Launch

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from Space Launch Complex-37 today at 9:06 a.m. EDT. This mission marked the 29th and final flight of the Delta IV Medium rocket and the 73rd GPS launch by a...

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched to the International Space Station last week carried a tiny package that could eventually lead to the smartphone you have in your pocket getting cell service from space. If it works, the instrument could be a precursor to a giant constellation of thousands of mini-satellites that function as...

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket is in final preparations to launch the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite, nicknamed Magellan, for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The launch is planned for Aug. 22 at Space Launch Complex-37 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The GPS III...

SolAero Technologies, a provider of  solar cells, solar panels, and composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications, was awarded a contract by Maxar Technologies to power the Power and Propulsion Element of NASA‘s Gateway. Under the terms of the contract, SolAero will design and manufacture Solar Power Modules (SPMs) that will supply nearly 70 kilowatts...

Small satellite manufacturer Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) was selected by Viasat to join its team supporting the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles XVI pilot program to test the first-ever Link 16-capable Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft. Under the agreement, BCT will design and manufacture a 12U small satellite bus. Viasat is the lead on the...

Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) revealed that data received from its payload on the IOD-1 GEMS satellite has proven the commercial viability of the company’s Earth Observation (EO) platform. OMS’ MINIRAD miniaturized passive microwave radiometer was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 3. “Having proven the viability of our hardware and software, OMS...

Kuiper Systems (Kuiper), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com Services, joined the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) as its newest executive member. In July, Kuiper Systems filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for authority to launch and operate a Ka-band Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) constellation to provide high-speed broadband services to consumers, businesses, and...

On this episode of On Orbit, we’re joined by Melissa Wuerl, Vice President Business Development for Spaceflight Industries, and Jason Armstrong, Director of Small Satellites for TriSept, for an episode dedicated to rideshare launch services and the impact they’ve made on opening access to space. Rideshare launching is like the carpooling of launch services. By...

The Chinese DSLWP-B (LO-94) satellite that had been in lunar orbit provided a profile of Earth’s HF spectrum as seen from the moon. The microsatellite subsequently was crashed into the moon’s surface after having completed its mission. DSLWP stands for “Discovering the Sky at Longest Wavelengths Pathfinder.” Among other things, DSLWP-B was designed to test...

China’s Smart Dragon-1 rocket will carry a heavy satellite developed by a commercial Chinese space company in its upcoming launch, according to Xinhua News Agency, which cited a report from Beijing Daily. The satellite, which weighs 65 kilograms (kg), was manufactured by Beijing Qiansheng Exploration Technology  founded in 2017 with a license to develop microsatellites and...