CAPSTONE working well more than a year after launch
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-25 02:22
Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) started its journey to the moon last July. After overcoming communications and thruster problems, the spacecraft entered a near-rectilinear halo orbit. CAPSTONE has completed a six-month primary mission in that orbit and is now in an "enhanced" Mission.
Startup Impulse Space raises $45 million in Series A round
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 17:40
Impulse Space seeks to provide “last mile’ delivery services for satellites launched on rideshare missions. Series A funding will support the development of Impulse’s largest vehicle yet, called Helios. Impulse Space said its upcoming missions include LEO Express-1, a geostationary orbit refueling mission and a mission to Mars.
Maxar to begin production of new small satellite bus
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 16:52
Maxar Technologies says its new satellite bus passed a critical design review. The company will produce 16 of the Maxar 300 series buses for L3Harris Technologies. Each bus is about the width of a conventional oven. These will be used to build missile-detecting sensor satellites.
China’s CASIC to begin launching VLEO satellites in December
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 14:20
Chinese space and defense contractor CASIC says it will begin building a constellation of 300 satellites in very-low Earth orbit late this year. The constellation is to consist of 192 satellites by 2027 to provide users with space information services every half an hour. CASIC plans to launch its first of its planned VLEO verification satellites in December.
Iridium launches Iridium Certus for aviation connectivity – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) has introduced their Iridium Certus aviation commercial service. Using L-band satellite frequencies that are superior for cockpit communications, Iridium Certus for aviation is an ideal complement to commercial transport passenger cabin connectivity Ka-/Ku-band services.
Maxar’s Critical Design Review for first Maxar 300™ platform developed for the Space Development Agency is completed – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Maxar Technologies completed the first Critical Design Review (CDR) of the Maxar 300™ series bus for L3Harris Technologies. The bus is designed for eight or more space vehicles per launch while delivering the low jitter and high power required for the missile defense mission. Maxar will build 16 platforms for the T1TRK program, each about the width of a conventional oven.
ESA: New Galileo station goes on duty – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Galileo’s new Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) facility is a 13.5-meter diameter parabola dish mounted on top of a 10-meter-high building structure. Known by the acronym TTCF-7, it is based within the premises of Europe’s launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.
Spire Global + Cloudeo join forces for global satellite-powered weather data – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Cloudeo has partnered with Spire Global to bring weather data to more than 34,000 GIS and Earth Observation (EO) experts from around the world. Spire Global builds, owns and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency (RF) technology.
Rhodes wildfire in Greece forces thousands to flee – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Wildfires burning on the Greek island of Rhodes have forced the evacuation of thousands of people. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured this image of the ongoing blaze yesterday 23 July 2023. The image shows the extent of the burned area (visible in shades of brown) in the central part of the island.
Forrester’s Digest: Project Kuiper gets closer – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Kuiper is investing $120 million in a 100,000 sq. Ft. Factory near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Project Kuiper calls for at least 3,236 LEO satellites to be launched that will provide broadband coverage to the entire planet. The Kuiper satellites will be built at Amazon’s primary factories in Redmond and Kirkland, Washington.
Impulse Space secures million$$ in Series A funding round – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-07-24 00:00
Impulse Space, Inc. Has secured $45 million in its Series A funding round. The round was led by the venture capital arm of RTX (NYSE: RTX) The funding will support the development of Impulse’s largest vehicle yet, called Helios.