by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Rocket Lab reported a $26.7 million first quarter loss on revenues of $40.7 million, with space systems such as satellites producing the majority of revenues rather than the launches for which the company is best known. Adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter was $7.98 million.

Rocket Lab earned $34.1 million in revenues from space systems. That amount represented 84% of first quarter revenues, an increase of 1,873 percent from the first quarter of 2021.

SpaceX launched 53 Starlink broadband satellites to low-Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 booster on Wednesday, May 18, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first stage booster supporting the mission on Wednesday previously launched Arabsat-6A, STP-2, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in […]

VILNIUS, Lithuania, 18 May 2022 (Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PR) – Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Kongsberg) has placed an order for three microsatellites with Lithuanian mission integrator NanoAvionics for a space-based maritime surveillance mission covering the North Sea area. All three satellites will be based on NanoAvionics’s largest satellite bus so far, the MP42 microsatellite bus.

The surveillance payload will consist of instrumentation developed by KONGSBERG to include ‘”Automatic Identification System” (AIS) reporting and a navigation radar detector, developed by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), that analyses vessels’ radar use. Combining these provides an overview of ship traffic in the area, to include detection of vessels not reporting correct AIS data.

Launch will include three satellites and hosted payloads for Space Services, the company’s Space-as-a-Service (SPaaS) business

VIENNA, Va., May 18, 2022 (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 will launch five satellites on the upcoming SpaceX Transporter-5 Mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch will take place this month.

KENT, Wash. (Blue Origin PR) — During our final vehicle check-outs, we observed one of New Shepard’s back-up systems was not meeting our expectations for performance. In an abundance of caution, we will be delaying the NS-21 launch originally scheduled for Friday. Stay tuned for further updates. Blue Origin previously announced the NS-21 mission spaceflight participants will include: investor and NS-19 Astronaut Evan Dick; electrical engineer and former NASA test lead Katya Echazarreta; business […]

HOUSTON (NASA Johnson PR) — Holly Ridings, the first female chief of NASA’s flight directors, will now help lead the agency’s Gateway Program, an international partnership to establish humanity’s first space station around the Moon.

BOULDER (University of Colorado at Boulder PR) — Billions of years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions broke loose on the moon, blanketing hundreds of thousands of square miles of the orb’s surface in hot lava. Over the eons, that lava created the dark blotches, or maria, that give the face of the moon its familiar appearance today.

McLEAN, Va. (Iridium Communications Inc. PR) — Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) today announced that Kay Sears has been elected to the Iridium Board of Directors, effective May 17, 2022. As a director on the Iridium Board, Sears will play a role in helping shape the strategic direction of Iridium’s business.

Sears currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of Autonomous Systems for the Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) unit of The Boeing Company, which she joined in February 2022.  At BDS, Sears oversees development of cutting-edge autonomous technologies, intelligence capabilities and networking solutions for government and commercial customers.   Prior to this, Sears held senior positions with Lockheed Martin Space, Intelsat General Corporation, PanAmSat Corporation and has been a member of the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee since 2009.

Video Caption: NASA is aiming to expand its astronaut launches from U.S. soil. Boeing is set for a test launch this week of its small spacecraft to the International Space Station. Russia and America have long been partners on the space station, but the invasion of Ukraine has led to new tensions and questions about the future. Miles O’Brien has our report about the rhetoric versus the reality.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA has awarded the Cybersecurity and Privacy Enterprise Solutions and Services (CyPrESS) contract to Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Virginia. CyPrESS is a cost plus award fee core and hybrid indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a total potential value of $622.5 million. The period of performance includes a base period that begins May 31, 2022, and runs through Sept. 30, 2023, as well as four option periods that […]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 17, 2022 (DIU) — The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is advancing two different approaches to accelerate ground and flight testing for nuclear-powered prototypes: compact fusion and next-gen radioisotope concepts.  The ultimate objective is to launch a successful orbital prototype demonstration in 2027 of each approach.

Experienced industry executive Dawn Harms nominated as an Independent Director to the Kleos Board strengthening Kleos’ global team 

FRANKFURT (Kleos Space PR) — Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS, Frankfurt:KS1, Kleos or Company), a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) company, announces that its Board of Directors is nominating highly experienced space industry executive Dawn Harms as an Independent Non-Executive Director for consideration at its upcoming AGM.

Dawn has extensive space experience at an operational, management and board level, and is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at NASDAQ-listed Momentus Inc (MNTS). Her previous roles include Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Boeing Satellite Systems International, Vice President Sales and Marketing at International Launch Services (ILS), and Principal at the space systems consulting firm Space Architectures LLC. Dawn spent a vast proportion of her career as Vice President Marketing and Sales at Space Systems Loral (now Maxar) – a role she held for 22 years.