TORONTO, Ontario, Canada, 5 May 2022 (SFL PR) – Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) and GHGSat Inc. today announced the successful completion of laboratory testing on the GHGSat-C3, C4, and C5 microsatellites at SFL’s facility in Toronto. Canadian based company GHGSat is expanding its constellation of methane monitoring satellites, expected to launch in spring/summer 2022.

GOLD COAST, QLD, 9 May 2022 (Gilmour Space Technologies PR) — Australia’s largest space company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has been selected to develop and launch a new sovereign surveillance satellite for the Department of Defence, as part of the government’s $7 billion investment in new space capabilities.

Australia’s Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton, announced the $15 million partnership with Gilmour Space, highlighting the government’s commitment to developing sovereign space capabilities.

In a statement, he said: “In line with our recently released Defence Space Strategy, Defence is closely engaged with the Australian Space Agency and Australian industry to develop and supply sovereign space surveillance and mission system capabilities,” he said

LONDON (Analysys Mason PR) — Analysys Mason, a world-leading management consultancy focused on telecoms, media and technology (TMT), today announced the acquisition of Northern Sky Research (NSR), a specialist satellite and space research and consulting firm. 

Founded in 2000, NSR is a prominent global provider of satellite and space market research and consulting services specialising in the analysis of growth opportunities across four core industry sectors: satellite communications, satellite & space applications, financial analysis and satellite & space infrastructure.  

The combination of NSR’s industry-leading satellite and space expertise and Analysys Mason’s strong international market position in the TMT sector will provide an exceptional breadth of services to new and existing clients worldwide, underpinned by a unique knowledge base spanning 5G, fibre and satellite platforms. 

ALAMEDA, Calif., May 5, 2022 (Astra Space PR) — Astra Space, Inc. (“Astra”) (Nasdaq: ASTR) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

“This has been a quarter of accelerating investment, customer adoption of our space technology products, and growth in our customer pipeline,” said Chris Kemp, Astra’s Co-founder, Chairman and CEO. “Looking ahead, Astra is honored to have the opportunity to serve NASA to further our vision for a healthier and safer planet as we prepare for a multi-launch campaign out of Cape Canaveral to deploy the NASA TROPICS constellation.”

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Virgin Galactic PR)–Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB), a leading satellite launch provider, announced today the signing of a launch services agreement with Japanese earth observation constellation operator Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (“iQPS”). The satellite is expected to join Virgin Orbit’s manifest for early 2023.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (SpaceX PR) — On Friday, May 6 at 5:42 a.m. ET, SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 12th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and now seven Starlink missions.

NASA Mission Update

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — It will have equilibrium. Poise. Balance. This pathfinding CubeSat will practically be able to kick back and rest in a gravitational sweet spot in space – where the pull of gravity from Earth and the Moon interact to allow for a nearly-stable orbit – allowing physics to do most of the work of keeping it in orbit around the Moon.

PARK CITY, Utah (Uplift Aerospace PR) — Uplift Aerospace (NRP Stone – Symbol: NRPI) is delighted to announce a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an NFT collector to travel to space aboard New Shepard, Blue Origin’s suborbital rocket. On May 10^th, 2022, Uplift Aerospace will release the “Launch Pass” NFT collection with 10,921 NFT artworks—a nod to the Moon’s circumference (in km). Every collector who acquires an NFT from this special collection is then eligible to apply for a job to fly to space on New Shepard.

Applicants will be evaluated, and a finalist will be selected by the Uplift Aerospace team. Full details on entry requirements and the selection process will be available by May 9^th, 2022, on  www.spaceplus.xyz. Blue Origin reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to evaluate all potential astronauts and to approve or deny access to any mission of all or some potential astronauts proposed by Uplift Aerospace.

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts aboard the Dragon Endurance spacecraft safely splashed down Friday in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, completing the agency’s third long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 177 days in orbit.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Virgin Galactic’s quarterly reports have fallen into a familiar pattern since the company went public 2.5 years ago. Optimistic talk about past and future progress is mixed in with a large net loss and another delay in the start of commercial service that was originally forecast to begin back in 2007.

Richard Branson’s space tourism company didn’t fail to disappoint on Thursday. The net loss for Q1 2022 was $93 million, which was higher than Q4 2021 net loss of $81 million but less than the $130 million loss for the first quarter of 2021.

TUCSON, Ariz. (World View PR) — World View, the leading stratospheric ballooning and space tourism company, has accomplished a new milestone: reaching one thousand reservations for its space tourism program taking participants to the edge of space in a zero-pressure stratospheric balloon and pressurized space capsule. As seasoned leaders in stratospheric exploration and space tourism, the company has now sold the greatest number of seats in the space tourism category.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (EOS Data Analytics Press Office) — EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, has established an agreement with GEOSAT, a European EO satellite operator, for developing and delivering EO products in Ukraine and other regions of the World.