The Starlink team identified a common issue in this subset of first-generation communication satellites that could increase the probability of failure. SpaceX will initiate controlled descents to take them out of orbit in the coming weeks and months.

At the 2024 SmallSat Symposium, venture investors urged technology startups to carefully weigh the risks and rewards, when bidding on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) government contracts.

At the SmallSat Symposium, Richard DalBello, director of the Office of Space Commerce in the Commerce Department, said there is a need to define a set of “internationally accepted” actions to address issues that range from orbital debris to protecting night skies from satellite interference.

Firefly Aerospace plans to make the responsive launch operations it demonstrated for the U.S. Space Force last year the norm for upcoming launches of its Alpha rocket.

Industry officials see the Defense Department, primarily via the Space Force, as the primary customer whose requirements and needs are driving innovation but also financially sustain the “nascent” commercial market.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) re-established communication with its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) late on Sunday, a JAXA spokesperson said, nearly nine days after the probe’s touchdown made Japan the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon.

The months ahead could see the debut of as many as 15 new vehicles, which could change the fundamentals of space business and potentially drive competition.

Ecological and climate changes require reliable data and tools to inform decisions, says a report by the World Economic Forum and consulting firm Deloitte.