| AST SpaceMobile has signed a 10-year agreement with Vodafone for space-based cellular broadband services. Under the agreement, announced Monday, AST will provide direct-to-device services for U.K.-based Vodafone in its 15 home markets and partners in 45 other countries. Vodafone ordered a gateway as part of the deal to route data AST SpaceMobile satellites would get from smartphones outside terrestrial coverage into the telco's network and back to the user, enabling broadband and other services beyond the reach of cell towers. Shares in AST closed up 2.6% Monday after rising by as much as 16% earlier in the day on the news. [SpaceNews]
Lockheed Martin will launch a 5G technology demonstration satellite on a Firefly Alpha rocket next year. TacSat, a compact spacecraft about the size of a mini-fridge, is built on a Terran Orbital Zuma bus, a platform Lockheed Martin also employs for the Space Development Agency's military network. TacSat will carry an infrared imaging sensor and a 5G communications payload, both designed to address the Pentagon's growing demand for "all-domain networks" that seamlessly link space assets with forces on the ground, at sea and in the air. TacSat represents the second collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Firefly under a multi-launch agreement between the companies. [SpaceNews]
Blue Origin says it is still on track to attempt a first launch of its New Glenn rocket this year. The company reaffirmed the schedule for the NG-1 launch on Monday as it disclosed details about the payload, Blue Ring Pathfinder. That payload will test technologies for the company's Blue Ring orbital transfer vehicle while remaining attached to the rocket's upper stage during a six-hour mission. While Blue Origin said that New Glenn is "ready for launch this year," the company did not offer a more specific schedule. [SpaceNews]
China's space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities depend on space-based assets, according to a new report. The study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute said that China has a limited network of ground-based sensors for tracking objects in orbit, requiring it to rely on spacecraft for SSA data. China has launched at least 10 spacecraft to low Earth orbit with SSA capabilities, such as optical and radio-frequency sensors. China's approach contrasts with that of the United States, which integrates space-based SSA with extensive ground sensors. [SpaceNews]
Two members of Congress are pushing the FAA to accelerate the launch licensing process. In a letter sent last week to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chair of the House Transportation Committee, and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) called on the agency to use "all actions short of rulemaking" to expedite the licensing process. Many companies have complained about the difficulty of using regulations known as Part 450 intended to streamline the process but which have turned out to be cumbersome. Graves and Wittman pointed out that even if the FAA completes a license application within the 180-day deadline, that often comes after months or years of pre-application reviews. The letter came a day after the FAA held the first meeting of a committee to look at ways to improve Part 450. [SpaceNews]
The Defense Department is struggling with supply chain problems affecting space programs. Some critical components, like encryption devices, have only single sources approved by the National Security Agency. Manufacturers are still recovering from pandemic-related disruptions, and scaling up production from single-digit to hundreds of units has proven more challenging than initially anticipated. That is impeding efforts by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to deploy constellations of missile-tracking and communications satellites, its director, Derek Tournear, said at a conference Saturday. Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, called the SDA the "canary in the coal mine" for broader industrial base challenges. [SpaceNews]
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