Tag: Spaceflight Industries
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Spaceflight Inc. hails a pair of successful launches as it deals with frictions in SpaceX relationship
Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle lifts off into the skies over New Zealand, sending two BlackSky satellites into orbit. Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. played a supporting role in the mission. (Joseph Baxter Photo via Rocket Lab) Thanks to its role in handling pre-launch logistics, Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. can claim a share of the credit for two…
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BlackSky satellite data venture makes a $1.5B deal to go public in SPAC merger
An artist’s conception shows BlackSky’s Global satellites in orbit. (BlackSky Illustration) BlackSky Holdings, which is operating a growing fleet of Earth observation satellites as well as a cloud-based platform to analyze geospatial data, says it will become a publicly traded company through a blank-check merger valued at nearly $1.5 billion. The agreement with Osprey Technology…
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SpaceX puts record 143 satellites in orbit, with Spaceflight playing a supporting role
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket rises from its launch pad with 143 satellites on board. (SpaceX via YouTube) SpaceX set a record for the number of satellites sent into orbit by a single rocket, and that’s not the only milestone reached during today’s Transporter-1 mission. The Falcon 9 rocket launch also marked the orbital debut of…
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BlackSky will add sharper focus and night vision to future Earth-watching satellites
One of BlackSky’s Global satellites sits on a stand that’s visible at the center of this view of the LeoStella satellite factory floor in Tukwila, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) BlackSky’s satellites are already producing frequently updated, high-resolution views of planet Earth — but now the company says its next-generation spacecraft will kick things…
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SpaceX launches 57 stealth satellites for Starlink network, plus a pair for BlackSky
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from its Florida launch pad. (SpaceX via YouTube) After weeks of delay, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sent up 57 more satellites for its Starlink broadband internet constellation, with two BlackSky planet-watching satellites hitching a ride. The launch was originally scheduled for June, but had to be put off…
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Japanese firms finish acquisition of Spaceflight, with BlackSky satellite venture going its own way
One of Spaceflight’s most notable projects was the launch of 64 satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2018. (SpaceX Photo) Japan’s Mitsui & Co., working in partnership with Yamasa Co. Ltd., has completed the acquisition of Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. from its parent company, Spaceflight Industries. Today’s announcement of the transaction’s completion follows…
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How BlackSky’s Spectra geospatial data platform uses AI to make sense of satellite images
A color-coded satellite map of an area in northern Virginia shows that parking lots around Dulles Town Center are relatively open, as noted by the oval-shaped patchwork of green blocks just above the center of the image. But other parking lots, noted in shades of orange and red, are relatively busy. Such geospatial information can…
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Japanese companies agree to buy Spaceflight rideshare launch broker
Artist’s concept of a “Sherpa” multi-satellite adapter structure in orbit. Credit: Spaceflight Spaceflight Industries said this week it is selling its rideshare launch business — known as Spaceflight — to a joint venture owned by two Japanese companies. The launch broker arranges rides to space for CubeSats and other small satellite, aggregating multiple payloads for…
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Spaceflight Industries strikes deal to sell rideshare launch business; will focus on BlackSky satellites
One of Spaceflight Industries’ most notable projects was the launch of 64 satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2018. (SpaceX Photo) Seattle-based Spaceflight Industries says it has signed a deal to sell Spaceflight Inc., its satellite rideshare launch subsidiary, to one of Japan’s largest trading companies. The definitive share purchase agreement, reached…
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Rocket Lab launches Japanese satellite that’s designed to spit out shooting stars for Olympics
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from its New Zealand launch pad today, sending a shooting-star satellite and six other miniaturized satellites into orbit. Japan’s ALE-2 satellite is designed to drop bunches of chemical pellets into the atmosphere from orbit, producing fiery streaks of glowing plasma that look like meteor showers. The “Sky Canvas” mission,…