SpaceX has appealed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to deny $885.5 million in subsidies that Elon Musk’s company was preliminarily awarded to provide broadband services to rural areas using its Starlink satellite constellation. The company disputed the FCC’s rationale that the system is too slow and costs too much.

“The Wireline Competition Bureau’s decision to exclude Starlink from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) is flawed as a matter of both law and policy,” wrote SpaceX attorney Dan Goldman. “It fails legally because it contradicts the record—including SpaceX’s and Starlink’s proven capabilities—it contradicts the Commission’s stated rules for the program, and it rests on unsupported conjecture and outside-the-record information apparently cherry-picked from somewhere on the Internet.”

The Department of Defense (DOD) and intelligence community (IC) need to better define roles and responsibilities for the acquisition of commercial satellite imagery in order to avoid wasteful overlap, incorporate emerging capabilities and meet the growing military and competitive challenges posed by China, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

“The IC and DOD have established requirements for future commercial acquisitions focused primarily on foundational intelligence but have limited ability to incorporate emerging commercial satellite capabilities in a timely manner,” the report said. “Although they have explored utilizing emerging capabilities, the IC and DOD have not developed an effective approach to bring these capabilities into geospatial-intelligence (GEOINT) operations. “Without doing so, the U.S. may lose ground in space to competitors such as China, and the U.S. commercial industry may be limited in their ability to compete with foreign competitors.”

Former GC of SPS Commerce Brings Decades of Public Company Experience to Spire’s Leadership Team

VIENNA, Va. (Spire Global PR) — Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) (“Spire” or the “Company”), a leading global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, today announced that it has appointed Boyd Johnson as Chief Legal Officer. As an expert in corporate compliance, governance, and securities law, Johnson brings more than 25 years of experience to the role. He will serve on the company’s executive team and report to Peter Platzer, CEO and Co-Founder of Spire.

As Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Johnson will act as the company’s legal representative, lead its legal team, and work closely with Spire’s executives and board of directors in the deployment of the company’s strategic plan. Mr. Johnson will replace Ananda Martin, who served as General Counsel since 2018.

OROS Insulation Tech will Allow Human Cells to Remain at Desired Temperatures Longer

PORTLAND, Ore. (OROS PR) — OROS, a leading next-gen thermal materials business, has provided Blue Origin superior insulation technology that will support vital science being carried on the aerospace company’s latest mission, scheduled to launch August 31. Batteries used to keep human cells at viable livable temperatures aboard the Blue Origin NS-23 will be insulated with OROS’ technology to vastly prolong operable life.

Experienced A&D Executive to Lead Firefly’s Next Phase of Expansive Growth

CEDAR PARK, Texas (Firefly Aerospace PR) — Firefly Aerospace (“Firefly” or “Company”), an emerging leader in economical launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services, announced today that long-time aerospace and defense executive, Bill Weber, has been named the Company’s CEO, effective immediately. Firefly is a portfolio company of AEIndustrial Partners (“AEI”), a U.S.-based private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets.

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® Spaceplane to Bring Yuri’s Life Science Incubator to International Space Station for Microgravity Research

LOUISVILLE, Colo. & MECKENBEUREN, Germany (Sierra Space PR) — Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company at the forefront of creating and building the future of space transportation and infrastructure for low-Earth orbit (LEO) commercialization, and Yuri, a Germany-based space biotech company, announced today a new agreement to further medical research in microgravity for the benefit of life on Earth. The arrangement includes plans to launch Yuri’s ScienceTaxi on board Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane beginning in 2024, on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), where the incubator will be used for a variety of life sciences experiments.

The satellite reached its highest altitude at an apogee of 1.538 million km from Earth – the highest any Terran Orbital developed vehicle has ever flown

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Terran Orbital PR) — Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a global leader in satellite solutions, primarily serving the United States and Allied aerospace and defense industries, today announced the CAPSTONE spacecraft successfully achieved its highest altitude – a point known as apogee – at 2:35 p.m. E.T. on August 26. Terran Orbital developed and co-operates the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, otherwise known as CAPSTONE, in cooperation with NASA and led by Advanced Space.

CINCINNATI (Velontra PR) — Cincinnati/Dayton-based Velontra has partnered with Venus Aerospace in Houston, Texas, to develop a revolutionary propulsion system. Velontra’s after-burner system will enable Venus’hypersonic aircraft to take off from any airport in the world where it will travel to any destination on Earth in about one hour.

Leading American Rocket Propulsion Company to Provide 5,000-Pound Thrust Oxygen-Rich Staged Combustion “Hadley” Engine to Launch Satellites into Low Earth Orbit

DENVER (Ursa Major PR) —Ursa Major, America’s only privately funded company that focuses solely on rocket propulsion, today announced a contract under the U.S. Air Force Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program. Under the agreement, Ursa Major will provide a flight-qualified 5,000-pound thrust, oxygen-rich staged combustion “Hadley” rocket engine, suited for both the booster and upper-stage phases of launch for satellites into low-earth orbit.

COLUMBIA, Md. (USRA PR) — In 2020, Universities Space Research Association scientists and their team, using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), announced they had discovered water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. Now, they’ve confirmed it – and found even more. The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters.