 | Top Stories
The Commerce Department announced it is relaxing some aspects of space export control. The department announced Thursday that it is changing controls will make it easier for U.S. companies to sell satellites, launch vehicles and other space-related technologies to close allies. One change removes licensing requirements for technologies related to remote sensing, space-based logistics and servicing spacecraft destined for the U.K., Canada and Australia, while a second rule removes licensing requirements for certain spacecraft components destined for roughly 40 allied nations. The department also issued a proposed rule for public comment on other changes to move spacecraft technologies from the U.S. Munitions List, under ITAR, to the Commerce Control List. That public comment period will be open to Nov. 22. [SpaceNews]
Firefly Aerospace will launch a responsive space mission. Space technology firm True Anomaly said Thursday it selected Firefly's Alpha rocket for the launch of its Jackal spacecraft for the Space Force's Victus Haze mission in 2025. Victus Haze will test the Space Force's ability to counter orbital threats on short notice by performing coordinated maneuvers with a separate spacecraft from Rocket Lab. Once the launch order is given, Firefly must complete payload integration, rocket fueling and launch operations within the compressed 24-hour timeframe. [SpaceNews]
The NRO is defending its role in providing satellite-based intelligence to the U.S. military. At an event Thursday, NRO Deputy Director Troy Meink underscored the agency's efforts to rapidly deploy a new network of satellites designed to track ground targets in near real time. Military officials have expressed concerns that the NRO is not providing that information fast enough. Meink dismissed these criticisms, stating that the NRO works hand-in-hand with both military and intelligence agencies, but acknowledged that processing the sheer volume of data collected by the growing constellation of satellites remains a challenge. [SpaceNews]
ESA and OHB have signed a contract to begin work on an asteroid mission. The contract signed Thursday at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), valued at 63 million euros ($68 million), allows initial work to begin on the Ramses mission to the asteroid Apophis, which will make a close flyby of Earth in 2029. Formal approval and full funding of the mission is not expected until ESA's next ministerial meeting in late 2025, but the contract is needed now to keep the mission on track to launch in 2028 to reach Apophis in time. [SpaceNews]
French ground station provider Skynopy is exploring ways to reuse more than 20 teleport sites owned worldwide by satellite operator Kinéis. The startup currently has agreements to use excess capacity across 15 ground stations from partners, including cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services. Skynopy said the deal paves the way for establishing its own sites, while continuing to rely on a growing network of ground station providers. [SpaceNews]
Japanese startup ArkEdge Space won a contract from the Japanese space agency JAXA to study a navigation satellite constellation. That project will examine providing high-precision, global position, navigation and timing (PNT) signals using a low Earth orbit constellation. The company declined to comment on the value of the JAXA contract. ArkEdge Space will provide a conceptual design for a LEO-PNT satellite and its orbit. ArkEdge also will explore satellite and constellation tradeoffs, and consider signal formats and frequency bands. [SpaceNews]
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| Other News
Weather delayed a Falcon 9 launch Thursday. SpaceX postponed a launch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Thursday afternoon because of high winds. The launch has been rescheduled for Friday afternoon, but with only a 40% chance of acceptable weather. [Florida Today]
NASA will review weather today for the delayed return of the Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was scheduled to return last week from the station, splashing down off the Florida coast, but Hurricane Milton and other poor weather conditions have extended its stay on the ISS. If NASA determines weather is favorable, it will proceed with an undocking early Sunday. [NASA]
Space cybersecurity firm SpiderOak announced Thursday that it will make its encryption-based software open source. The company said this decision allows external developers to contribute to the project and improve security features through collaboration. SpiderOak's software is sold to U.S. government agencies, as well as companies in the space and defense sectors. [SpaceNews]
A group of international spaceports are banding together. Eight spaceports in six countries signed a memorandum of understanding during the IAC this week to address shared issues in the development and operation of their facilities. Those spaceports range from existing sites like Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia to proposed spaceports in Australia and Japan. In another presentation at IAC, researchers discussed a metric based on the technology readiness level to assess the maturity of spaceports, rating them on a one-to-nine scale from concept to advanced operations. [SpaceNews]
Richard Branson is going back to (near) space. Space Perspective, a company developing a stratospheric balloon system to take people to altitudes of about 30 kilometers, said Thursday that Branson would serve as co-pilot for the first crewed flight of the Spaceship Neptune system. Branson will also invest in the company. Space Perspective has performed uncrewed test flights of a prototype system and expects to begin crewed flights in 2025. Spaceship Neptune will take eight passengers to altitudes well short of conventional boundaries of space, and without the microgravity of spaceflight, but will provide people with views of the Earth similar to those from space. [Space.com]
| |  | The Astronaut Perspective
"Microgravity is incredibly unique. It's really amazing. It's amazing not just for the science but for the inspiration, as I know myself. There's nothing quite like seeing an astronaut upside down."
– NASA Deputy Administrator and former astronaut Pam Melroy, speaking at a briefing during IAC this week on the agency's low Earth orbit microgravity strategy.
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