Sony to develop laser communications equipment for small satellites

Sony has formed a company to develop laser communications equipment for small satellites, drawing on optical disc technology it pioneered for CD players and other devices. The Japanese conglomerate said that it founded Sony Space Communications (SSC) in San Mateo, California, to help companies avoid running out of radio waves as the number of satellitesRead More

China sends astronauts to complete construction on its new space station

China has launched a rocket carrying three astronauts on a mission to complete construction on its new space station. The rocket carrying the Shenzhou-14 mission with three Chinese astronauts lifts off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China’s Gansu province in June 2022, the latest milestone in Beijing’s drive to become a majorRead More

New satellites stated to launch in June on Ariane 5 rocket’s 1st flight of the year

A pair of satellites from Malaysia and India are slated to launch in late June on the Ariane 5 rocket’s first flight of the year. Aboard the rocket will be Malaysian satellite operator Measat’s Measat-3d and state-funded NewSpace India Limited’s GSAT-24. Both are communications satellites bound for geostationary orbit. Measat-3d, built by Airbus Defense andRead More

Arabsat orders 1st geostationary satellite for flexible coverage across MENA and parts of Europe

Arabsat has ordered its first fully software-defined geostationary satellite to provide flexible coverage across the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe. The company said that it signed a contract for Arabsat 7A with Europe’s Thales Alenia Space, which will build the satellite based on its Space Inspire platform. Although launch plans were not disclosed,Read More

SpaceX launches transporter-4 into low Earth orbit

SpaceX launched the fourth in its series of dedicated rideshare missions recently, placing one relatively large satellite and dozens of smallsats into low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX beat predictions of poor weather, with just a 30% chance of acceptable weatherRead More

Sierra Space to study future landings of its Dream Chaser vehicle at Japanese airport

Sierra Space has signed an agreement to study future landings of its Dream Chaser vehicle at a Japanese airport. Sierra Space, working in cooperation with Kanematsu Corporation and Oita Prefecture, announced recently the memorandum of understanding regarding landings of Dream Chaser at Oita Airport. As part of the agreement Sierra Space and Kanematsu will collaborateRead More

MBRAH signs agreement with Satys for paint hangar

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) has signed an agreement with Satys, a specialized in aircraft sealing and painting. Satys will develop a paint hangar at MBRAH that spreads across 33,000 square feet with the latest technology. Construction of the new hangar will commence this year and is expected to conclude by Q3 2023.Read More

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches classified US government spy satellite into orbit

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a US government spy satellite into orbit recently from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The payload, designated NROL-87, was the National Reconnaissance Office’s first space mission of the year and the first orbital launch of 2022 from the Western Range. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex, headingRead More

Rocket Lab gears up for its 1st launch in a ‘crazy busy’ year

Rocket Lab will expand facilities in Colorado it obtained from a corporate acquisition last year as the company gears up for the first launch in a ‘crazy busy’ year. Rocket Lab announced recently that will open a new ‘space systems complex’ in Littleton, Colorado, near the current offices of Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI), a companyRead More