Converting an engineering model of a Mars rover into a lunar rover could cost NASA between $723 million and $1.33 billion, according to an analysis published July 30 by The Planetary Society. The proposal, designated PROMISE or Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration, was announced June 30 by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman as … Read more
MDA Space is aggressively expanding its global footprint, announcing the acquisition of French Earth data analytics firm Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) for 567 million euros ($648 million) in cash. This follows the company’s June 19 agreement to purchase smallsat manufacturer Blue Canyon Technologies for $620 million, signaling a broader industry trend toward vertical integration in … Read more
Legal Battle Over “Diantara Kata” Sparks Debate on Artist Rights Indonesian singer Syahravi has initiated legal action against veteran musician Fariz RM, alleging defamation over a dispute involving the song “Diantara Kata.” The case highlights growing tensions in the music industry over copyright, artistic collaboration, and reputational damage. According to Syahravi’s attorney Elza Syarief, the … Read more
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) reports that Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft could remain grounded for up to one year before attempting another uncrewed test flight. While Boeing and NASA continue addressing propulsion and thruster anomalies identified during the 2024 Crew Flight Test (CFT), the agency has signaled a shift in strategy by expanding SpaceX’s … Read more
Voyager Technologies has agreed to acquire lunar lander developer Astrobotic for $162 million in cash and stock, plus $9 million in debt assumption, to accelerate development for NASA’s lunar base initiatives. The deal includes up to $129 million in potential earnout payments, marking a major shift for the 19-year-old Pittsburgh-based firm that previously operated on … Read more
Blue Origin has begun rebuilding its Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral following a New Glenn rocket explosion on May 28, according to company founder Jeff Bezos and CEO Dave Limp. The company aims to resume flight operations before the end of the year, despite significant damage to the launch infrastructure, including a collapsed lightning … Read more
The U.S. government is prioritizing the modernization of radiofrequency spectrum rules ahead of the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) to secure a competitive advantage for non-geostationary (NGSO) broadband networks. According to Greg Francis, a former chief-of-staff to U.S. WRC ambassadors, the U.S. delegation aims to balance the needs of incumbent geostationary (GSO) satellite operators with … Read more
NASA is accelerating its Artemis lunar landing timeline by simplifying the technical architectures of the Human Landing System (HLS) for both SpaceX and Blue Origin. By shifting to Earth-orbit docking and replacing complex fuel transport systems, NASA aims to reduce mission risk and improve crew safety for upcoming lunar expeditions, according to officials at the … Read more
Beyond the Satellite: The Dawn of GPS-Independent Space Travel For decades, our journey into the cosmos has relied on a digital umbilical cord: the Global Positioning System (GPS). While indispensable for everything from your morning commute to orbiting satellites, GPS has a glaring weakness—it is a terrestrial-centric system. Once a spacecraft ventures too far from … Read more
Space Race 2.0: US and China Engage in Orbital Shadowboxing The geostationary orbit (GEO) is becoming an increasingly crowded and contested space, as evidenced by recent maneuvers involving U.S. And Chinese satellites. Commercial space tracking data reveals a coordinated effort by U.S. Satellites to closely monitor a pair of Chinese spacecraft, Shijian-29A and 29B, raising … Read more