Welcome to S-SPACⁱ. In this edition, Terran Orbital received a milestone payment for the Rivada satellite constellation, Intuitive Machines’ joint venture won a major contract, and AST SpaceMobile made an historic phone call. Plus, news about BlackSky and Rocket Lab.

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.

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, Jan. 31, 2022 (KBR PR) – KBR (NYSE: KBR) was selected to continue providing high-end astronaut medical support services for the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) European Astronaut Centre (EAC) Space Medicine Office in Cologne, Germany.

Under the terms of the recompete contract, KBR will be the primary provider of space medicine support services to ESA, which is introducing a new service model. This work is scheduled to be performed over a three-and-a-half-year period.

A partner to ESA for more than 20 years, KBR’s major activities include astronaut medical care, engineering support, rehabilitation, fitness, project management, healthcare administration, psychology and behavioral health, nutrition, radiation, education coordination, and operational research.

HOUSTON, January 11, 2022 (Axiom Space PR) – Axiom Space, Inc., the leader in human spaceflight and human-rated space infrastructure, announced Tuesday it has welcomed Col. Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force (ItAF) to its headquarters in Houston to begin astronaut training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) as part of Axiom’s professional astronaut services.

Through a partnership with KBR and NASA, Axiom, which trains and flies professional and private astronauts, is able to provide potential astronaut candidates access to facilities, instructors, and training at NASA. Candidates for flight complete Axiom’s training curriculum over many months in preparation to live and conduct meaningful work in space.

WALLOPS, Va. (NASA PR) — NASA has provided an advance release of its NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) software code to the launch industry, a critical milestone toward the final certification of NAFTU, which is on-track for February 2022.

KBR will deploy, develop and operate the Space Weather Follow-On Antenna Network. This work will contribute to accurate space weather forecasts.

HOUSTON – (May 13, 2021) – KBR (NYSE: KBR) won a new $51.2 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deploy, develop and operate the agency’s Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO) Antenna Network. KBR’s work will contribute to accurate forecasts of space weather, protecting lives and livelihood around the planet.

Under this contract, KBR will build and maintain an antenna network that sends and receives continuous mission data from the SWFO-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory and its ground segment. KBR’s network will perform telemetry, command and ranging services for the observatory’s operations.

• Capital will accelerate growth of workforce and development of world’s first commercial space station
• NASA selected Axiom to begin attaching its privately developed space station modules to the International Space Station as early as 2024
• Axiom recently revealed the first-ever private astronaut ISS crew, launching in January 2022

HOUSTON, TX, February 16, 2021 — Axiom Space, Inc., which is developing the world’s first commercial space station, has raised $130M in Series B funding. The round was led by C5 Capital and includes TQS Advisors, Declaration Partners (the investment firm backed by David M. Rubenstein), Moelis Dynasty Investments, Washington University in St. Louis, The Venture Collective, Aidenlair Capital, Hemisphere Ventures, and Starbridge Venture Capital.

• Creates an upmarket leader in Civil, Military, Intelligence and Commercial Space Solutions
• Strengthens KBR’s Military Space and Intel Space Businesses with Best-in-Class Portfolio Focused on high-priority Defense Modernization, MilSpace and Intelligence Budgets
• Further Expands and Differentiates KBR’s Capabilities in High-End Engineering, Technology Development and Mission Support Services for Defense and Intelligence Customers
• Advances KBR’s Strategic Transformation and Attractively Accretive

HOUSTON, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) (“KBR” or the “Company”) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Arlington Capital Partners (“Arlington Capital”), a Washington, DC-based private equity firm, under which KBR will acquire Centauri, LLC (“Centauri”), a leading independent provider of high-end space, directed energy and other advanced technology solutions, for approximately $800 million (net of tax benefits) in cash.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — One year ago, NASA announced the agency is opening the space station for business, enabling commercial and marketing opportunities on the station, and the agency has moved forward toward its ultimate goal in low-Earth orbit to partner with industry to achieve a strong ecosystem in which NASA is one of many customers purchasing services and capabilities at lower cost.

Providing expanded opportunities at the International Space Station to manufacture, market and promote commercial products and services will help catalyze and expand space exploration markets for many businesses.