Space.com
• Chelsea Gohd
A prototype spacecraft designed to beam power to another satellite in orbit launched Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The flight begins an in-orbit demonstration of Star Catcher’s approach to supplying power between spacecraft.
SpaceNews.com
Satellite
Latest source-backed stories
Voyager Technologies has received a $22.4 million Pentagon award to develop flight-ready systems for deploying small satellites. The work advances deployment hardware intended to support U.S. satellite operations, though the available report does not specify a schedule or mission application.
A prototype spacecraft designed to beam power to another satellite in orbit launched Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The flight begins an in-orbit demonstration of Star Catcher’s approach to supplying power between spacecraft.
Two small satellites built by York Space Systems for the U.S. Space Force have been cleared for a mission in geosynchronous orbit. They will detect and track other objects there and maneuver near them, extending the service’s ability to operate in the crowded orbital regime.
The aerospace industry often uses “space-grade” as though it has a universally understood meaning, but that assumption is in question. The discussion raises a basic issue for space hardware buyers and suppliers: what the label actually signifies when selecting components.
The space-based space situational awareness data provider’s shares opened below its $10 pre-IPO valuation and fell 25% on Oct. 2, closing at $4.45. The listing raised $25 million as NorthStar plans a satellite constellation for 2028.
Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the first batch of next-generation satellites for Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation. The batch comprises 32 satellites, marking the start of deliveries for the upgraded spacecraft fleet.
High activity
The joint European Space Agency–Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer has entered scientific operations following its May launch and a multi-month commissioning period. ESA and CAS released the mission’s first images, marking the transition from spacecraft checkout to planned research.
Rheinmetall and Argotec have launched their first jointly developed satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking the initial step toward a broader constellation for intelligence gathering, air-defense surveillance and early warning.
Create a free account to see more recent Satellite stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
