NASA has awarded L3Harris Technologies a $765.5 million contract to developer the GeoXO Imager (GXI)  for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) weather satellite program. NASA served as the contracting authority for the program.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Powered by 33 flights of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster, the United States leads all nations with 48 launch attempts through the first seven months of the year. The total is three short of the number of U.S. launches attempted last year, and far ahead of the 27 launches conducted by second place China through the end of July. The U.S. has conducted more launches than the 43 flights conducted by the rest of the world combined.

A number of notable flights were conducted. SpaceX launched two Crew Dragons to the International Space Station (ISS), including the first fully privately funded mission to the orbiting laboratory. United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched Boeing’s CST-100 Starship crew vehicle on an automated flight test to ISS, a crucial step before astronauts to fly on the spacecraft. Small satellite launch provider Rocket Lab conducted its first deep-space mission by sending a spacecraft the size of a microwave to the moon.

HOUSTON (Axiom Space PR) — Commercial space leader Axiom Space is pleased to announce the hire of Jared Stout, formerly the Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the White House National Space Council, to serve as the company’s Vice President of Government and External Relations, beginning on August 15.  At Axiom, which is currently constructing the world’s first commercial space station to succeed the International Space Station (ISS), Mr. Stout will oversee advocacy and outreach initiatives and serve as a thought leader for the company’s policy objectives spanning the U.S. Government as well as state and regional activities. 

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

The first half of 2022 saw more commercial travelers — 16 — launch into space than the 10 professional astronauts who work for government-run space agencies. However, those numbers come with an asterisk or two.

Four of the 14 astronauts who launched into orbit flew on Axiom Space’s privately funded and operated crew flight to the International Space Station (ISS). Blue Origin launched 12 individuals into space on two flights of the company’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle.

The other 10 astronauts who launched to ISS and the Tiangong space station worked fulltime for NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), China Manned Space Agency, or Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Corporation. SpaceX flew American and European astronauts to ISS on the company-owned Crew Dragon spacecraft under a NASA contract. The Russians and Chinese flew aboard government-owned and operated spacecraft.

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — The final crew member for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, currently targeted to launch to the International Space Station in spring 2023, has been announced. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) named Sultan AlNeyadi to spend approximately six months aboard the space station as part of Expeditions 68/69. Mission Specialist AlNeyadi joins NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, who will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, […]

WASHINGTON (Axiom Space PR) — Axiom Space and the Hungarian government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further their existing relationship in human spaceflight and to advance opportunities in space research and technology development. The agreement between Axiom and Hungary was signed on July 20, 2022,  in Washington, D.C.  

The main focus of the new agreement is to further the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program, Hungary’s astronaut program, which aims to send a Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) via a future Axiom Space commercial astronaut mission. Building off the first agreement between Axiom and the Hungarian government, signed on December of 2021, which formalized a partnership to return a Hungarian astronaut to space, this MOU enables a wide range of cooperation and possible joint developments between Axiom Space and Hungary. It acknowledges both the importance the company plays in helping to define the future of human space flight, including through the future Axiom Station, as well as the capacities and space heritage of the Hungarian space sector.

HOUSTON (KBR Inc. PR) — KBR (NYSE: KBR) is pleased to announce it is a major partner to Axiom Space, which NASA selected as one of two companies eligible to support the development of NASA’s next-generation spacesuit and spacewalk systems through the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract. This comprehensive contract includes a full range of services, including design, testing, and verification of manufacturing and processing of the new spacesuits. KBR will co-locate with Axiom Space in their facilities.

The xEVAS contract, which advances extravehicular activity capability for low-Earth orbit, on the lunar surface, and future human missions to Mars, is managed out of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) through the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and Human Surface Mobility Program. The milestone-based contract’s period of performance continues through 2034 with a potential total value of $3.5 billion across the life of the program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Sinus Space, Inc. PR) — Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU), a Space-as-a-Service company focused on mission critical hardware manufacturing; multi-disciplinary engineering services; satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations; and in-orbit support is proud to announce that it is part of the Collins Aerospace team which was awarded NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity (xEVAS) services contract.

HOUSTON (Axiom Space PR) — Axiom Space announced today that it has been awarded the NASA Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) Contract.  Axiom is one of two companies to win the award with a potential total value of $3.5 billion across the life of the program. Under the terms of the contract, the Houston-based company will build the space agency’s next generation astronaut spacesuits that may be used for low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Artemis lunar missions. The new spacesuits by Axiom Space will provide astronauts with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA commercially developed human systems needed to access, live, and work in microgravity and on and around the Moon. 

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA has selected Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to advance spacewalking capabilities in low-Earth orbit and at the Moon, by buying services that provide astronauts with next generation spacesuit and spacewalk systems to work outside the International Space Station, explore the lunar surface on Artemis missions, and prepare for human missions to Mars.