SSI News
Multiple launch orders for Rocket Lab from BlackSky, Synspective, and NASA (Updated)
On 8 August 2023, Earth Observation (EO) imagery provider and satellite operator BlackSky contracted with Rocket Lab for five further Electron rocket launches. This deal continues a relationship between the two companies which has seen Blacksky satellites launch on...
Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation fully funded after supplier swap saves US$2 billion
Telesat's Lightspeed constellation is fully financed after the Canadian company awarded MDA with a contract to build 198 satellites; in the process eschewing Thales Alenia Space and saving the satellite operator a cool US$2 billion. The new contract with MDA, a space...
Small sat build and launch orders: A busy month for small sats
The month of August usually has a slew of small satellite orders thanks to the Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah. GHGSat shows confidence in Spire's Space-as-a-Service offer by ordering a second cluster of CubeSats. Under the agreement, Spire will build,...
Two Chinese launches from Xichang: Khuaizhou-1A carrying five HeDe-3 ship tracking satellites and a Long March 3B/E carrying Ludi-Tance-4 (01) radar satellite
Two recent Chinese launches have been made from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The first launch was a large Long March 3B/E (CZ-B/E) rocket which launched at 1726 GMT on 12 August 2023. It put the Ludi-Tance-4 (01) radar satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer...
Astra Space, Planet and Momentus all make layoffs in their bids to survive and prosper
While there the space sector has seen some major advancements over August, from Virgin Galactic's first tourist flight and India's first lunar landing, there were also some casualties with a human cost. Three US space companies were forced to make layoffs as they...
Charlie Ergen reunites his DISH and Echostar businesses in merger
US satellite TV provider DISH Network plans to merge with its sister company and satellite operator, EchoStar, the companies have announced. The deal will see the creation of a significant space connectivity player with a market value of around US$6 billion at the...
Ceres-1 small launcher puts seven Chinese small sats into orbit
A Ceres-1 (Gushenxing-1) rocket built by private Chinese company Galactic Energy successfully launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China at 0404 GMT on 10 August. The mission reportedly carried seven satellites into LEO however, despite there being a...
Luna 25 lander is sent on way to Moon by Soyuz rocket…but then it comes to grief (Updated)
A Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat M rocket sent Russia’s Luna 25 lander, also known as the Luna-Glob, into orbit from Vostochny cosmodrome in far eastern Russia, at 2310 GMT on 10 August. The lander and the Fregat M stage were placed into an initial parking orbit of 280 x 267 km at...
Falcon 9 launches another set of Starlink satellites: Group 6-9 on the 100th Starlink launch
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA at 0517 GMT on 11 August 2023. The launch vehicle was carrying Starlink Group 6-9 of 22 V2-Mini Starlink satellites for the Starlink second generation constellation. The reusable...
Virgin Galactic VSS Unity flies suborbital passenger mission again – its first “tourist” flight (Corrected)
The Virgin Galactic suborbital launch operation is gathering steam as it launches its second passenger flight. The suborbital SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity space plane was carried into the air by the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft Eve from Spaceport America at 1429 GMT on...
Stay Informed with Seradata
Stay informed on the latest news, insights, and more from Seradata by signing up for our newsletter.