Aerospace’s Physical Sciences Laboratories (PSL) recently hosted a Labs Image Challenge, inviting staff to submit the best imagery from their labs and work.
U.S. Space Force Seeks Industry Input on Automating Hybrid Satellite Networks
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – The Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office issued a request for information (RFI) on automated satcom network orchestration, a process that leverages technologies such as artificial intelligence to manage satellite networks as a unified system.
Space Force and Intelligence Agencies Seek to Streamline Satellite Imagery Delivery
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – Space Force operators have been assigned to a new “joint mission management center” located at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency campus in Springfield, Virginia, because military leaders are asking for speedier access to images from commercial satellites.
NASA Selects Intuitive Machines for South Pole Lunar Lander Mission
Jeff Foust, SpaceNews – NASA announced that it awarded a task order valued at $116.9 million through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to Intuitive Machines, to deliver a set of payloads to the south polar region of the moon in 2027.
Startups Push to Introduce Metal Propellants for Spacecraft
Garrett Reim, Aviation Week – Several startups are testing electric thrusters that run on metal propellants. The companies say the materials pack a greater punch for their volume and are cheaper and easier to handle than conventional gases.
SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn, where astronauts will venture further than any humans in more than 50 years
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off in the early hours of Tuesday morning carrying a crew that will attempt the first commercial spacewalk and travel higher than any crewed mission in fifty years.
After Starliner, NASA Has Another Big Human Spaceflight Decision to Make
Eric Berger, Ars Technica – NASA faces two choices with Orion’s heat shield: It can fly Artemis II with a similar heat shield that was used on Artemis I, or the agency can revamp the design and construct a new heat shield, delaying the mission for years.
FAA to complete orbital debris upper stage regulations in 2025
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with efforts to develop rules for the disposal of upper stages as another Centaur upper stage breaks apart in orbit.
U.S. Space Force Reshapes Small-Launch Program
Vivienne Machi, Aviation Week – Space Force is shifting the 1970s-era Rocket Systems Launch Program back to its customer-funded roots. Some lawmakers said that the shift could hurt the small-launch market.
Stellar Safeguards: How Organizations Can Protect Space Assets From Cyberthreats
In a new report, Deloitte Center for Government Insights provides cybersecurity recommendations for space organizations across the government and private sector.