by David Todd | Apr 25, 2016 | Technology
Aerojet Rocketdyne has been awarded a US$67 million contract by NASA to build a “high thrust” version with double the thrust of current Hall Effect electric thrusters that the firm has already developed. The Xenon-gas powered thruster will probably be used...
by David Todd | Apr 19, 2016 | Satellites, Seradata News, Technology
OneWeb LLC has formally confirmed that it will be building its 720 satellite constellation, in 18 planes plus another 170 spares at a new factory in Exploration Park, Florida. The spacecraft which are being designed in conjunction with Airbus Defence and Space, which...
by David Todd | Apr 19, 2016 | Satellites, Technology
Commercial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications satellite operator ORBCOMM Inc. which uses a fleet of small satellites to relay global satellite messaging to remotely track, monitor, and control fixed and mobile assets has signed an agreement to purchase the South...
by David Todd | Apr 13, 2016 | Satellites, Technology
While it has previously dabbled in spacecraft servicing technology including a deal that in the end came to nothing with MDA, the satellite operator Intelsat still wants to do it. Intelsat has just signed a contract with Orbital ATK to become a customer...
by David Todd | Apr 13, 2016 | exploration, Science, Technology
While physicists note that the speed of light cannot be exceeded, at least on current understanding, using light itself to accelerate a spacecraft could get one to 20 per cent of the speed of light (3 x 108 m/s). A new project called “Project Starshot” has been...
by David Todd | Apr 12, 2016 | commercial launch services, space station, Technology
The Boeing/Lockheed Martin-owned United Launch Alliance (ULA) has declared in the Denver Post that it will cut 375 jobs out of its total of 3,400 in 2016. The firm expects the majority of these to be achieved relatively painlessly via voluntary redundancies. However,...
