Top Stories
UK pushing to combine OneWeb Gen 2 and European sovereign constellation efforts
The U.K.’s space minister hopes to convince Europe to use OneWeb’s proposed second-generation satellites instead of pursuing a standalone constellation now that the British operator has merged with Eutelsat of France.
FAA completes safety review for next Starship launch
SpaceX is one step closer to getting an updated license for its next Starship launch but must still wait for the completion of an environmental review.
Space Development Agency awards Northrop Grumman $732 million contract for 38 satellites and support services
The Space Development Agency awarded Northrop Grumman a $732 million contract for 38 communications satellites that will be part of the U.S. military’s low Earth orbit space architecture.
Latest Headlines
Revealing the Startup of the Year finalists for the SpaceNews 2023 Icon Awards
Norway opens Andøya spaceport
NASA open to extending ISS beyond 2030
Launch
Virgin Galactic carries researchers on fifth commercial suborbital flight
Virgin Galactic completed its sixth and final suborbital spaceflight of the year Nov. 2, flying two researchers and a private astronaut.
China’s iSpace launches and lands rocket test stage
Chinese commercial rocket company iSpace has successfully launched and safely landed a test article on its path to developing a reusable launch vehicle.
Op-ed | Space Force launch strategy a step in the right direction
This next phase of NSSL marks a significant evolution in how the Space Force approaches launch, leaning into the commercial market in a way that it had previously largely avoided.
FAA completes safety review for next Starship launch
SpaceX is one step closer to getting an updated license for its next Starship launch but must still wait for the completion of an environmental review.
Space Force assigns 21 national security missions to ULA and SpaceX
The Space Systems Command announced 21 launch missions have been assigned to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract the companies won in 2020.
The SpaceNews Awards recognize and celebrate the leaders and pioneers who push the boundaries of innovation and redefine expectations.
This year, we are pleased to announce that U.S. Space Force Col. Richard Kniseley, the head of Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO), will deliver the keynote address at the SpaceNews 2023 Icon Awards on Dec. 5 in Washington.
Visit www.spacenewsawards.com for event updates and to purchase tickets.
Civil
Netherlands and Iceland sign Artemis Accords
Two more countries have signed the U.S.-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices in space exploration, one of which did so with no fanfare.
Senate passes orbital debris bill
The Senate has passed a bill that would direct NASA to create an orbital debris remediation program, sending it on to the House for the second time.
NASA safety panel warns about ISS transition risks
A NASA safety panel expressed concerns about NASA’s plans to shift from the International Space Station to commercial successors, including funding for an ISS deorbit vehicle.
Blue Origin reveals mockup of Blue Moon lunar lander prototype
Blue Origin has unveiled a full-sized mockup of an uncrewed version of its Blue Moon lunar lander that will test technologies intended for a crewed version it is developing for NASA’s Artemis effort.
Shenzhou-17 crew arrives at Tiangong space station
Three new astronauts have arrived at China’s Tiangong space station following launch from the Gobi Desert late Wednesday.
Military
Space Force takes over missile-warning ground stations previously run by the Army
The U.S. Space Force has officially taken over from the Army the operation of ground stations that receive data from infrared sensor satellites.
Retired Space Force Lt. Gen. Armagno joins Rocket Lab’s board of directors
Rocket Lab announced Nov. 1 that retired U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno has joined the company’s board of directors.
HawkEye 360 gets U.S. Navy contract for maritime surveillance in the Pacific
HawkEye 360, a commercial operator of remote-sensing satellites won a $12.2 million contract from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.
Space Development Agency awards Northrop Grumman $732 million contract for 38 satellites and support services
The Space Development Agency awarded Northrop Grumman a $732 million contract for 38 communications satellites that will be part of the U.S. military’s low Earth orbit space architecture.
Space Force to begin procurement of missile-tracking satellites for medium Earth orbit constellation
The U.S. Space Force is moving forward with plans to procure 27 missile-defense satellites for a medium Earth orbit constellation — using an acquisition process that mirrors the model adopted by the Space Development Agency for the military’s low Earth orbit architecture.
