News
Daily coverage of the global space industry with an emphasis on business and political news.
Planet shares begin trading on New York Stock Exchange
Planet completed its merger with special purpose acquisition company dMY Technology Group IV and began trading shares on the New York Stock Exchange Dec. 8 under the ticker symbol PL.
Space Development Agency to acquire 28 missile-tracking satellites to launch in late 2024
The Pentagon’s Space Development Agency is planning a new procurement of satellites that will be part of a global constellation of missile-tracking space sensors.
Europe awards study contract for disruptive satellite constellation ideas
A consortium of more than 20 European space companies said Dec. 8 it won a six-month contract to study disruptive ideas for Europe’s planned satellite broadband constellation.
ST Engineering leads $30 million fundraising for satellite IoT startup
Israeli startup hiSky said Dec. 8 it raised $30 million to mass-produce compact terminals designed to connect internet of things (IoT) devices to satellites in multiple orbits.
Space Force official: U.S. has a broad range of options to respond to space aggression
If Russia, China or any other country targeted a U.S. satellite with missiles or other weapons, the United States would respond in a “proportional manner,” said Brig. Gen. John Olson, the senior reserve officer of the U.S. Space Force.
GHGSat to launch three spacecraft on Falcon 9
GHGSat, a Canadian company planning a constellation of satellites to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, announced Dec. 8 it will launch its next three satellites on a Falcon 9 in mid-2022.
Soyuz launches Japanese private astronauts to ISS
A Soyuz spacecraft launched Dec. 8 carrying two Japanese private astronauts and a Roscosmos cosmonaut on the first flight in more than a decade for space tourism company Space Adventures.
Former JSC director Mark Geyer passes away
Mark Geyer, former head of the Johnson Space Center and manager of the Orion program, died Dec. 7 of cancer.
Tomorrow.io to grow weather constellation through SPAC deal
Tomorrow.io said Dec. 7 it stands to raise up to $420 million for its planned network of weather satellites by merging with Pine Technology Acquisition Corp., the latest special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to invest in the space industry.
Final defense bill nixes space guard, directs classification review of space programs
The Senate and House Armed Services Committees in a compromise National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 removed language that would have created a Space National Guard, and included a provision directing DoD to identify space programs that could be declassified.
Valley Tech Systems wins $94 million missile defense contract
Valley Tech Systems, a firm recently acquired by Voyager Space, won a $94 million contract from Lockheed Martin to provide a solid propulsion subsystem for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Next Generation Interceptor.
China’s SAR satellite surge continues with new constellation plan
A new Chinese constellation for disaster prevention, early warning and natural resource monitoring will bring yet more players into developing small synthetic aperture satellites in the country.
Andesat taps Astranis for Peru’s first dedicated telecoms satellite
Cellular backhaul provider Andesat has ordered Peru’s first dedicated telecoms satellite in a deal with Astranis, which will build a teleport in the country ahead of the spacecraft’s expected 2023 launch.
India, Russia agree to enhance space cooperation
India and Russia agreed Dec. 6 to strengthen cooperation in the space sector, including human spaceflight programs and satellite navigation.
NASA announces new astronauts as safety panel recommends strategic planning for space exploration
NASA announced a new class of astronauts that will be eligible for missions to the moon on the same day the agency’s safety advisers called for strategic planning to ensure success in those exploration efforts.
Chinese private firm Galactic Energy puts five satellites in orbit with second launch
Rocket company Galactic Energy launched its second Ceres-1 rocket late Dec. 6, becoming the first Chinese private firm to reach orbit twice.
