by David Todd | Apr 19, 2016 | Satellites, Technology
Commercial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications satellite operator ORBCOMM Inc. which uses a fleet of small satellites to relay global satellite messaging to remotely track, monitor, and control fixed and mobile assets has signed an agreement to purchase the South...
by David Todd | Apr 13, 2016 | Satellites, Technology
While it has previously dabbled in spacecraft servicing technology including a deal that in the end came to nothing with MDA, the satellite operator Intelsat still wants to do it. Intelsat has just signed a contract with Orbital ATK to become a customer...
by David Todd | Apr 13, 2016 | exploration, Science, Technology
While physicists note that the speed of light cannot be exceeded, at least on current understanding, using light itself to accelerate a spacecraft could get one to 20 per cent of the speed of light (3 x 108 m/s). A new project called “Project Starshot” has been...
by David Todd | Apr 12, 2016 | commercial launch services, space station, Technology
The Boeing/Lockheed Martin-owned United Launch Alliance (ULA) has declared in the Denver Post that it will cut 375 jobs out of its total of 3,400 in 2016. The firm expects the majority of these to be achieved relatively painlessly via voluntary redundancies. However,...
by David Todd | Apr 6, 2016 | Commercial human spaceflight, Seradata News, Space tourism, Suborbital, Technology
Blue Origin is proving the concept of reusability as it made a third flight using the same reusable New Shepard suborbital rocket on 2 April 2016. The flight reached an altitude of 103km (339,178 feet) – 3km further than the accepted start of “space” – where it...
by David Todd | Mar 31, 2016 | ESA, exploration, Science, Technology
Johann-Dietrich ‘Jan’ Woerner has been Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 1 July 2015. After eight years heading German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the German delegation at ESA, he succeeded Jean-Jacques Dordain in the leading ESA executive role....
