Author: starpathwp-production
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SpaceX pushed “sniper” theory with the feds far more than is publicly known
The rocket was there. And then it decidedly was not. Shortly after sunrise on a late summer morning nearly nine years ago at SpaceX’s sole operational launch pad, engineers neared the end of a static fire test. These were still early days for their operation of a Falcon 9 rocket that used super-chilled liquid propellants,…
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Lockheed Martin Transfers Orion Artemis II Spacecraft to NASA for Crewed Lunar Mission
Lockheed Martin has completed assembly and testing of NASA’s Orion Artemis II spacecraft, transferring possession to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team. This milestone is a significant step for NASA and the Artemis industry team, as they prepare to launch a crew of four astronauts to further the agency’s mission in establishing a human presence…
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Industry Leader and Longtime Hughes CEO Pradman Kaul Dies
Industry leader and former Hughes Network Systems President and CEO Pradman Kaul has died, Hughes announced on May 4. Kaul was a longtime leader in the satellite industry. He joined Hughes in 1973 and became president of the company in 2000. He spent nearly 50 years with Hughes before retiring in 2022. “Pradman was a role…
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Phase Four: Pioneering Next-Generation In-Space Propulsion Systems
Phase Four, Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hawthorne, California, is at the forefront of developing advanced in-space propulsion systems. The company’s mission is to provide versatile electric propulsion solutions for a variety of satellites, fuels, and mission types, ensuring constellation operators have the broadest set of options to perform their missions. Phase Four’s focus…
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Aerospacelab Secures Contract with JAXA through Mitsui Bussan Aerospace
Aerospacelab, in partnership with Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA), has announced its selection by the Japan Exploration Agency (JAXA) to supply the platform that will host JAXA’s SAMRAI payload as part of a demonstration mission. This contract represents an important step in showcasing innovative international satellite solutions. This first partnership with both MBA and JAXA highlights…
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Trump’s Proposed NASA Budget Looks to Cut Funding by 24%
President Trump’s budget proposal for NASA looks to cut funding for the agency by 24%, while increasing funding for human space exploration and slashing space science funding. The Trump-Vance Administration released toplines of the President’s budget for fiscal year 2026 on May 2. The budget request for NASA is $18.8 billion — that is $6 billion…
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Terran Orbital Selected by US Space Force for $237M Contract to Develop New Space Technology
Terran Orbital Corporation, a leading manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, announced it has been selected by the U.S. Space Force as one of 12 companies awarded a position on the Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0 contract. This 10-year, $237 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, administered by Space…
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Eutelsat Appoints Orange Exec Jean-François Fallacher as CEO, Replacing Eva Berneke
Eutelsat Group has appointed Orange France CEO Jean-François Fallacher to lead the satellite operator as CEO, replacing Eva Berneke. Eutelsat announced the change on Monday morning after a board decision on May 4. Fallacher will take the helm on June 1. Fallacher has served as executive vice president and CEO of Orange, the French multinational…
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Magna Petra Signs CRADA with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Magna Petra, a lunar resources extraction company, has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, securing the use of a specialised mass spectrometer previously flown on government-led lunar missions. This marks the first time a commercial company has been granted access to this technology – an instrument…
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Ursa Major Secures $28.6M AFRL Contract to Advance Propulsion for On-Orbit Missions
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division at Edwards AFB, has awarded Ursa Major a $28,565,857 firm-fixed price contract for responsive space, hypersonic, and on-orbit propulsion. This new contract will follow-on work completed to mature advanced liquid rocket engines and will culminate in a flight demonstration. “Under this contract, Ursa Major serves as…