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Orbit Fab and ClearSpace announced a partnership for in-space refueling and servicing. The two companies said Wednesday they will work together initially to pair an Orbit Fab fuel depot with a ClearSpace shuttle, allowing the shuttle to transport propellant to client spacecraft. The companies did not disclose financial details of the partnership. Over the long term, Orbit Fab and ClearSpace executives see additional opportunities to work together on mission extension, transportation and other mobility and logistics services. [SpaceNews]
Satellite-related spectrum clashes will be a growing issue at future international meetings, a State Department official says. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Steve Lang, who led the U.S. delegation to the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) that concluded last month, said the U.S. made it a priority to support emerging broadband constellations like Starlink and Project Kuiper, only to see a "lot of resistance" and an "unfortunate bias" against them from other countries. Despite those problems, he said the U.S. did see progress in areas it prioritized. Others speaking at an American Enterprise Institute event this week said the U.S. should do more to align strategies for satellite and other spectrum issues ahead of the next WRC in 2027. [SpaceNews]
WRC-23 ended last month with mixed results for satellite operators. WRC-23 resolutions included rules for keeping large non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) networks in check, including limits on how closely satellites must stick to the orbital positions they have registered with regulators. WRC-23 approved studies for the technical and regulatory provisions needed to protect radio astronomy from NGSO-caused interference and a measure to prevent services from such systems in countries that have not authorized them; both will be considered at the WRC in 2027. NGSO operators said there were positive developments at WRC-23, such as "very generous" rules for orbital tolerances of those satellite systems. [SpaceNews]
The venture arm of consulting firm Booz Allen has made its first investment in the space industry. Booz Allen Ventures participated in the $35 million funding round announced earlier this week by Albedo, a company developing a very low Earth orbit constellation of imaging satellites. Booz Allen intends to take an active role in working with Albedo to bring its technology to defense and intelligence users, as well as civilian applications like climate, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and urban planning. Booz Allen Ventures, with $100 million under management, invests in a broad range of tech sectors including space. [SpaceNews]
Five companies have won contracts for a new European launch initiative. The European Flight Ticket Initiative, a joint effort of the European Commission and ESA, has awarded contracts to Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, Orbex, PLD Space and Rocket Factory Augsburg. The contracts allow the companies to compete for future task orders to launch European technology demonstration and validation missions. The potential value of the contracts was not disclosed. The contract is a step towards greater cooperation between ESA and the EU in launch as the EU seeks take a bigger role in shaping European launch policy. [SpaceNews]
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SpaceX launched a set of Starlink satellites Tuesday after several days of delays. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 7:35 p.m. Eastern and deployed 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch had been scheduled for last week but was delayed several times because of weather and technical issues. [Spaceflight Now]
Belgium is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords. Belgian government ministers signed the Accords in a ceremony Tuesday on the sidelines of the European Space Conference in Brussels, citing the value of the document in establishing norms for responsible and sustainable behavior in space. Joining the Accords, they added, offered them the opportunity to participate in future elements of the Artemis lunar exploration effort. Belgium is the 34th country to sign the Accords and the 12th ESA member to do so. [SpaceNews]
The U.S. Air Force is funding a new round of experiments with satellite internet providers. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in 2023 awarded $250 million worth of contracts to commercial satellite operators and defense contractors for various experiments that are part of the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet, or DEUCSI. While the effort dates back to a 2018 award to SpaceX for testing Starlink, it saw a surge in activity in 2023 with awards to Intelsat, SES Defense & Space, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris. [SpaceNews]
That program is part of a broader effort by the Defense Department to change how it uses satellite communications. Its Commercial Satellite Communications Office is overseeing nearly $7 billion worth of satcom services contracts across 150 agreements. While most of those deals still involve traditional geostationary satellites, the office is pushing more into newer technologies like low Earth orbit networks, with about 50 different military commands and Defense Department offices using Starlink alone. The office is also exploring the use of small GEO satellites that can provide focused services and reduce reliance on large GEO spacecraft. [SpaceNews]
Images from the James Webb Space Telescope are gracing a new set of postage stamps. The U.S. Postal Service released a set of Priority Mail stamps this week that feature JWST images of the "Cosmic Cliffs" of the Carina Nebula and the "Pillars of Creation" within the Eagle Nebula. Fitting for a $10 billion space telescope, the stamps aren't cheap, with values of $9.85 and $30.45. [NASA]
| | Quest for the Holy Standards
"For 65 years, our selection standards were a guarded secret. You could find the Holy Grail faster than you could find our selection standards."
– JD Polk, NASA's chief health and medical officer, discussing human spaceflight standards during a presentation Tuesday at a commercial human spaceflight research workshop in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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