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The Space Development Agency (SDA) will not include seven satellites from Raytheon in a missile-tracking constellation. The agency said it is "reevaluating and considering re-scoping" the contract with the company to provide satellites for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer. SDA did not explain why Raytheon will not be delivering seven satellites that the company was expected to build under a $250 million contract SDA awarded in March 2023, although industry sources said the company was at risk of having to absorb higher-than-expected overruns due to increased costs on the fixed-price contract. SDA ordered the satellites after previously selecting L3Harris and Northrop Grumman to each provide 14 satellites for the constellation. The loss of the Raytheon satellites should not significantly impact the performance of the missile-tracking network, SDA stated. [SpaceNews]
Operators of GEO communications satellites are turning to partnerships with local service providers to better compete with SpaceX's Starlink. Operators said on a panel at the Satellite 2024 conference Monday that working with local providers allows them to better serve customers, particularly in rural communities, where the providers can install and replace hardware faster than the weeks it can take to ship and receive a new Starlink terminal. The relatively high cost of Starlink terminals is also an obstacle in markets where consumers have little disposable income. [SpaceNews]
Manufacturers of GEO communications satellites, meanwhile, argue that such satellites are not going away despite reduced demand. During a Satellite 2024 panel, executives acknowledged that orders had dropped significantly in recent years, down to an average of about 10 satellites a year. Despite that decline, they said GEO satellites still offer good economics compared to LEO constellations and can also support multi-orbit solutions. [SpaceNews]
Astranis has won another order for its small GEO broadband satellites. Astranis announced Monday that Orbith, a remote connectivity provider based in Argentina, had ordered a satellite for launch in 2025 as part of the Block 3 series of five satellites by Astranis. Other customers for Block 3 satellites include Thaicom, Orbits Corp. of the Philippines and Mexican telco Apco Networks. [SpaceNews]
The National Reconnaissance Office is pursuing a mix of large and small spacecraft for its future architecture of spy satellites. Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the NRO, said at Satellite 2024 Monday that the NRO sees value in leveraging new commercial capabilities for certain missions where small satellites can meet requirements at lower cost. However, the NRO will continue to invest in larger, more capable satellites for critical needs. As an example, the NRO plans to launch a small satellite on a Rocket Lab Electron later this week, followed next week by a launch of one of its largest satellites on the final Delta 4 Heavy. [SpaceNews]
Belgian satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab will build the first satellite for Xona Space Systems. The companies announced Tuesday that Aerospacelab will build the satellite, part of Xona's planned constellation to provide navigation services, at a facility Aerospacelab is establishing in the U.S. The companies did not disclose when the satellite would launch. The satellite is based on an Aerospacelab bus called Versatile Satellite Platform, or VSP, with six such spacecraft currently in orbit. [SpaceNews]
A joint venture of two Spanish companies has ordered the first satellites for a planned constellation for air traffic management services. Startical, a joint venture of Spanish defense contractor Indra and air navigation services provider Enaire, said Monday it ordered a 20-kilogram satellite from GomSpace and a 110-kilogram satellite from Kongsberg NanoAvionics. Both satellites are scheduled to launch next year to demonstrate how they can be used to track aircraft and provide VHF radio communications for them. Startical has proposed deploying a constellation of more than 270 satellites to provide those services. [SpaceNews]
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A Starlink launch Monday evening put on a show for many in the southwestern United States. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:28 p.m. Eastern, deploying 22 Starlink satellites. The launch took place around dusk, creating a brilliant backlit plume as the rocket ascended. That plume was seen throughout southern California and as far away as Las Vegas and Phoenix. [Los Angeles Times]
Maxar is finally ready to launch its first WorldView Legion satellites. The company said Monday it shipped the first two Legion satellites to Vandenberg for a launch as soon as next month on a Falcon 9. This marks a crucial milestone for the WorldView Legion program, which has suffered repeated setbacks since Maxar started developing the spacecraft in 2017. Maxar is planning to launch six WorldView Legion satellites, tripling its capacity to provide high-resolution imagery. [SpaceNews]
Orbit Fab has set the pricing for a spacecraft refueling port. The company said Tuesday it will offer its Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface, or RAFTI, fueling port for spacecraft for $30,000 each. RAFTI is designed to make it easier to refuel spacecraft on orbit by providing a standardized interface. Orbit Fab recently completed qualification testing of RAFTI, allowing it to deliver the first 100 RAFTI units to U.S. government and commercial customers over the next year. [SpaceNews]
Benchmark Space Systems has launched its first electric propulsion system. The company says its Xantus metal plasma thruster is on a 12U weather observation cubesat launched earlier this month by Orion Space Solutions. The millinewton-class Xantus thruster, which uses molybdenum as propellant, will soon start operations, the company said. Benchmark is preparing to deliver more than 50 of those thrusters to various customers this year, with strong interest from developers of microsatellites who want to use it for "precision maneuver" applications. [SpaceNews]
Kayhan Space is offering a version of its space traffic coordination software platform for universities. The company announced Tuesday its Pathfinder Classroom platform, intended for use by universities operating their own cubesats or for simulating spacecraft operations. The company says that this version of its existing Pathfinder system will help educate students on the importance of spaceflight safety before they enter the workforce. [SpaceNews]
The Aerospace Corp. and the Space Foundation are joining forces to expand the Space Workforce 2030 program. Aerospace started the Space Workforce 2030 initiative in 2022, forming a coalition of about 30 member companies with the goal of promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce within the space industry. The expansion includes several new initiatives such as increasing outreach to underrepresented groups, providing educational opportunities like internships and working with companies to promote inclusive hiring practices. Melanie Stricklan, co-founder and former CEO of Slingshot Aerospace, will be the first executive director of Space Workforce 2030. [SpaceNews]
Apollo and Gemini astronaut Tom Stafford has died. Stafford passed away Monday at the age of 93 after an extended illness. Stafford was selected in NASA's second class of astronauts in 1962 and he flew on the Gemini 6A and Gemini 9A missions, followed by Apollo 10, a dress rehearsal for the Apollo 11 landing. He was the U.S. commander of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, the first joint crewed mission between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. A retired Air Force lieutenant general, Stafford served on various committees and study groups up until his death. [collectSPACE]
| | He's a Hugger
"I started in sales a bit over 20 years ago. The only training I got at the time was 'hug your customer.' I didn't even really know what that meant. I think I did it literally the first few times."
– Steven Rutgers, chief commercial officer of Arianespace, during a panel at the Satelite 2024 conference Monday.
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