August 9, 2021 (Aerojet Rocketdyne PR) – Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) thruster that will be employed on the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) for NASA’s international lunar Gateway recently completed development testing. The next milestone for the program will be the PPE Preliminary Design Review in October. Three 12 kilowatt (kW) AEPS thrusters will serve as the primary source of propulsion on the PPE to enable orbit transfer and in-space maneuvering.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. (NASA PR) — NASA and Boeing continued work over the weekend and Monday morning on the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft service module propulsion system in preparation for the Orbital Flight Test-2 mission to the International Space Station.

Work progressed to restore functionality to several valves in the Starliner propulsion system that did not open as designed during the launch countdown for the Aug. 3 launch attempt. The valves connect to thrusters that enable abort and in-orbit maneuvering.

A new online visualization tool will enable anyone to see what sea levels will look like anywhere in the world in the decades to come.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s Sea Level Change Team has created a sea level projection tool that makes extensive data on future sea level rise from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) easily accessible to the public – and to everyone with a stake in planning for the changes to come.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (IBX PR) — IBX, an innovation and investment firm revolutionizing the space and energy sectors, announced today the addition of Steve Jurczyk as Executive Vice President of Space Operations. Jurczyk, who recently served as NASA’s Acting Administrator after a 33-year career at the U.S. space agency, will add his technical and leadership expertise to the IBX team, expanding efforts to explore market opportunities in space, technology, and energy to positively impact the world. 

“We are delighted Steve Jurczyk is joining the IBX team, bringing a wealth of knowledge and his highly valued perspective about the aerospace industry to our strategic growth efforts of building the next-generation commercial space economy,” said Kam Ghaffarian, Founder and CEO of IBX. “Steve’s focus on innovation and leading breakthrough teams at NASA and across the country helped open the door to this new era in space exploration. We are lucky to have him on our IBX team.” 

This week on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston: Tuesday, August 10, 7 PM PDT (9 PM CST; 10 PM EDT): We welcome back DR. HAYM BENAROYA for lunar updates, habitats, rocket acoustic signatures and more. Wednesday, August 11: Hotel Mars pre-recorded. See the Upcoming Show Menu at www.thespaceshow.com for details. Friday, August 13, 9:30-11 AM PDT; 11:30 AM- 1 PM CDT; 12:30-2 PM EDT: We welcome back ANDREW […]

WASHINGTON, August 5, 2021 (BEI PR) — Today the Beyond Earth Institute (BEI) is pleased to announce the unveiling of a Space Policy Directive (SPD) recommended for consideration by the US National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, to promote the advancement and development of space solar power. Full text of the SPD can be downloaded here.

AE Industrial Partners to manage and expand HorizonX venture capital activity for Boeing and other limited partners as AEI HorizonX, investing in businesses that will transform the future of mobility, space and connectivity, industrial tech, and enterprise digital solutions, with a broader emphasis on sustainability.

BOCA RATON, FL, August 5, 2021 (AE Industrial Partners PR) – AE Industrial Partners, LP (“AEI”), a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power generation, and specialty industrial markets, announced today a partnership with The Boeing Company (“Boeing”) to manage and invest in HorizonX Ventures, Boeing’s venture capital fund. This partnership augments AEI’s capabilities by focusing on early-stage minority equity investments in transformative technologies and businesses that will define the future of AEI’s target markets through the development of new capabilities and an expansion of sustainable aviation.

McLean, Va.. (Intelsat PR) – Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest and most advanced satellite fleet and connectivity infrastructure, today announced it is expanding its relationship with Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications carriers, to provide cellular backhaul services in French Guiana that will provide universal services and increase access to both telecommunications and advanced connectivity solutions for Orange customers.

By integrating Intelsat-enabled cellular backhaul and support services into its network planning strategy, Orange will be able to extend mobile broadband coverage and connect more subscribers across Kaw, Camopi, Grand-Sancti, Papaichton and Maripasoula, ensuring consistent connectivity with a reliable service and great user experience.

LONG BEACH, Calif., August 6, 2021 (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab, the leading launch and space systems company, today announced it will launch the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand from Q4 2021. It will be Rocket Lab’s first launch to the Moon. CAPSTONE (the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) aids NASA’s Artemis program, which includes landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establishing a long-term presence there.

DARMSTADT, Germany (EUMETSAT PR) — Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, EUMETSAT, is launching an innovative pilot programme to buy, for the first time, data from a commercial satellite fleet operator for use in weather forecasting.

EUMETSAT’s governing council has approved the acquisition of data from Spire Global Luxembourg S.a.r.l. at a maximum cost of €9 million [US $10.6 million] over three years.

EUMETSAT will receive the data, called radio occultation data, from Spire, process it, and disseminate it for use in weather forecast modelling.

Video Caption: To celebrate the Summer Games in Tokyo, astronauts and cosmonauts held the very first-ever space games aboard the International Space Station. Team Soyuz took on Team Dragon in a friendly competition of synchronized floating, no-hand ball, and more!   The station’s Expedition 65 crew split up into teams based on which spacecraft they took to the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and […]