The Edge
Space factory startup Varda secures NASA partnerships ahead of demo flight next year
Varda co-founders Varda Space Industries Early stage Varda Space Industries has signed a pair of agreements with NASA, the company announced Friday, securing access to key technologies the company will need for the first demonstration of its space factory system. Varda’s goal is to develop a new method for manufacturing materials in space, an opportunity […]
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Virgin Galactic again delays space tourism flights, to second quarter 2023
Carrier aircraft VMS Eve takes off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, carrying spacecraft VSS Unity on July 11, 2021. Virgin Galactic Space tourism company Virgin Galactic on Thursday postponed the beginning of its commercial flights by another three months, citing delays in work refurbishing its carrier aircraft. Virgin Galactic announced that commercial service is […]
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Astra pausing rocket launches until at least 2023, as quarterly losses and a failure investigation continue
The company’s LV0010 rocket stands on the launchpad at Florida’s Cape Canaveral ahead of the NASA TROPICS-1 mission. Astra Small rocket-builder Astra said Thursday it would not have any additional flights this year after the company reported another quarterly loss. “Whether we’ll be able to commence commercial launches in 2023 will depend on the success […]
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Space company Masten files for bankruptcy after struggle with NASA moon contract
Lunar-focused company Masten Space Systems filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, with the venture winnowed down to a handful of people after layoffs and furloughs. The space company declared as its debts ballooned, tracing back to a NASA contract awarded to Masten two years ago. Once seen as a major win for the […]
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The space economy grew at fastest rate in years to $469 billion in 2021, report says
People watch from Canaveral National Seashore as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Feb. 3, 2022. The rocket is carrying 49 Starlink internet satellites for a broadband network. Paul Hennessy | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images The global space economy grew […]
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Boeing takes additional charge for Starliner astronaut capsule, bringing cost overruns to near $700 million
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 disclosed a charge of $93 million in the second quarter for its Starliner astronaut capsule program, bringing the program’s overrun costs to nearly $700 million. The aerospace giant said the latest charge […]
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Mattel inks deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to produce line of toys
The company’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft rolls out to the launchpad in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX Mattel inked a multiyear deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to create a line of toys inspired by the space venture, the companies announced Wednesday. “As space exploration advances more quickly than ever before, we are thrilled to […]
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Private investment in space companies dropped during Q2 despite monster SpaceX round, report finds
A Falcon 9 rocket launches a batch of Starlink satellites to orbit on April 29, 2022. SpaceX Private investment in space companies dwindled in the second quarter — weighed down by broader economic and market headwinds — but was salvaged in part by a funding round at Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to a report Thursday […]
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Virgin Galactic announces deal with Boeing subsidiary to build additional aircraft ‘motherships’
A conceptual rendering of the company’s carrier aircraft, also known as a “mothership.” Virgin Galactic Space tourism company Virgin Galactic on Wednesday announced a deal with Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to build two additional carrier aircraft to support its coming spacecraft fleet. Virgin Galactic currently has one carrier aircraft, or “mothership,” called VMS Eve […]
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FCC authorizes SpaceX to provide mobile Starlink internet service to boats, planes and trucks
The Starlink logo is seen in the background of a silhouetted woman holding a mobile phone. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission authorized SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite internet to vehicles in motion, a key step for Elon Musk’s company to further expand the service. “Authorizing a new class of […]
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