Author: starpathwp-production
-
Portuguese Startup Connected Raises Record Pre-Seed Funding for Space-Based IoT Connectivity
Portuguese startup Connected has secured a groundbreaking €2 million funding round, marking the largest Pre-Seed investment ever raised by a Portuguese-based spacetech startup. The company aims to pioneer universal, standardized, and affordable Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity from space, addressing the growing demand for satellite-based communication in off-grid areas without terrestrial cellular coverage. Driven…
-
ADRAS-J mission takes methodical first steps toward the commercial removal of space debris
The recent increase in launches to meet growing demands for communications and observation satellites is adding more and more spacecraft to orbit every year. This is especially true in the more congested low-Earth orbit (LEO). With a sharp focus on making space safe and sustainable for the current as well as future generations, organizations such…
-
In-Space Missions Secures Additional UK Space Agency Funding for Rideshare Satellite Program
In-Space Missions, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, has been awarded further funding from the UK Space Agency to progress its Faraday Dragon rideshare satellite program. The funding from Phase 2 of the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund will be used in the development of novel Asia-Pacific payload technologies that will fly on…
-
Gilmour Space Technologies Secures $55 Million for Rocket Development and Orbital Launches
Australian startup Gilmour Space Technologies has secured $55 million Australian dollars ($36 million) in a Series D funding round, as announced on February 19. This investment is intended to support the company’s efforts in manufacturing, testing, and launching rockets and satellites from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland. Gilmour Space, founded in 2012, is…
-
A big European satellite will make an uncontrolled return to Earth Wednesday
Nearly three decades ago, the European Space Agency launched its largest and most sophisticated Earth observation satellite to date, the European Remote Sensing 2 satellite, on an Ariane 4 rocket. The spacecraft functioned well for more than 15 years before the space agency decided it was reaching the end of its operational lifetime. Over the…
-
Japan’s new H3 rocket proved it works, but will it catch on anywhere else?
Japan’s new H3 rocket took off Friday on its second test flight; its success is an important milestone for the launch vehicle poised to power nearly all of the Japanese space program’s missions into orbit over the next decade. The 187-foot-tall (57-meter) H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at…
-
Lockheed Martin’s Pony Express 2 Mission Satellites Ready For Launch
The Lockheed Martin Pony Express 2 mission, intended to showcase how space can enhance Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), is ready for launch. Pony Express 2 is a self-funded technology demonstration that uses a pair of small satellites. Its mission integrates four Lockheed Martin payloads on two 12U Terran Orbital Renegade-class space vehicles.…
-
Rocket Lab Successfully Launches Orbital Debris Inspection Satellite for Astroscale
Rocket Lab USA, one of the global leaders in launch services and space systems, launched its 44th Electron rocket, successfully deploying an orbital debris inspection satellite for Astroscale Japan. The mission, named “On Closer Inspection”, launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 03:52 NZDT on February 19th, 2024…
-
Thales Alenia Space to Supply Communications Equipment for NASA’s NEO Surveyor Mission
Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with prime contractor Ball Aerospace to supply communications equipment for NASA’s NEO Surveyor mission. The main goal of this five-year mission is to advance efforts to defend our planet against near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets, specifically within 50…
-
India Plans Ambitious Series of Launches to Boost Civil and Commercial Space Activities
India has announced plans for up to 30 launches over a 15-month period, signaling a significant push in both civil and commercial space endeavors. The planned launches comprise a diverse array of missions, including scientific, commercial, user-funded, and technology demonstration initiatives. Scheduled across the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023-24 and fiscal year 2024-25,…