U.S. Space Command headquarters to remain in Colorado
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 21:00
Pentagon spokesman: President Biden made the decision after considering the views of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other senior military officials. Announcement caps more than two years of bitter wrangling between congressional delegations. Space Command is responsible for providing satellite-based services to the U.S. Military.
Northrop Grumman prepares for final flight of Antares with Russian and Ukrainian components
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 17:42
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft is set to launch to the International Space Station. It will be the final flight of a version of an Antares rocket with Russian and Ukrainian components. Forecasts project an 80% chance of acceptable weather for the scheduled liftoff. An on-time launch would allow the spacecraft to arrive at the station early Aug. 4.
KBR wins Air Force Research Lab contract to study non-traditional orbits
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 17:35
KBR will help government gain a "better understanding of chaotic orbits" Contract covers areas like N-body problems, or predicting the individual motions of celestial objects. KBR has several AFRL contracts to operate and maintain sensor sites. Only one bid received for the five-year contract.
Space Force programs get trimmed in Senate appropriations bill
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 16:23
Senate Appropriations Committee recommends about $1 billion in cuts from Space Force. Many of the recommended cuts are due to schedule and performance issues. The Biden administration requested $30.1 billion for the U.S. Space Force in 2024. The cuts in the SAC bill are spread across dozens of programs.
L3Harris: Aerojet Rocketdyne acquisition completed – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 00:00
L3Harris has completed the acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne. L3Harris signed a definitive agreement to purchase AerojetRocketdyne in December of 2022. The acquisition diversifies the L3Harris portfolio, adding considerable long-cycle backlog and broad expertise that enables opportunities in missile defense systems, hypersonics and advanced rocket engines.
General Atomics-ASI’s unmanned aircraft surpasses 8 million flight hours – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-08-01 00:00
GA-ASI aircraft have completed 566,000 total missions in nearly 40 countries around the world. The exact aircraft and customer that achieved the milestone is unknown. More than 50 Predator-class Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) RPA are airborne worldwide every moment of every day.
ISRO: The PSLV-C56 / DS-SAR mission successfully accomplished – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 00:00
The DS-SAR satellite was launched into a Near Equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 degrees inclination and at an altitude of 535 km. The satellite will be used for maritime surveillance with the Singapore Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Agency and provide commercial services through ST Electronics alongside TELEOS 1 Earth Observation.
Skykraft’s first ever air traffic management with space-based VHF communication – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 00:00
A world first trial of space-based VHF voice communications has been successfully completed by Skykraft. The use of satellites in place of ground-based radio systems will enable global real-time communications between pilots and air traffic controllers for the first time. Skykraft is developing a constellation of more than 200 satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide global ATM services.
Hisdesat: The summer of 2024 is set for the launch of SpainSat NG – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-31 00:00
Space X will be in charge of launching the Spanish satellite into orbit with a Falcon 9 launcher from Cape Canaveral or from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The SPAINSAT NG program is aimed at modernizing its capabilities and placing it at the forefront of secure satellite communications. It consists of twin satellites, SpainSat NG-I and SpainSat NG-II, and aims to provide secure and reliable communications.
NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle Continues Progress Toward Mars Sample Return
MAV launch will be accomplished using two solid rocket motors – SRM1 and SRM2. SRM1 will propel MAV away from the Red Planet’s surface, while SRM2 will spin MAV’s second stage to place the sample container in the correct Mars orbit, allowing the Earth Return Orbiter to find it.
Euclid Mission to Study Dark Universe Takes First Test Images
Euclid launched July 1 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It has arrived at its destination about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. Mission specialists will continue performance-verification tests for the next couple of months before science observations begin. The mission will delve into some of the biggest mysteries about our universe.
Scientists, using Webb, discover water vapor within a planet-forming disk
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-30 19:23
James Webb Space Telescope has found water vapor in star system PDS 70. This is the first time water has been found within the terrestrial region of a stellar disk wherein one or more protoplanets are thought to be forming. PDS 70 is a 5.4-million-year-old K-type star that is cooler than our Sun.