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Australia’s SmartSat CRC is joining forces with the New Zealand Government to bring four new joint research projects under the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program. The four initial research projects, commencing in August 2024, include research into monitoring methane emissions, enhancing real-time monitoring of greenhouse gases, managing free space optical communication nodes across Australia and...

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) awarded Orbit Fab a £1.3 million ($1.7 million) Major Project grant under their National Space Innovation Programme. This grant will fund the design of a high-pressure variant of the RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface) refueling port, set to be available in 2025. Separately, Orbit Fab has secured additional contracts,...

SES Space & Defense has won a new U.S. Army contract help support the military’s connectivity needs. The contract was awarded to Global Enterprise Solutions (GES), which was acquired by SES in 2022, and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary. SES Space & Defense announced the contract award, July 24. The company will provide the U.S....

Scottish rocket manufacturer Orbex is opening a new office in London as it looks to tap into London’s financial communities. It hopes the move will also grow the U.K.’s reputation as a hub for the European space sector. Orbex announced the establishment of the new office on July 22. In tandem with this, Orbex is...

Iridium Communications increased revenue by 4% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year with higher commercial revenue and higher government engineering revenue. The satellite operator reported its second quarter 2024 results on July 23, affirming its full-year guidance projecting service revenue growth between 4% and 6% for the full year.  Also...

Stellar Blu Solutions has completed qualification on the multi-orbit Sidewinder terminal designed to deliver in-flight connectivity (IFC) for airlines. Both Stellar Blu and strategic partner BAE Systems have ramped up production on the terminal to meet more than 1,000 existing orders.  The Ku-band terminal received DO-160 airborne equipment qualification in March and then completed flight...

NASA has selected SpaceX to launch the JPSS-4 mission in 2027 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The contract announced Monday is a firm fixed-price contract valued at $112.7 million.  The JPSS-4 mission is currently targeted to launch in 2027, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg...

Planet Labs signed a seven-figure contract expansion with a U.S.-allied international government agency for SkySat satellite data.  Planet announced the SkySat expansion with the unnamed allied nation on Monday. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.  The SkySat fleet provides satellite imagery up to 50 cm resolution with the ability to have multiple revisits...

Astroscale secured $15 million to support the final phase of its End-of-Life by Astroscale-Multiple (ELSA-M) in-orbit demonstration. The contract from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) is another key milestone for the company. It was announced July 22. The funding was released following the securing of the contract with Eutelsat...

The UK Space Agency announced 33 million pounds ($43 million) in funding for space projects on Monday as part of the UKSA’s National Space Innovation Programme. The funding will be split between a number of established projects and kickstarter projects receiving a smaller amount.  The two main beneficiaries will receive 5 million pounds ($6.5 million)....