Tag: Propulsion Systems
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Rocket Lab Receives FAA Approval for Varda Space Industries’ Manufacturing Capsule Reentry
Rocket Lab USA, a launch and space systems company, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the reentry of Varda Space Industries’ in-space manufacturing capsule, enabling Rocket Lab to commence a series of complex in-space maneuvers and de-orbit burns on the Rocket Lab-built and operated satellite currently hosting the capsule on orbit. This…
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Pale Blue Receives Grant by MEXT to Develop Propulsion Systems for Space Debris Mitigation
Pale Blue has been awarded a grant by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the Small and Business Innovation Research 3 (SBIR-3) program to develop and demonstrate key technology for space debris mitigation. The grant is worth up to USD 27 million (JPY 4 billion) and will enable the development…
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ThrustMe Secures Contract from CNES for Several Off-the-Shelf Propulsion Systems
ThrustMe, a pioneering leader in advanced in-orbit propulsion systems, proudly announced a transformative off-the-shelf contract with the French Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES). This purchase agreement is a testimony to the rapidly changing aerospace sector, where the lines between the legacy and new space are blurring. Long-standing actors such as CNES can benefit from complete…
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JAXA Initiates Landing Preparation Phase for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is ready to begin preparations for landing descent, based on operational results since insertion into lunar orbit and future plans. It was therefore decided to move to the landing descent preparation phase on January 10, 2024, and the apolune…
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Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander on Earth Re-Entry Trajectory Amid Propulsion Anomaly
For 16 years, Astrobotic has been dedicated to making the Moon accessible to the world. The responsible preservation of the cislunar space environment for all is top of mind as we complete this mission. Since the Peregrine lunar lander’s anomaly occurred 6 days ago, we have been evaluating how best to safely end the spacecraft’s…
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Northrop Grumman’s Solid Rocket Boosters Power ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Maiden Launch
Two of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s extended-length, 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM 63XL) solid rocket boosters helped power the inaugural flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Rocket and the first certification (Cert-1) mission. The GEM 63XL boosters are the longest monolithic, single-cast solid rocket boosters ever manufactured and flown. The launch represents the first flight of…
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ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Set to Debut with Upper-Stage Engine Built by Aerojet Rocketdyne
When the next-generation Vulcan rocket developed by United Launch Alliance takes flight for the first time in the coming days, it will usher in a new era for the RL10 upper-stage rocket engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. Versions of the RL10 have been reliably propelling payloads into space for 60 years,…
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NASA Successfully Tests 3D-Printed Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine
NASA has achieved a new benchmark in developing an innovative propulsion system called the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE). Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, successfully tested a novel, 3D-printed RDRE for 251 seconds (or longer than four minutes), producing more than 5,800 pounds of thrust. That kind of sustained burn…
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Pale Blue Partners with TOKYO KEIKI for Mass Production of Satellite Propulsion Systems
Pale Blue signed an individual contract with TOKYO KEIKI, and has initiated a collaboration to manufacture and assemble the subsystems of prototype mass-production model of its propulsion system 1 as part of the Deep Tech Startups (“DTSU”) support program – DMP phase (Demonstration development for Mass Production) by NEDO, a national research and development agency…
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Airbus Ventures Announces Its Latest Investment in Helicity Space
Airbus Ventures proudly announced its investment in Helicity Space, a commercial space company developing in-space propulsion and power technology based on fusion power. Helicity Space announced its $5 million seed round, with funding from several new investors including Airbus Ventures, TRE Advisors, Voyager Space Holdings, E2MC Space, Urania Ventures and Gaingels. “We are pleased to…