Space News reports, “A U.S. Space Force online marketplace that taps into commercial satellite data has executed around $8 million worth of contracts over the past four months. About 25 defense, intelligence, and civilian federal agencies are now buying data and analytic services from the Space Force-run marketplace, said Col. Richard Kniseley, senior materiel leader of the Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office.”
Full Story (Space News)
Tag: Commercial Space
Commercial Space Industry Projected to Experience 41% Growth Over Next Five Years
Fortune reports that the global space economy “grew 8% to $546 billion in 2022 and is projected to climb another 41% over the next five years, according to a leading space nonprofit.” The sector is expected “to show resiliency in the coming years, despite uncertainty about the global economy and a recent slowdown in space investment.” Companies are seeing “continued revenue growth from commercial space assets and governments around the world boosting expenditures, according to a report from the Space Foundation, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based space flight advocacy group.” The analysis “considered spending from 51 governments, as well as commercial revenue from companies in 11 space industry sub-sectors.” Space Foundation Director of Research and Digital Programming Lesley Conn said, “Commercial space is the vital growing sector of the overall space economy. Within five years, certainly you’re going to see a real acceleration and an expansion of space and space assets.”
Full Story (Fortune)
NASA, Space Force See Benefits in Using Commercial Space Services
Space News reports that NASA Chief Economist Alexander MacDonald said private competition for NASA contracts is “one of the most exciting things that we’re seeing.” MacDonald said the announcement of privately designed commercial space stations to succeed the International Space Station are “very exciting from a market dynamics perspective.”
Full Story (Space News)
Commercial Space Data Relays May be Used by NASA within a Decade
Via Satellite reports that NASA “could be using commercial services to enable its next-generation satellite communications constellation that will provide connectivity to the International Space Station (ISS), as well as various science missions,” within the next decade. NASA is “one of several government organizations that are investing in space data relay networks, and the Defense Department in particular is funding new efforts to launch proliferated LEO constellations for on-demand connectivity.” European and Canadian companies “are partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) to take the next steps in optical communication via the High Throughput Optical Network project, also known as HyDRON.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
Commercial Spaceflight Revolutionizing Space Travel
CNET News reports on commercial spaceflight and how it is bringing forth a new era of commercial space travel. Endeavors such as Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX “signal the space industry’s shift from the government to the private sector.”
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Blue Origin Launch Delayed Due to Weather
SPACE reports that Blue Origin’s third crewed launch has been delayed due to weather. Windy conditions at Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas, have “push[ed] off liftoff of ‘Good Morning America’ (GMA) anchor Michael Strahan and five other individuals” to Saturday.
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Blue Origin Prepares for Fourth Crewed New Shepard Flight
CBS News reports that Blue Origin “is gearing up to launch its fourth crewed New Shepard flight this week – a 10-minute rocket-powered thrill ride to the edge of space and back carrying five wealthy space tourists and the spacecraft’s chief designer.” Liftoff is targeted for “9:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, two days later than planned because of expected high winds.”
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Another Blue Origin Launch Scheduled for Next Week
CNN reports that Pete Davidson “will become the latest celebrity to fly to space with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, in a brief, suborbital flight slated for later this month.” Davidson and five other customers will launch into space on a New Shepard rocket. The launch “is slated for March 23 at 8:30 am CT.”
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Blue Origin Announces Passengers on Next New Shepard Flight
The Houston Chronicle reports Blue Origin “unveiled the next six passengers it will send to space, including electrical engineer and former NASA test lead Katya Echazarreta[,] who will become the first Mexican-born woman to reach space.” The crew includes engineer Evan Dick, Katya Echazarreta, Action Aviation chairman Hamish Harding, civil production engineer Victor Correa Hespanha, JJM Investments founder Jaison Robinson, and Insight Equity co-founder Victor Vescovo.
Full Story (Houston Chronicle)