A new Aerospace Corp. study indicates that the Space Development Agency’s acquisition model involving multiple suppliers for its proliferated warfighting space architecture unlocks the rapid supply of new capabilities but it still needs to prove the system’s value at scale. Under PWSA, a network of about 500 low Earth orbit satellites will be launched to […]
NASA, Blue Origin and Sierra Space have completed a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test for the LIFE habitat structure, a component of the NASA-funded Orbital Reef commercial space station. The test used Marshall Space Flight Center’s capabilities to determine the capabilities of the habitat, a structure made from high-strength webbings and fabric to form a […]
NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract worth approximately $112.7 million for the launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s JPSS-4 satellite. The satellite is a critical component component of the Joint Polar Satellite System, a collaborative effort between NASA and NOAA to monitor Earth’s environment, NASA said. The JPSS-4 mission is part of a […]
U.S. Space Force officials have agreed that artificial intelligence will play a significant role in current and future military operations. In the opening remarks of a recent forum hosted by the Space Command and Space Systems Command, Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, said that adding AI and machine learning to the United […]
Increasing partnerships and enhanced counter-space capabilities are two major trends presenting opportunities and challenges to the U.S. space community, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Defense Intelligence Agency director and 2024 Wash100 awardee, said at the recent Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Kruse viewed partnerships, including government-to-government and between public and private entities, as “the only way” […]
SpaceX will build a new Dragon spacecraft version designed to deorbit the International Space Station once the laboratory reaches the end of its life in 2031. Speaking at a recent briefing, Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, said the spacecraft will be an improved version of the existing Dragon vehicle, featuring a […]
NASA has shipped to the Kennedy Space Center the Space Launch System rocket’s second core stage that Boeing built at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans for the crewed Artemis II moon flyby mission scheduled for 2025. At the space center in Florida, the core stage will be assembled with other mission components, […]
NASA is discontinuing an effort to develop a moon exploration rover due to delays and rising development costs. On Wednesday, the U.S. space agency announced that it will cease the project dubbed VIPER, short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, initially scheduled to launch in 2023. The agency plans to disassemble and repurpose components that […]
The United States and Saudi Arabia have formalized a partnership focused on space exploration. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Saudi Space Agency CEO Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi signed the agreement, which outlines a framework for cooperation in various areas, including space science, education and operations, NASA said. Formally known as the “Framework Agreement Between the […]
The Department of the Air Force’s commercial investment seeks air and space project proposals from small businesses with Phase II Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer contracts. According to a notice of opportunity issued on Monday, AFWERX AFVentures will provide funding under the Strategic Funding Increase program, with selected businesses expected to […]
