Parabolic Arc

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Aunapu Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina launched to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday afternoon.

A Falcon 9 rocket launched the new crew on a 29-hour voyage to ISS at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Crew-5 will dock at the space station on Thursday, Oct. 6, at approximately 4:57 p.m. EDT. Live mission coverage begins at 3:15 a.m. EDT and continues through Dragon spacecraft docking and the welcome ceremony at the space station.

Follow along with mission activities and get more information at the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, or commercial crew on Facebook.

WASHINGTON (Space Development Agency PR) — The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced it has awarded one firm-fixed price Other Transaction prototype agreement, with a total potential value of approximately $176 million, to Ball Aerospace of Broomfield, Colorado, for the establishment of the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed (NExT).

The prototype agreement includes development, manufacture, deployment, launch, and operations of a set of 10 space vehicles and mission-enabling ground systems, set to fly beginning in 2024.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 4, 2022 (AEI PR) — AE Industrial Partners, LP (“AEI”), a leader in space investing and a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets, announced today that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in York Space Systems (“York” or “the Company”), an independent provider of small satellites, satellite components and turnkey mission operations. Funds and accounts managed by BlackRock Private Equity Partners also agreed to invest alongside AE Industrial in the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Multiple Q3 2022 purchase orders awarded indicates sustained growth of Sidus’ space and defense hardware manufacturing revenue stream

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU), a Space-as-a-Service satellite company focused on commercial satellite design, manufacture, launch, and data collection is pleased to announce that, in the quarter ended September 30, 2022, it has received a combined total of over $1.9 million in new purchase orders for space and defense hardware and services supporting multiple customers.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., October 4, 2022 (CASIS PR) – A new six-month venture into space-based research begins when four astronauts head to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of SpaceX’s 5th Commercial Crew mission, which is launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center no earlier than October 5, 2022.

PARIS (ESA PR) — Are you ready to join ESA’s initiative to support European space companies to create a constellation of lunar satellites that connect and guide missions to the Moon?

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., October 3, 2022 (CASIS PR) – A research announcement to leverage the unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) for in-space production applications within the biomedical community is now open. The ISS National Laboratory is specifically soliciting research concepts that seek to enhance tissue engineering and biomaterials that could be developed or manufactured in low Earth orbit (LEO). Through in-space production and manufacturing efforts, the ISS National Lab seeks to enable new business models that can grow capital investment and develop a robust market in LEO. Both NASA and the ISS National Lab have prioritized utilization of the space station for in-space production applications and manufacturing opportunities, and this research announcement reflects a desire to build on this growing area of emphasis.

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., (Oct. 5, 2022) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites in a dual-satellite configuration lifted off on Oct. 4 at 5:36 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. To date ULA has launched 154 times with 100 percent mission success.

HINDMARSH, South Australia (Southern Launch PR) — Southern Launch is the first Australian commercial launch provider to sign a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Sharing Agreement with the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM).

Under the arrangement, Southern Launch will notify the United States Space Command ahead of launches to identify launch windows that ensure the trajectory of launch vehicles avoids space objects already in orbit.

Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp explains why this landmark agreement for commercial space activities in Australia is so important.

Grows Redwire Platform in Europe with Profitable Revenue and Backlog Expansion

 Expected to Be Accretive to Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Upon Closing

Transaction Financing Commitment from AE Industrial Partners

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. October 3, 2022 (Redwire PR) – Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in critical space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, announced today that the Company has entered into a definitive agreement with QinetiQ Group plc (“QinetiQ Group”) to acquire its QinetiQ Space NV (“Space NV”) business, a Belgium-based commercial space business providing design and integration of critical space infrastructure and other instruments for end-to-end space missions. Under the terms of the agreement, Redwire will acquire Space NV for €32 million, subject to customary working capital adjustments. Upon closing, the transaction is expected to be accretive to Redwire’s Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow.

Represents approximately 35% of Government Systems segment revenue

CARLSBAD, Calif., October 3, 2022 (Viasat PR) — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Link 16 Tactical Data Links (TDL) business to L3Harris Technologies for $1.96 billion, subject to customary transaction adjustments in accordance with the agreement. The sale is expected to result in cash proceeds to Viasat of approximately $1.8 billion net after estimated taxes, fees, and other expenses.

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (SpaceX PR) — SpaceX is targeting today, Monday, October 3 for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:56 p.m. PT (23:56 UTC), and a backup opportunity is available on Tuesday, October 4 at 4:35 p.m. PT (23:35 UTC).

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

You can watch the live launch webcast starting about 5 minutes before liftoff. 

PARIS (NorthStar PR) – NorthStar Earth & Space (NorthStar) and Astroscale announce today, at the 2022 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris, that they are forming a strategic partnership to further support space sustainability by combining NorthStar’s precise space-based resident space object tracking with Astroscale’s enhanced spacecraft navigation and capture capability for on-orbit servicing.

Under this agreement, Astroscale and NorthStar will leverage their respective know-how, expertise, and unique services to highlight their shared commitment to space sustainability. Together, NorthStar and Astroscale will cooperate to demonstrate the benefits of combining precise In-Space Situational Awareness (ISSA) services to support reliable on-orbit servicing in low Earth orbit.

CANNES, France, October 3, 2022 (Thales Alenia Space PR) – Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and its partners are pleased to announce the success of the field trial in Switzerland implementing a ground-ground very high speed laser communication link through the atmosphere. This is a major step towards next generation of Geostationary communications satellites using optical feeder links to double the current available feeder links capacity. These solutions will play a key role to bridge the digital divide and offer high-speed connectivity for all by 2025. The objective is also to boost satellites capacity in order to reduce the number of satellites required to satisfy the user demand, thus limiting the impact on environment.

This week on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston:

Tuesday, October 04 — 7 PM PDT (9 PM CDT; 10 PM EDT): We welcome back JAMES BURK of The Mars Society to discuss their upcoming big event later this month in the Phoenix area.

Wednesday, October 05: Hotel Mars pre-recorded. See the Upcoming Show Menu at www.thespaceshow.com for details.

Friday, October 07 — 9:30-11 AM PDT; 11:30 AM- 1 PM CDT; 12:30-2 PM EDT: We welcome back DR. JOEL SERCEL, CEO of TransAstra. For more information, please see www.transastra.com.

Sunday, October 09 — 12-1:30 PM PDT, (3-4:30 PM EDT, 2-3:30 PM CDT): We welcome FRANK SLAZER, CEO of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration.