Author: starpathwp-production
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SpiderOak Demonstrates OrbitSecure Cyber Software on Ball Aerospace Satellite
SpiderOak has demonstrated its OrbitSecure cybersecurity software in space on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload, the company announced June 22. The OrbitSecure cybersecurity software uses encryption and distributed-ledger software to operate a decentralized key management system. The software has been tested on the ground, but this was the first test in space. The prototype payload…
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How close is SpaceX to reaching 100 launches this year?
Elon Musk, CEO and founder of SpaceX, announced earlier this year that the company aimed to accomplish 100 Falcon launches in 2023, a significant increase from the 61 launches achieved in 2022. At present, SpaceX is certainly poised to surpass their 2022 performance, a trend they have consistently demonstrated since 2019. So, what is their…
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Musk outlines major upgrades for Starship rocket
SpaceX’s Starship sits atop its Super Heavy booster prior to the the launcher’s first test flight in April 2023. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX will need another six weeks or so to finish implementing hundreds of changes to its Super Heavy-Starship rocket and the gargantuan booster’s Texas launch pad before it will be ready for a second…
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Tiangong Space Station’s electric propulsion engine achieves first in-orbit gas exchange
China’s manned spaceflight Tiangong Space Station recently achieved a new first, by successfully installing an electric propulsion system gas cylinder in-orbit through robotic arm. It is believed to be beneficial to maintain the long-term orbit safe and stable flight of the space station. For the first time, the 801 research institute of China Aerospace Science…
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NASA’s Mars Sample Return has a new price tag—and it’s colossal
During his final months as the chief of NASA’s science programs last year, there was one mission Thomas Zurbuchen fretted about more than any other—the agency’s ambitious plan to return rocks from Mars to Earth. He supported the Mars Sample Return mission and helped get it moving through the agency’s approval process. But the project…
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Beyond Gravity Secures Contract to Produce Payload Fairings for New Ariane 6 European Launch Vehicle
Beyond Gravity wins an order to produce the payload fairings for ArianeGroup’s new Ariane 6 rocket. The new European launcher replaces Ariane 5, which was successfully launched over 100 times and has been in service since 1996. The Ariane 6 payload fairings, up to 20 meters high and 1800 kilograms light, are manufactured by Beyond…
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Themis, Prometheus complete first hot-fire tests in France
Europe has just completed the first successful hot-fire test of its reusable Prometheus engine integrated with the Themis first-stage demonstrator at the ArianeGroup site in Vernon, France. The hot-fire test consisted of Prometheus performing a 12-second burn on the Themis demonstrator on June 22, 2023. The two components are part of a broader European launch…
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New Telesat LEO Demo Satellite to Launch in July on Rocket Lab Mission
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) has already shipped the recently announced Telesat LEO demonstration satellite, and it will launch on a Rocket Lab mission set for July. Just last month Telesat announced it ordered a new demonstration satellite called LEO 3 from SFL to replace the Phase 1 LEO demonstration satellite launched in 2018. SFL announced…
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Space Explored Podcast 64: Blue Origin gets help from NASA on an orbital crew system
Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast PausePlay% buffered00:0035:41UnmuteMuteDisable captionsEnable captionsSettingsCaptionsDisabledQualityundefinedSpeedNormalCaptionsGo back to previous menuQualityGo back to previous menuSpeedGo back to previous menu0.5×0.75×Normal1.25×1.5×1.75×2×4×PIPExit fullscreenEnter fullscreenPlay The Space Explored Podcast is hosted by Editor-in-Chief Seth Kurkowski and YouTuber Jared Sanders, who discuss the last week’s biggest stories with a main deep dive topic. Recorded Tuesdays and released Thursday,…
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Rocket Lab to Launch NorthStar’s Commercial Space Situational Awareness Satellites Built by Spire Global
Rocket Lab USA, one of the global leaders in launch services and space systems, announced that it has signed a dedicated launch deal with Spire Global to deliver its first four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites to low Earth orbit for its Space Services customer NorthStar Earth & Space. The dedicated mission on Electron will…