Tag: United States
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NASA Targets April Cargo Flight for Starliner, Crewed Mission Possible This Fall
NASA is aiming to launch an uncrewed mission of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as April, with a potential crewed flight later in the year if technical issues are resolved, officials said. The upcoming mission, known as Starliner-1, will carry cargo rather than astronauts after the spacecraft failed to achieve…
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NASA Selects Two Earth Missions to Improve Climate Monitoring and Disaster Forecasting
NASA has selected two next-generation satellite missions for continued development to enhance understanding of Earth’s systems and improve the ability to predict environmental hazards. The STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) mission will provide near-daily, high-resolution measurements of atmospheric temperature, aerosols and trace gases from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. The…
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ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Completes Space Force Mission Despite Booster Anomaly
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket successfully carried multiple U.S. Space Force payloads to geosynchronous orbit on Feb. 12, despite encountering a performance anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters early in flight, the company said. The mission, designated USSF-87, lifted off shortly after 4 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on…
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DiskSat Gains Commercial Traction After Successful Launch to Orbit
A newly developed disc-shaped satellite platform known as DiskSat has entered commercial use shortly after reaching orbit, with two companies signing agreements to adapt the design for specialized missions. Developed with support from NASA and the Space Systems Command, DiskSat is engineered for rapid deployment via rideshare launches and optimized for operations in very low…
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Spaceium Demonstrates High-Precision Robotic Actuator for Future In-Orbit Refueling
U.S. robotics startup Spaceium has demonstrated a high-precision actuator in orbit, a technology it says could enable future robotic refueling and servicing of satellites. The component flew aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission launched in November and was tested in space rather than in laboratory conditions. According to the company, the device achieved rotational accuracy…
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NRO Awards First Contracts to Commercial Space Firms Under New Procurement Program
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has awarded its first three contracts under a new procurement program aimed at expanding access to commercial satellite intelligence capabilities, Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak said on Thursday. Speaking at the National Security Space Association’s Defense and Intelligence Space Conference, Povak said the contracts were issued through the…
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Galaxia and Apolink Partner to Demonstrate Inter-Satellite Links in 2027 Mission
Canada’s Galaxia Mission Systems has signed a strategic partnership with U.S.-based Apolink Communications to demonstrate hybrid optical and radio-frequency inter-satellite link (ISL) technology on a future spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2027. Under the agreement, Apolink’s communications system will be tested aboard a Galaxia satellite operating in sun-synchronous orbit, a configuration commonly used for Earth…
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Musk Says SpaceX Prioritizing Lunar City Over Mars Settlement Plans
Elon Musk said SpaceX is prioritizing plans to establish a self-sustaining city on the Moon over its long-standing ambition to send humans to Mars, marking a potential shift in the company’s space exploration strategy. In a post on the social media platform X, Musk said a lunar city could be built within the next decade.…
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Viridian Space Signs U.S. Air Force Deal to Develop VLEO Propulsion Technology
California-based Viridian Space has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the US Air Force to advance air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology designed for satellites operating in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). Under the five-year agreement, the partners will jointly develop the propulsion system and study operational concepts for satellites flying at extremely low…
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SpaceX Crew-12 Launches Four Astronauts To International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched NASA’s Crew-12 mission early Friday, sending four astronauts from the United States, Europe and Russia toward the International Space Station for a long-duration scientific expedition. The rocket lifted off at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying a Crew Dragon spacecraft…