SKY Perfect JSAT hunting for more early-stage space opportunities
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-29 21:17
SKY Perfect JSAT intends to invest around $66 million in space-related startups. The investment plan is part of a broader commitment announced in 2022. The operator has provided regional broadband and TV services for more than 30 years. SKY Perfect JSAT currently has 17 satellites in its geostationary fleet.
Senate bills seek to reform commercial space regulations
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-29 20:30
Two bills introduced into Senate would reform regulation of commercial space activities. One would put into motion an eventual end of the "learning period" Limiting human spaceflight safety rules. The bill would also instruct industry to develop voluntary industry consensus standards. A second bill introduced three days earlier also addresses commercial launch licensing.
Japanese lunar lander company ispace raises $53.5 million in stock sale
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-28 20:21
Tokyo-based company completed sale of 10.25 million shares of stock, raising approximately 8.1 billion yen ($53.5 million) The shares were sold to institutional investors outside of Japan. Most of the funding will go towards various elements of Mission 3, a lander being developed by U.S. Subsidiary. Mission 3 is one of three missions under simultaneous development by ispace.
Connecting the Dots | Making light work of space junk removal
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-28 16:21
Sky Perfect JSAT, Japan’s flagship geostationary satellite operator, announced the creation of a startup that would use in-orbit lasers to stabilize tumbling space junk. The venture, Orbital Lasers, is developing spacecraft that would fire a laser at a defunct object, ablating material on the surface to generate thrust.
Hancom InSpace orders more Spire satellites with Hancom-2 in limbo
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-28 14:51
South Korea's Hancom InSpace has ordered two more remote sensing satellites from Spire Global. Spire said March 27 it will build and operate Sejong-2 and Sejong-3 on behalf of Hancom InSpace. The status of a cubesat ordered two years ago remains up in the air.
UPDATE: 3 Saturday launches, 22 Starlink from West Coast, 23 Starlink and Eutelsat-36D launches from East Coast – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-29 00:00
SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Saturday, March 30 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Sunday, March 31 starting at 7:30 p.m. PT. A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff.
UPDATE Thursday scrubbed for SpaceX’s Starlink launch new date set – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-29 00:00
SpaceX is standing down from a Thursday night launch attempt and targeting no earlier than Friday, March 29 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. Liftoff is targeted for 7:30 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 11:24 p.m.PT. This is the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and eight Starlink missions.
Langley Celebrates Women’s History Month: The Langley ASIA-AQ Team
Original Publication Date: 2024-03-29 15:23
The ASIA-AQ mission is an international cooperative field study designed to address local air quality challenges. ASIA-Aq will contribute to improving the integration of satellite observations with existing air quality ground monitoring and modeling efforts across Asia. In honor of Women’s History Month, we asked the women from Langley about their inspirations and challenges as scientists.
NASA’s Curiosity Searches for New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water
Curiosity documented the channel with a 360-degree black-and-white panorama from the rover’s left navigation camera. The rover takes these kinds of panoramas with its navigation cameras at the end of each drive. Now the science team is relying on the navcams even more while engineers try to resolve an issue that is limiting the use of one imager.
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