Satellite News

The United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (or Next Gen OPIR) programme successfully passed a major milestone, completing its Block 0 Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Space Vehicle (SV) Critical Design Review (CDR) on 20 August 2021.

Astroscale’s End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) successfully tested its ability to capture its client spacecraft using the servicer’s magnetic capture system, in a demonstration performed on 25 August (UTC).

Russia has postponed its first mission to the moon’s surface in decades as a result of “problems” encountered during tests of the Luna-25 spacecraft.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has selected L3Harris Technologies to provide the latest Universal Space Transponder (UST) for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) programme, which is developing capabilities to return Martian samples to Earth for detailed analysis.

NorthStar Earth & Space (NorthStar) has received approval in principle from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) authorising NorthStar to use all of the company’s requested radio frequency spectrum allocation for its planned 52-satellite constellation that will deliver a suite of information services related to Earth and space sustainability.

Xplore Inc., a commercial space company providing Space as a Service has announced a follow on contract with the U.S. Air Force, (USAF) to continue developing their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solution as a commercial service for cislunar space.

Maxar Technologies announced it received an order to build another geostationary communications satellite for longtime customer SiriusXM, following the SXM-9 satellite order that was announced earlier this month.

Spaceflight Inc. announced it achieved 100% mission success for both its primary and secondary missions for SXRS-5, including the commissioning and successful firing of Astra’s Apollo Fusion electric propulsion system to enable orbital transfers.