WEBSTER, Texas and SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Ad Astra Rocket Company PR) — Green hydrogen pioneer, Ad Astra Rocket Company, Costa Rica SRL, and Latin America’s asset management leader, Mesoamerica, are joining forces to form ProNova Energy, a joint venture dedicated to developing green hydrogen solutions for customers worldwide, with an initial focus in the Latin American region.

Green hydrogen is obtained by decomposing water into its constituents – hydrogen and oxygen – using renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric, wind and solar. The process, called electrolysis, is carbon free and does not contribute to global warming.

CANBERRA (Australian Government PR) — The Morrison Government is establishing Australia’s first ever national space mission as part of our plan for a stronger future. This is an historic investment that will strengthen our sovereign capability as well as grow the sector and create hundreds of new jobs.

The 2022-23 Budget includes $1.16 billion [USD $871.6 million] to 2038-39 and $38.5 million [USD $28.9 million] per annum ongoing for the first phase of a National Space Mission for Earth Observation, which will see Australia design, build, and operate four new satellites.

Led by the Australian Space Agency, this Mission will make Australia more self sufficient when it comes to critical Earth Observation data, while also growing capability and job opportunities that will set the industry up for future success.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

The first three passenger flights of Blue Origin’s New Shepard have been long on symbolism. On the first one, Jeff Bezos invited Wally Funk, who in 1960 was one of 13 women who underwent the same medical checks as the Original Seven Mercury astronauts. NASA wasn’t accepting female pilots at the time, so Funk had to wait 51 years to reach space.

New Shepard’s second flight included starship Capt. James T. Kirk, or more precisely, the actor who played the “Star Trek” captain, William Shatner. The third flight had Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of America’s first astronaut to fly to space, who launched aboard a vehicle named after her father, Alan.

Video Caption: In today’s episode we’ll explore the growing problem of space junk and how the new company Privateer Space is working to help make space safer. Joining us today is Dr. Moriba Jah, the Chief Scientist of Privateer. Moriba is a co-founder of Privateer along with the company’s CEO Alex Fielding and the company’s president, Steve Wozniak. Moriba is a renowned astrodynamicist, a space environmentalist, and an associate professor […]

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — Singapore demonstrated its commitment to the peaceful and responsible exploration of space by signing the Artemis Accords, which set forth the guiding principles for cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong signed the document during a ceremony March 28, 2022, in Washington.

Singapore is the 18th country to sign the Artemis Accords, more than doubling the original number of nations that signed in October 2020.

TUSTIN, Calif. (Virgin Galactic PR) — Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or “Virgin Galactic”), an aerospace and space travel company, today announced that veteran pilot and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kelly Latimer has been promoted to Director of Flight Test.

Latimer joined Virgin Galactic in 2015 as its first female test pilot. She currently serves as a pilot for the mothership, VMS Eve, and was pilot in command for the Unity 21 mission and second in command for the historic Unity 22 mission. She will continue to serve as a Virgin Galactic pilot and will fly the Company’s spaceships on future test and commercial missions.

In her new role, Latimer will oversee the entirety of the Company’s flight test program including design, planning, execution, and post-flight analysis. This includes leading the flight test engineering team and managing mission control engineers who gather and analyze flight data to validate the safety and performance of the spaceflight system. Latimer will supervise the completion of the flight test program for Virgin Galactic’s current fleet, which is scheduled to resume later this year, and will work in parallel on the development of the Company’s new motherships and Delta class spaceships.

25-Year Global Technology Executive and Advisor Brings Expertise in Product Development, Digital Innovation, Customer Experience and Security

NEW YORK, March 30, 2022 (Satellogic PR) – Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL), a leader in sub-meter resolution satellite imagery collection, announced it has elected Tom Killalea to its Board of Directors (the “Board”). A seasoned technology executive and advisor, Killalea brings nearly 25 years of experience in product development, digital innovation, customer experience and security to the Company. Mr. Killalea’s election as an independent director increases the total number of Board members to eight, with five independent directors.

RESTON, Va., March 29, 2022 (Leidos PR) — Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, today announced the appointment of Steve Cook as Dynetics Group President, effective April 1. Paul Engola will serve as Deputy Group President.

Dave King will continue as part of the team in a consulting capacity, ensuring a smooth change to new leadership and continuing to advise on matters of strategic importance.  

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — After extending the record for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American to 355 days, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth on Wednesday, March 30, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov.

The trio departed the International Space Station at 3:21 a.m. EDT and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:28 a.m. (5:28 p.m. Kazakhstan time) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (NASA PR) — In a pre-test review on March 28, NASA gave the “go” to proceed with the Artemis I wet dress rehearsal scheduled for April 1-3. The approximately two-day test will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant into the rocket’s tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and also drain the tanks to give them […]

PARIS (ESA PR) — ESA is going to the Moon – in collaboration with its international partners – and seeks to build a lasting lunar link to enable sustainable space exploration.

The agency has now evaluated initial ideas to create a network of lunar telecommunications and navigation satellites.

Creating a commercial telecommunications and navigation service for the Moon will allow many of the dozens of planned lunar missions to share the same infrastructure to communicate with Earth, as well as to find their way on the lunar surface.

The service is needed because the planned missions are becoming regular trips to Earth’s natural satellite rather than one-off expeditions.

by David Bullock
Staff Writer

The White House has proposed hiking NASA’s budget by nearly $2 billion to $26 billion for fiscal year 2023 as the space agency gears up for an uncrewed flight test of a new rocket and spacecraft designed to help return astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years.