by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
The death of Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins on Wednesday at the age of 90 means there are now five surviving astronauts from among the 18 who participated in the six Apollo landings on the moon from 1969 through 1972. Thirteen of the 29 astronauts who participated in the 11 Apollo missions that began in 1968 remain with us today.
(more…)Video Caption: We are heartbroken to share that astronaut Michael Collins, the command module pilot of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, has passed away at the age of 90. Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. In 1966, he served as the pilot on the 3-day Gemini 10 mission, during which he set a world altitude record and became […]
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — Former NASA astronaut Michael Collins, who flew on the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions, passed away on April 28, 2021.
“Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins. As pilot of the Apollo 11 command module – some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ – while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone. He also distinguished himself in the Gemini Program and as an Air Force pilot.
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WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk on the passing of Michael Collins:
“Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins. As pilot of the Apollo 11 command module – some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ – while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone. He also distinguished himself in the Gemini Program and as an Air Force pilot.
“Michael remained a tireless promoter of space. ‘Exploration is not a choice, really, it’s an imperative,’ he said. Intensely thoughtful about his experience in orbit, he added, ‘What would be worth recording is what kind of civilization we Earthlings created and whether or not we ventured out into other parts of the galaxy.’
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A Chinese Long March 6 booster launched nine satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. local time in the inaugural flight of a new commercial rideshare program.
Long March 6 placed the following satellites into sun synchronous orbit:
LONDON, 27 April 2021 (OneWeb PR) — OneWeb, the global communications network powered from space, announces today that it has secured $550 million in funding from Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL), bringing OneWeb’s total funding to $1.9 billion in fresh equity. This investment from one of the world’s most experienced and largest global operators is a vote of confidence in OneWeb and underscores the arrival of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites into mainstream long-term growth planning for major operators.
Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, will receive a c.24% equity stake in OneWeb and similar governance rights to the U.K. Government and Bharti Global, making it a significant equity partner and joining leading investors including the U.K. Government, Bharti Global and SoftBank. The investment is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals.
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STELLENBOSCH, South Africa (Dragonfly Aerospace PR) — Dr. Max Polyakov – the international technology entrepreneur, investor and economist who is revolutionizing the space industry – today announced the completion of his acquisition of a majority stake in Dragonfly Aerospace, a South African NewSpace company with over 20 years of proven heritage in high-performance imaging satellites and payloads.
This purchase cements Dragonfly Aerospace’s status as a critical component of the vertically integrated space ecosystem being built by Dr. Polyakov and Noosphere Ventures that includes Firefly, the competitively-priced space launch provider, EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a satellite data and analytics company with its own radar and optical satellite constellations, and SETS, a space electric thruster systems firm.
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WASHINGTON (FAA Update) — This message provides an update on the status of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Spaceport Camden Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
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ARLINGTON, Va. (U.S. Space Force PR) — The U.S. Space Force hosted its first Space Engagement Talks (SET) with the Israeli Air Force during separate virtual sessions April 19-20.
The talks brought together two nations with a shared interest in ensuring access to and peaceful use of outer space.
“Dating back to 1948, America was the first country in the world to recognize modern Israel as a nation,” said Lt. Gen. William Liquori, deputy chief of space operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements and Analysis. “Since then, our two countries have shared a mutual commitment to peace and security. As we have done for more than 70 years, we will continue to work together to meet the emerging challenges in the space domain.”
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CAMBRIDGE, ON, April 26, 2021 (exactEarth PR) – exactEarth Ltd. (“the Company”) (TSX: XCT), a leading provider of Satellite-AIS data services announces that it has entered into a new credit facility (“Credit Facility”) that provides for a $6 million secured revolving operating line with National Bank of Canada’s (“NBC”) Technology and Innovation Banking Group. The Credit Facility is undrawn as of today’s date.
“We are very pleased to partner with NBC on this important transaction and to further strengthen our financial foundation and flexibility,” said Sean Maybee, CFO at exactEarth. “This agreement is an important milestone that reflects the achievements we have made recently to generate strong revenue growth and positive Adjusted EBITDA, as well as confidence in our overall strategic outlook and growth potential.”
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HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission with NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is now targeting a return to Earth at 11:36 a.m. EDT Saturday, May 1, in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 5:55 p.m. Friday, April 30, to begin the journey home.
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by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
Russia recently marked the 25th anniversary of the entry of the Proton rocket into the international commercial marketplace. On April 8, 1996, a Proton-K booster with a DM3 upper stage launched the Astra 1F geosynchronous communications satellite built by U.S.-based Hughes for Luxembourg’s SES from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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