Space industry
Astra conducts layoffs, raises debt and shifts focus to spacecraft engines in bid to survive
An Astra Spacecraft Engine during testing. Astra Struggling space company Astra is cutting 25% of its workforce, the company announced on Friday, and restructuring to focus more on its spacecraft engine business, which will delay progress on the small rocket it has been developing. Astra is cutting about 70 employees, as well as reallocating about […]
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Virgin Galactic banks $2 million in quarterly revenue after first commercial spaceflight
VMS Eve, operated by Virgin Galactic, returns after the company’s first commercial flight to the edge of space, at the Spaceport America facility, in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, U.S., June 29, 2023. Jose Luis Gonzalez | Reuters Virgin Galactic reported second-quarter losses on Tuesday that were slightly wider the year-ago period, as the space […]
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Planet lays off about 10% of workforce as satellite imagery company restructures
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 08, 2021 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Satellite-imagery and data-analysis company Planet is restructuring and laying off 117 employees, it announced on Tuesday. The layoffs affect about 10% of Planet’s approximately 1,000 employees. “This action was taken […]
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How China is threatening U.S. GPS dominance with Beidou
GPS, or the World-wide Positioning System, is the oldest and most greatly used satellite navigation technique in the globe with 6 billion end users. GPS is owned by the U.S. federal government and operate by the Place Power, an independent armed forces department that’s structured under the U.S. Air Pressure. GPS was initially built as […]
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ULA CEO says Vulcan rocket will still fly this year after engine explosion, as launch competition heats up
The Vulcan rocket for the Cert-1 mission stands at SLC-41 during testing in Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 12, 2023. United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance still plans to fly its heavy-lift Vulcan rocket by late 2023 — despite suffering a mishap earlier this year after an engine exploded during testing. CNBC previously reported that one […]
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SpaceX came close to breaking a 56-year rocket record with back-to-back launches
(L)A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket stands at pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center several hours before a scheduled launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and (R) A Falcon 9 rocket stands at Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40 pad. Getty (L) | SpaceX (R) SpaceX on Thursday night came close to breaking a record that’s stood for over […]
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Boeing’s Starliner losses total $1.5 billion with NASA astronauts still waiting to fly
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is seen before docking with the International Space Station on May 20, 2022 during the uncrewed OFT-2 mission. NASA Boeing on Wednesday reported a $257 million charge in the second quarter for its Starliner astronaut spacecraft program, bringing the program’s to-date overrun costs to $1.5 billion as delays continue. The aerospace giant […]
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Space Force raises the stakes as rocket companies compete for lucrative military missions
A Falcon Heavy rocket launches the USSF-67 mission on January 15, 2023 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX The U.S. military is raising the stakes — and widening the field — on a high-profile competition for Space Force mission contracts. The Space Force plans to buy even more rocket launches from companies in […]
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Astranis internet satellite malfunctions before beginning Alaska service, backup planned for spring
The Arcturus satellite is seen en route to geosynchronous orbit. Astranis Satellite internet service provider Astranis said Friday its first commercial satellite in orbit, which was intended to provide coverage to Alaska, has malfunctioned. A backup satellite is planned for the spring. It’s an early setback for a unique approach to providing internet service to […]
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Amazon to construct $120 million facility in Florida to prep Kuiper net satellites for start
An artist’s rendering of the Job Kuiper satellite processing facility in Florida. Amazon Amazon will commit $120 million to develop a satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Room Center in Florida, as the business prepares to launch the 1st satellites for its Task Kuiper world-wide-web community, the tech large announced Friday. The facility will be […]
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