ROCKLIN, CA (Orbital Assembly Corporation PR) — Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC), the only company advancing the development and operation of a commercially viable, space-based business park with gravity, has named Andre Bormanis, scientist, Star Trek TV series writer and television producer to its advisory board.

Bormanis has had a lifelong focus on space and science including as a writer, technical consultant, and producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. 

He is also co-author, with Dr. Logsdon, of “Emerging Policy Issues for Long-Term Human Space Exploration: Background Paper” and co-editor, also with John Logsdon, of Conference Proceedings: Emerging Policy Issues for Long-Term Human Space Exploration, by the Space Policy Institute. Bormanis has also written numerous articles on astronomy and space science.

Humanitarian Effort Provides Connectivity to Tens of Thousands of Displaced Refugees

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Viasat Inc. PR) — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and the Košice region, Slovakia, have partnered to provide free high-speed internet to Ukrainian refugees in Eastern Slovakia using Viasat’s proven satellite-enabled Community Internet system. Viasat Community Internet (VCI) sites are being installed across Eastern Slovakia in areas of greatest need for refugee connectivity.

With new offerings for Vessel Detection, Change Detection, and Global Change Monitoring, Capella Space offers first-in-class image analytics for its customers around the globe 

SAN FRANCISCO (Capella Space PR) — Capella Space, an information services company that provides high-quality Earth observation data on demand, today announced three new integrated analytics capabilities into its image-tasking web application, the Capella Console. Vessel Detection, Change Detection, and Global Change Monitoring support Capella’s vision to offer a fully automated image tasking system that provides customers with timely, reliable, and accurate imagery capture and data analysis.

Northrop Grumman will employ Ansys’ simulation and digital mission engineering solutions to develop a radar site to monitor high orbits in space

PITTSBURGH (Ansys PR) — Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) Government Initiatives (AGI) is supporting Northrop Grumman in developing, testing, and delivering a Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) in support of the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Space Domain Awareness mission.

JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, DC (DIA PR) – The combined in-orbit space fleets of China and Russia grew more than 70% in just over two years, evidence of both nations’ intent to undercut U.S. and allied global leadership in the space domain, according to a new report from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

SILVER SPRING, Md. (NOAA PR) — NOAA successfully completed a year-long, first-ever Cooperative Research and Development Agreement  (CRADA) with Microsoft’s Azure Orbital, which explored how commercial capabilities could assist NOAA’s satellite operations by using commercial products and cloud operations to control the satellites and acquire data in a cyber-secure environment. The information gleaned from this CRADA will provide input to NOAA’s future strategic activities. 

The CRADA was a “proof-of-concept” effort to determine if commercial cloud services can provide satellite mission management for NOAA’s legacy polar satellites. As a secondary objective, Azure demonstrated the ability to comply with some government security controls in both a rapid and effective manner. 

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (USSPACECOM PR) —  U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) deepened cooperation in space with the United Kingdom and Sweden last week during Space Symposium 37 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the symposium, Air Vice Marshall Paul Godfrey, U.K. Space Command commander and USSPACECOM commander, U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, signed an Enhanced Space Cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further the exchange of information, identify potential collaborative studies, […]

TASS reports that it is theoretically possible to reduce the time it takes to train a non-professional astronaut (aka, space tourists or spaceflight participants) to fly to orbit aboard the Soyuz spacecraft to under the current four months. Paying customers used to spend months in training prior to a flight.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

On Tuesday, Russia celebrated the 61st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s launch of the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin, with a presidential visit to a scandal-plagued spaceport, a pledge to stay the course in the face of international sanctions over the Ukraine invasion, and an initiative to fly a citizen of one of the nation’s closest allies into space.

“Everything that we’ve seen during our visit to Vostochny, all successes in space exploration achieved in recent years prove that our country retains its leadership in space industry, is one of the leaders in this area,” President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East.

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:26 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 23, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The date adjustment provides mission teams time to complete final prelaunch processing for the Crew-4 mission following the April 8 launch of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) to the space station.

ALAMEDA, Calif., April 12, 2022 (Astra Space PR) — Astra Space, Inc. (“Astra”) (Nasdaq: ASTR) and LeoStella LLC (“LeoStella”) today announced a contract for Astra to provide multiple Astra Spacecraft Engines for LeoStella satellites. Astra is expected to begin delivering the propulsion systems later this year and into 2023.

LeoStella designs and manufactures operational satellites cost effectively and at scale. Astra’s Spacecraft Engine has demonstrated that it can assist satellites in achieving and maintaining target orbits and maneuverability and is expected to be integrated onto a variety of LeoStella’s satellites.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to fight for SpaceX to receive federal approval to launch its Super Heavy/Starship system from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Rio Grande Guardian reports:

Asked by veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports whether he is concerned about losing SpaceX, Abbott said:

“What I am going to do if Biden interferes with the ability of SpaceX to launch from Boca Chica; I am going to be working every step of the way to make sure that they are going to be able to launch from Boca Chica. We heard the vision from Mr. Patel himself about what they are working on and our job is to make sure they are able to achieve their vision. And I have worked with Elon Musk very closely with regard to Tesla and the Giga factory in Austin, Texas. And we will be working with him very closely, every step of the way in Boca Chica for the future of SpaceX. We want that future and that vision to come from Boca Chica, from Brownsville, Texas.”

Whitlock followed up with: “And not to Florida?” Abbott responded: “Correct.”

Whitlock interviewed Abbott at an economic development event held recently at the Port of Brownsville. Since this event, SpaceX has learned that its application to expand its Boca Chica rocket launching site has hit a new hurdle.