News

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) has announced that it has reached an agreement with eight enterprise customers to use its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover to deploy the customers’ payloads on Astrolab’s upcoming mission to the Moon - Mission 1. Five customers are releasing details of their payloads today: Argo Space, Astroport, Avalon Space, Interstellar Lab, and LifeShip. Three more customers are contracted with Astrolab but intend to release details of their payloads at a future date, closer to launch. Collectively, Astrolab values the eight contracts at more than $160 million.

The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), is hosting the 2023 edition of the World Radio Conference in the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference began yesterday, Monday, November 20 and will continue till 15 December 2023. The conference holds every three to four years to review and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits.

Anywaves has announced the appointment of Eric de Saintignon as General Manager to support the space antenna specialist in its upward trajectory. The appointment builds on the Company's recent commercial successes and the development of new products and drive towards market expansion. This appointment will consequently enable Nicolas Capet, the Founder and President, to prepare the future of Anywaves through the Strategy Department, for which he assumes responsibility.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced the expansion of its space systems business with a dedicated production and development complex. The complex will deliver a comprehensive suite of advanced composite products for the space industry and further vertically integrate supply for the Company’s internal needs across launch and space systems. Furthermore, Rocket Lab's complex will support the development and manufacture of carbon composite spacecraft buses, structural panels and assemblies, among others. 

SpaceX has conducted the second test of its Starship Rocket to launch it into Space in an attempt to evaluate the spacecraft's ability. The Spacecraft lifted off successfully but the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster exploded in a fireball over the Gulf of Mexico after crucially maneuvering to separate with its core Starship stage. Despite the booster's explosion, Starship continued its trip to space - crossing the 100km mark - until a SpaceX company broadcaster confirmed that mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle.

ispace, inc. has announced its Mission 2, part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, to serve as the company’s second technological demonstration, based on lessons learned from Mission 1. Mission 2 aims to further validate the lander’s design and technology, as well as ispace’s business model, to provide reliable lunar transportation and data services. Concurrently with the second mission, ispace also unveiled the final design of its micro rover, which it will transport to the surface of the Moon by its lunar lander as part of exploration activities during Mission 2.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has announced the closing of another tranche of financing, valuing the company at $1.5 billion pre-money. Existing investors led the round, including AE Industrial Partners, LP, as well as new investors, including Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Firefly has consequently raised approximately $300 million in funding since February 2023.

Imagine that we are part of a group responsible for planning a space journey, and our primary guiding principle is to use biomimicry as a tool to inspire the solutions we will need to develop. "Biomimicry involves solving problems by studying and emulating natural processes. For example, the design of whale-inspired wind turbines draws inspiration from the humpback whale." These studies have been done through the observation of behaviors and characteristics of all types of living creatures living in this world.  It holds the key to billions of years of research and development of sustainable, circular, and regenerative solutions.

Spire Global, a provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, announced on the 14th of November at the Space Tech Expo Europe their Constellation Management Platform. The new web-based app aims to simplify satellite constellation operations through its interface. The development of the platform is co-funded by ESA under the ARTES Core Competitiveness (CC) programme with €1.5 million awarded to Spire, with support from the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA).

Bayanat, a provider of AI-powered geospatial solutions, and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) announced on the 15th of November the expansion of their Earth Observation (EO) program. The program is expanding from five to seven synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.