Author: starpathwp-production
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CACI Supports NASA Artemis II Mission with Laser Communications and Sensing Technology
CACI International Inc., announced it has successfully enabled advanced optical communications and sensing technologies for NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. “Artemis II represents the strength of American innovation and the power of partnership across government, industry, and academia,” said John Mengucci, CACI…
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Live in the Booth: Sky Perfect JSAT President & CEO Eiichi Yonekura,Live in the Booth: Matt Desch Talks Iridium NTN Direct and Alt PNT Advances
Sky Perfect JSAT, one of the biggest global operators, is banking on a multi-faceted approach to grow its business over the next few years. SKY Perfect JSAT President & CEO Eiichi Yonekura spoke with Via Satellite Editors Rachel Jewett and Mark Holmes for a “Live in the Booth” interview during SATShow Week. The company’s move…
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China Debuts Two Commercial Launchers, Tests Orbital Servicing
What are China’s latest commercial space milestones in April 2026? China’s commercial space sector achieved two major launcher debuts within days of each other in early April 2026, with CAS Space and Space Pioneer both conducting successful inaugural flights of new vehicles. CAS Space’s Kinetica-1 solid rocket delivered multiple payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)…
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Portal Space Systems Raises $50M for Maneuverable Spacecraft
How will Portal Space Systems use its $50M funding to advance spacecraft maneuverability? Portal Space Systems closed a $50 million Series B funding round on April 9, 2026, positioning the space mobility company to accelerate development of its highly maneuverable spacecraft platforms. The Los Angeles-based startup plans to use the capital to scale manufacturing, expand…
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Artemis 2’s trip around the moon enters the home stretch — here’s how to watch the splashdown
A view from a camera mounted on one of the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings shows Orion’s engines and thrusters in the foreground, and Earth in the background. (NASA via YouTube) The crew of NASA’s round-the-moon test mission crossed the halfway point between the moon and Earth today on their homeward journey — and they’re…
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Space Force Awards 14 Companies Space Domain Awareness Contracts Under “Andromeda”
U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) said on Wednesday that it has awarded 14 companies more than $1.8 billion in firm fixed price “Andromeda” contracts for the Geosynchronous Reconnaissance & Surveillance Constellation (RG-XX) satellites, which are to be a successor to the Northrop Grumman-built Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) The companies include Anduril Industries, Lockheed Martin;…
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NSG Names Haithem Alfaraj as its Second CEO
Neo Space Group (NSG), the fast-growing Saudi space company, has appointed Haithem Mohammed Mojil Alfaraj as its new CEO. Alfaraj replaces Martijn Blanken, who has led the company since its inception in 2024. NSG announced its new CEO, April 9. Alfaraj most recently served as group chief technology officer at Saudi Telecom Company, stc, where he…
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Portal Space Systems raises $50M as it gets set to launch its first orbital vehicle made for rapid maneuvers
An artist’s conception shows Portal’s Starburst spacecraft in the foreground with its Supernova space vehicle and three more Starbursts (plus Earth) in the background. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems has raised $50 million in a funding round aimed at speeding up development of the Seattle-area startup’s highly maneuverable space vehicles. The…
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The Moon is already on Google Maps—did Artemis II really tell us anything new?
The data pipeline from NASA’s Artemis II mission opened to full blast a few hours after looping behind the far side of the Moon on Monday night, when the Orion spacecraft established a laser communications link with a receiving station back on Earth. A cache of high-resolution images began streaming down through this connection. NASA…
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Artemis II closing in on Earth return
After a groundbreaking 10-day mission that carried humans farther from Earth than ever before, the four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II are heading into their final day in space ahead of splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, will have traveled approximately 700,000 miles…