Finance

[Via Satellite 08-10-2016] SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell confirmed that SpaceX has no intentions of bringing back the Falcon 1 small satellite launch vehicle. Speaking Aug. 9, at the Small Satellite Conference in Utah, Shotwell said while the market shows greater promise for dedicated small satellite launchers today, SpaceX will not be reviving its...

[Via Satellite 08-09-2016] The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Millennium Space Systems are teaming together on the first-ever Altair launch to provide customization and rapid constellation production for Millennium’s customers. The Altair spacecraft, a high performance space system for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), and deep space missions, will launch on a SpaceX...

[Via Satellite 08-09-2016] SpaceVR, a platform for creating cinematic, live, virtual space tourism, has signed a launch agreement with NanoRacks to send Overview 1, a virtual reality camera satellite, into space. Overview 1 will travel to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX CRS-12 mission. The satellite will then be deployed into Low Earth Orbit...

With SmallSat companies set to send their CubeSats into multiple orbits, the wait to hitchhike into orbit has become increasingly frustrating. But companies are hopeful that greater launch availability is just down the line.

[Via Satellite 08-04-2016] The United States Air Force released its second Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch of a Global Positioning System 3 (GPS 3) satellite. Following a draft RFP released on June 14 for industry feedback, the Air Force released a final RFP on Aug. 3. Proposals are...

[Via Satellite 08-04-2016] Micro-satellite launch company Vector Space Systems has finalized an agreement to conduct 21 launches for Finland-based Iceye‘s commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation. The payload flights — Vector’s first customer flights since starting operations in early 2016 — are to be conducted over a four-year span as part of a larger...

[Via Satellite 08-01-2016] International Launch Services (ILS) has signed the first commercial Angara 1.2 launch contract with Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) for the launch of the Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite Kompsat 6. The mission is slated for around 2020 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northwestern Russia. The Angara 1.2 vehicle is Russia’s newest launch vehicle, designed...

[Via Satellite 07-29-2016] SpaceX conducted its first full duration testing of a landed first stage Falcon 9 booster at its rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas on July 28. The relit booster saw its first use during the company’s May 2016 mission to orbit Sky Perfect JSAT’s JCSAT 14 telecommunications satellite. SpaceX launched JCSAT 14...

[Via Satellite 07-27-2016] NBN Co, Australia’s state-owned broadband company, has announced Oct. 5 as the launch date for its second satellite, Sky Muster 2. The 6,400kg spacecraft from manufacturer Space Systems Loral (SSL) is set to launch from the French Guiana Space Center aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket. Following the successful launch of NBN’s first satellite...

[Via Satellite 07-26-2016] International Launch Services (ILS) has hired Kevin Reyes as senior director of sales. A 35-year veteran of the aerospace industry, Reyes is now responsible for sales and business development activities of Proton and Angara launch services for customers in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to his appointment with ILS, Reyes led the business...