Redwire to acquire satellite manufacturer Hera Systems, bolstering defense portfolio
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 22:31
Redwire Corporation, a space infrastructure company, announced Aug. 14 it plans to acquire Hera Systems. Hera Systems is a manufacturer of small satellites focused on national security space missions. The acquisition aligns with Redwire’s efforts to strengthen its foothold in the defense market.
Webinar – Space: The Next Frontier of Strategic Competition
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 18:16
SpaceNews webinar explores intersection of space, national security, and global strategic competition. Event brings together leading experts from government, military, academia and the private sector. Don't miss this opportunity to gain crucial insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by this new era of space competition.
Northrop Grumman continues to trim space workforce in California
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 14:28
Northrop Grumman plans to lay off 550 full-time employees at two California facilities. The aerospace giant has not specified the reasons behind the job cuts. This comes despite executives reporting growth in the company’s space business. The backdrop to these layoffs includes a recent program cancellation.
Intuitive Machines seeks to take over NASA’s VIPER lunar rover
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:46
Intuitive Machines says it is organizing coalition of organizations to offer to take over mission. NASA said in July it would cancel the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. Intuitive Machines would use its larger Nova-D lander to deliver the 500-kilogram VIPER.
Terran Orbital removes Rivada constellation from revenue backlog
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-13 19:34
Terran Orbital has removed Rivada Space Networks from its backlog of revenues. The Florida-based company still expects to get $2.4 billion from their contract. About 91% of these future revenues are associated with Lockheed Martin. Rivada Space remains highly guarded about how it plans to fund the 300 satellites.
Moog Unveils New, Radiation-Hardened Space Computer to Support the Next Generation of High-Speed Computing On-Orbit
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-13 19:04
Moog announces development of its newest space computer to support the next-generation of on-orbit computing needs. Moog Cascade SBC features Microchip’s PIC64-HPSC microprocessor, which is a radiation-hardened, 10-core, RISC-V processor. Moog’s high-performance systems control military and commercial aircraft, satellites, and space vehicles.
Lockheed Martin taps General Dynamics for solid rocket motor manufacturing
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-13 18:50
Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics announce partnership to produce solid rocket motors. Solid rocket motors have been identified as critical chokepoints in the defense supply chain. Production is expected to commence in 2025 at General Dynamics’ facility in Camden, Arkansas. The collaboration comes in response to the Pentagon’s growing demand for missile production.
SpaceX ready to go tomorrow with Maxar 2’s WorldView Legion 3-4 satellites mission – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:00
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, August 15 for launch of the Maxar 2 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 60-minute window opens at 9:00 a.m. ET. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, August 16 with a three-hour window opening at 9:000 a.m. PT. Earlier this year, Falcon 9 launched the first two WorldView Legion satellites to orbit from California. These are the second pair of six planned WorldView Legion satellites, which will enhance Maxar Intelligence’s constellation.
ISRO to launch EOS-08’s three payloads including latest EO and cubesat Space Rickshaw-0 on Thursday – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:00
EOS-08 is scheduled for launch by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 on August 15. EOS-08 carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter. The satellite has a mass of approximately 175.5 kg and generates power of around 420 W.
Ovzon receives first order for Ovzon 3 from the U.S. Department of Defense – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:00
Ovzon has received, through Viasat Government Services, its first order for Ovzon Pegasus service on the new Ovzon 3 satellite. This represents the transition from current Ovzon SATCOM-as-a-Service delivered to the U.S. Department of Defense using leased satellite capacity to now using Ovzon 3. The order is for 12 months and the service was activated on August 1, 2024.
L3Harris marks Artemis III + IV jettison solid rocket motor milestones – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:00
L3Harris Technologies has achieved a significant milestone by successfully casting the jettison motor. The motor is a key component of the Launch Abort System (LAS) for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Artemis III will mark humanity’s return to the lunar surface after more than 50 years. Artemis IV is slated to be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit.
X-Bow passes PDR for their hypersonic booster contract – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-14 00:00
X-Bow Systems Inc. Has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Large Solid Rocket Motor (LSRM) program on schedule. In March 2023, X-Bow finalized a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) that leverages their capabilities.
New TEMPO Cosmic Data Story Makes Air Quality Data Publicly Available
TEMPO allows unprecedented monitoring of air quality down to neighborhood scales. Air pollutants like NO2 can trigger significant health issues. The interactive views in the TEMPO Data Story provide public access to the same authentic data. TEMPO’s hyper-localized data will allow communities to make informed decisions and take action to improve their air quality.
NASA’s X-59 Progresses Through Tests on the Path to Flight
Original Publication Date: 2024-08-13 12:36
The X-59 is an experimental plane that will fly faster than the speed of sound without a loud sonic boom. It will be the first of its kind to fly, with the goal of gathering sound data for NASA’s Quesst mission, which could open the door to commercial supersonic overland flight in the future.
Amendment 42: A.30 Understanding Changes in High Mountain Asia Deferred to ROSES-25
NASA and partners scrubbed the first launch attempt of the FURST Sounding Rocket Mission on Aug. 11 due to issues with the cooling systems. From Earth, one might be tempted to view the Sun as a unique star. This story will be updated as soon as the next launch attempt is determined.
NASA Funds Research Projects Advancing STEM Career Development
NASA has awarded $6 million to 20 teams from emerging research institutions across the U.S. The projects offer career development opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. This is the third round of seed funding awarded through the agency’s MOSAICS program.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover to Begin Long Climb Up Martian Crater Rim
A study published Wednesday, Aug. 14, in AGU Advances chronicles the 10 rock cores gathered from sedimentary rocks in an ancient Martian delta. “Among these rock cores are likely the oldest materials sampled from any known environment that was potentially habitable,” said Tanja Bosak, a geobiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
NASA Demonstrates ‘Ultra-Cool’ Quantum Sensor for First Time in Space
NASA's Cold Atom Lab is a first-of-its-kind facility aboard the International Space Station. Scientists and engineers on Earth use this tool to study the fundamental nature of gravity. Measurements of gravity could offer insights into the nature of dark matter and dark energy.