Plus: China's plan for a replacement Shenzhou spacecraft
By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: York files to go public, China to launch a replacement Shenzhou spacecraft, 21 million euros for an (orbital) Baguette and more.
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Top Stories
Satellite manufacturer York Space Systems plans to go public. The company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to go public, but did not disclose the number or price of shares it will offer. York is majority-owned by AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm known for investments across aerospace and defense. Over the past decade York has shifted from a small-satellite specialist into one of the more prominent builders in the national security space market. Its move adds to a pipeline of space firms going public, including Voyager Technologies and Firefly Aerospace. [SpaceNews]
China will launch an uncrewed Shenzhou spacecraft to the Tiangong space station next week to replace a damaged spacecraft. China is preparing the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and a Long March 2F rocket for launch at around 11:10 p.m. Eastern Nov. 24, according to airspace notices. The move comes after the Shenzhou-20 crew needed to use the recently arrived Shenzhou-21 spacecraft to return home Nov. 14 after a micrometeoroid or orbital debris strike damaged their own Shenzhou-20 spacecraft. This leaves the Shenzhou-21 astronauts apparently without a lifeboat in the case of a catastrophic emergency, such as depressurization or fire aboard Tiangong, until Shenzhou-22 arrives. [SpaceNews]
A bipartisan report concludes that the United States is at risk of losing the strategic high ground of space that underpins modern military power. In a report to Congress scheduled to be released at a public event later today, the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission lays out a blunt assessment of Beijing's push to become the world's top space power. The reports says the speed, scale and ambition of China's space program have entered a new phase that U.S. military leaders describe as "mind boggling." A central theme in the report is China's advantage from an entirely dual-use space program, in which companies, state-owned enterprises and the military operate as one system. The commission recommends that lawmakers boost Space Force funding to achieve space control and space superiority while working to better understand and simulate Chinese space threats. [SpaceNews]
German satellite component company Dcubed is moving into the in-space manufacturing field. The company announced Tuesday its ARAQYS product line, which will provide the ability to manufacture solar arrays in orbit with more flexibility and at lower cost than traditional arrays. A demonstration mission scheduled to launch in early 2027 will test the technology by producing a 15-meter-long solar array that can produce two kilowatts of power. Dcubed says arrays manufactured in space can be cheaper and lighter than those produced on the ground, which must survive the rigors of launch and then use complex deployment mechanisms. [SpaceNews]
Isar Aerospace has sold a Spectrum launch to American launch aggregator SEOPS. The companies announced the deal Tuesday covering a Spectrum launch from Norway in 2028 carrying multiple payloads. SEOPS has primarily used rideshare capacity on Falcon 9 missions for its customers, but said it is responding to customer demand for a European launch option. [SpaceNews]
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Other News
French launch startup HyPrSpace said Monday it raised 21 million euros ($24.4 million.) The Series A round was led by Red River West and DeepTech 2030 with participation from several other investors. HyPrSpace is developing a hybrid propulsion system it will use first on a suborbital rocket, Baguette One, in 2026, followed by an orbital launch vehicle, OB-1. The company says the funding will allow the company to scale up operations and conduct the Baguette One launch while speeding up work on OB-1. [European Spaceflight]
Kepler Communications will launch its first optical data relay satellites in January. The Canadian company said Monday that 10 of the 300-kilogram satellites will launch on a Falcon 9 from California. The satellites have multiple optical terminals for data relay services that are compatible with standards set by the Space Development Agency. The satellites also have on-orbit computing capabilities to allow for data to be processed in space. [Kepler]
An observatory proposed for Hawaii is now considering Spain. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project said last week it is evaluating an offer by the Spanish government of 400 million euros to support construction of the observatory provided it is built on the island of La Palma. TMT was originally intended to be built atop Maunakea in Hawaii, but has faced opposition from native Hawaiians and also failed to win support from the National Science Foundation. A decision on going forward with building the telescope on La Palma could come in months. [Science]
Jeff Bezos is starting an AI company that could intersect with his space interests. Bezos will be co-CEO of Project Prometheus, backed by $6.2 billion in funding that came partially from him. Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin, has shown an interest in AI, including development of orbital data centers that may be needed to accommodate the field's growing ambitions. Project Prometheus will work on AI applications for engineering and manufacturing in several industries, including aerospace. [New York Times]
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Meet Elon Tusk
| "Before we start, I want to make sure we actually address the elephant in the room. Meet Elon Tusk."
| – John Wensveen, president of the International Space University, introducing a panel he moderated at Space Tech Expo Europe on Tuesday called "Addressing the Elephant: Trading with the United States" by putting a stuffed elephant on stage.
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