by Matt Wilson | Jan 25, 2021 | Military space, Satellites, Seradata News, Technology
Two American defence contractors Northrop Grumman and L3Harris have received contracts to develop prototype hypersonic missile sensors. The award was issued to L3Harris on 14 January -worth US$121 million, with Northrop Grumman receiving its on 22nd – worth...
by Matt Wilson | Jan 20, 2021 | Constellation, Satellites, Seradata News, Space politics, Technology
The European Commission has selected its providers for the second-generation of its Galileo satellite navigation system. The announcement was released on 20 January identifying European industry stalwarts Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space as the...
by David Todd | Jan 18, 2021 | exploration, NASA, Seradata News, Technology
NASA might have said that it wanted a minimum of 250 seconds’ worth of engine firing plus gimbal movements to attain whether the SLS core stage was safe to launch, but it did not get it at the test firing at the Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA. In the...
by David Todd | Jan 6, 2021 | Launches, Seradata News, Technology, Virgin Galactic
According to the Seradata SpaceTrak launch and satellite database, the “final score” for launches in 2020 is 11 launch failures out of 114 orbital attempts. One of these failures was really a minor partial involving a pair of stuck Lemur satellites on a...
by Matt Wilson | Dec 15, 2020 | ESA, Satellites, Science, Seradata News, Technology
On 9 December 2020 ESA (European Space Agency) placed an order with Italian suppliers for an reusable lifting body called Space Rider. The Space Rider has been championed by the Italian government and industry for many years as a way forward to a “space...
by David Todd | Dec 10, 2020 | Launches, SpaceX, Technology
In what most independent observers judged to be a successful test flight (well, for most of it), the Starship prototype SN8 upper stage was launched from Boca Chica in Texas on 9 December. The reusable craft lifted itself off the pad on its new raptor engines and then...
