EDT (1535 UTC) Friday. SpaceX pushed back the launch time from earlier Friday morning due to stormy weather. The 56 satellites on Friday’s mission, named Starlink 5-12, will bring the total number of Starlink spacecraft SpaceX has launched to 4,698. The Starlink network provides high-speed, low-latency connectivity to customers around the world.
NASA awards million$ in STEM research grants – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 00:00
NASA announces the recipients of the agency’s annual STEM grants. The grants provide nearly $4 million in total funding. The grants are a vital component of NASA’s science, technology, engineering, and math strategy. Twenty-five states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam currently participate.
Industry invited to bid for LEO satnav demo – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 00:00
ESA has launched the Invitation to Tender (ITT), calling on European companies to join this endeavor. LEO-PNT will test out this concept in practice, with a mini-constellation of at least ten satellites, placed in orbit a matter of hundreds of kilometers above the surface of Earth.
SpaceX record-breaking first half of 2023 following Starlink launch
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-23 04:09
SpaceX launched 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites Friday, June 23. This was the 44th mission of the year for the company and wraps up a record-breaking first half of the year. Over 50 missions are on tap for the second half of the year that, if achieved, would put the company close to its goal of 100 launches in 2023.