Space - GeekWire

Atlas V launch with Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites

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Atlas V rocket launches prototype Amazon satellites to test Project Kuiper network

by Alan Boyle on October 6, 2023October 8, 2023 at 2:09 pm

Amazon’s first satellites were launched today on a mission aimed at testing out the hardware and software for the Seattle company’s worldwide Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation. Two prototype satellites… Read More

Illustration: Starfish's Otter spacecraft in orbit

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Starfish Space wins NASA contract to plan demonstration of orbital debris inspection

by Alan Boyle on October 3, 2023October 3, 2023 at 8:57 am

Even as Starfish Space works to get its first orbital demonstration mission back on track, the Tukwila, Wash.-based startup has won a contract from NASA to look into an even… Read More

Amazon satellite payload arrives at ULA Vertical Integration Facility

Amazon satellites are placed atop Atlas V rocket for milestone launch on October 6

by Alan Boyle on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 at 2:41 pm

United Launch Alliance says the first prototype satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband network have been placed atop their Atlas V rocket, with launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station… Read More

Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital spaceship on pad

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FAA closes investigation into Blue Origin’s launch mishap; flights could resume ‘soon’

by Alan Boyle on September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 at 5:13 pm

The Federal Aviation Administration says that it’s closed its investigation of last year’s mishap involving Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket ship, but that Jeff Bezos’ space venture isn’t yet… Read More

Departing Amazon exec Dave Limp will become CEO at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture

by Alan Boyle on September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 at 3:32 pm

Blue Origin has confirmed that Dave Limp, who is leaving his post as Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services, will take over as the CEO of Jeff Bezos’… Read More

Engineer inspects OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule after touchdown in Utah

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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe delivers sample of asteroid — and moves on to next target

by Alan Boyle on September 24, 2023September 24, 2023 at 4:03 pm

Seven years and 4 billion miles after its launch, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has successfully dropped off a capsule containing a precious sample of one near-Earth asteroid — and is now… Read More

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Stoke Space puts its test rocket through a successful hop in central Washington state

by Alan Boyle on September 17, 2023September 17, 2023 at 6:16 pm

A four-year-old Seattle-area startup called Stoke Space executed a successful up-and-down test of its “Hopper” developmental rocket vehicle today, marking a major milestone in its quest to create a fully… Read More

David Gregory and Bill Bruner at New Frontier Aerospace HQ

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New Frontier Aerospace aims to zoom from hypersonic flight’s past into its future

by Alan Boyle on September 8, 2023September 8, 2023 at 6:38 pm

TUKWILA, Wash. — Thirty years after the first flight of a pioneering reusable rocket ship known as the Delta Clipper Experimental, or DC-X, a commercial venture is aiming to bring… Read More

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Mars Society unveils its plan to establish technology institute, perhaps in Seattle

by Alan Boyle on September 6, 2023September 8, 2023 at 1:03 pm

The nonprofit Mars Society is getting set to take the next giant leap in its mission to support Red Planet exploration and settlement, by establishing a Mars Technology Institute to… Read More

Employees report a rare round of layoffs at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture

by Alan Boyle on September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 at 1:54 pm

Several employees at Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin are reporting that they’ve been laid off, marking a rare turnabout in the rapid growth of Jeff Bezos’ space venture. The reduction in… Read More

Project Kuiper terminal with cell tower in background

Amazon’s Kuiper satellite network forges partnership with Vodafone’s cell networks

by Alan Boyle on September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 at 2:28 pm

Vodafone and its African subsidiary, Vodacom, have made a deal to use Amazon’s yet-to-be-deployed Project Kuiper satellite broadband network to extend the reach of their 4G/5G cellular networks. The deal,… Read More

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Pension fund’s lawsuit questions Amazon’s decisions on Kuiper satellite launch deal

by Alan Boyle on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 at 4:01 pm

An Ohio-based pension fund has filed a lawsuit alleging that Amazon didn’t give due consideration to SpaceX as a potential launch provider for its Project Kuiper broadband internet satellite constellation,… Read More

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Spin control: Starfish Space makes use of magnetism to stop satellite’s death spiral

by Alan Boyle on August 29, 2023August 29, 2023 at 10:16 am

Two and a half months after Starfish Space’s first orbital mission teetered on the edge of failure because its Otter Pup satellite docking system took a wild tumble, the Kent,… Read More

Scene at India's Mission Control after touchdown of Vikram moon lander

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India’s robotic lander touches down on the moon, lifting spirits at home and abroad

by Alan Boyle on August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 at 10:45 pm

A robotic Indian lander set down safely on the moon today, setting off a wave of pride that reached from Mission Control in Bengaluru to Seattle’s tech community. “India is… Read More

Illustration: Space Systems Command's SpaceDEN facility

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Integrate raises $3.4M and wins Space Force contract for management software

by Alan Boyle on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 at 8:54 am

Seattle-based Integrate says it has raised $3.4 million in funding and secured a $1.25 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to boost its program management software platform into a… Read More

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Starfish Space wins $1.8M to keep working on satellite guidance system for Air Force

by Alan Boyle on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 at 4:15 pm

Kent, Wash.-based Starfish Space says it’s been awarded $1.8 million by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, to support continued development of the company’s Cephalopod… Read More

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Plans for launch of prototype satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper revised … again

by Alan Boyle on August 7, 2023September 25, 2023 at 2:29 pm

Amazon’s plans to launch the first prototype satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation have changed for the second time in a year — and once again, rocket development… Read More

Illustration: LeoStella's LS-300 satellite platform

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LeoStella super-sizes its platform for small satellites as it takes aim at new markets

by Alan Boyle on August 6, 2023August 6, 2023 at 1:18 am

Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella is unveiling its latest, greatest platform for small satellites, which should hit a sweet spot for future manufacturing contracts. LeoStella, which is a joint venture co-owned by… Read More

Orbital paths of Earth and asteroid 2022 SF289

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Scientists successfully test algorithm for identifying potentially hazardous asteroids

by Alan Boyle on July 31, 2023July 31, 2023 at 4:15 pm

A new technique for finding potentially hazardous asteroids before they find us has chalked up its first success. In this case, the asteroid isn’t expected to threaten Earth anytime in… Read More

Robotics research conducted on space station in zero-G

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Seattle event sets a course for research on International Space Station — and its heirs

by Alan Boyle on July 30, 2023July 31, 2023 at 7:47 am

About 900 members of the space community — including astronauts, government officials, researchers and industry professionals — are converging on Seattle this week for the International Space Station Research and… Read More

Rocket engines at Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond

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Farewell, Rocket.com: L3Harris completes acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne

by Alan Boyle on July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 at 4:53 pm

Florida-based L3Harris today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, two days after the Federal Trade Commission gave its OK for the deal. The acquisition, which was… Read More

NASA gives Blue Origin $34.7M to work on technology for making solar cells on moon

by Alan Boyle on July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 at 11:15 am

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has won $34.7 million in funding from NASA to support the development of a system that could produce solar cells on the moon from… Read More

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Musical astronauts will bring a show that’s completely out of this world to Seattle

by Alan Boyle on July 24, 2023July 24, 2023 at 3:51 pm

Astronauts have been making music in orbit for almost 60 years, but at least some of the members of a band called Bandella prefer to think of themselves as musicians… Read More

Illustration: Amazon Project Kuiper satellite processing facility

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Amazon’s Project Kuiper will build $120M satellite processing facility in Florida

by Alan Boyle on July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 at 4:50 pm

Construction is underway for a $120 million facility in Florida that will process Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites for launch — marking one more giant leap toward creating the company’s global… Read More

Blue Origin’s next-gen BE-4 rocket engine fails dramatically during testing in Texas

by Alan Boyle on July 11, 2023July 11, 2023 at 10:34 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture confirmed that one of its BE-4 rocket engines suffered a significant anomaly during testing at its West Texas facility in late June. The incident… Read More

Seattle-area Space Summit features NASA leader and hints at new manufacturing institute

by Lisa Stiffler on July 5, 2023July 5, 2023 at 9:25 pm

Sen. Maria Cantwell and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson met Wednesday at the Washington State Space Summit to hash out what’s needed to grow and strengthen the Pacific Northwest’s aerospace industry… Read More

Bill Nelson announces award to Blue Origin

NASA chief to visit Blue Origin for summit recognizing Seattle’s place in space

by Alan Boyle on June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 at 3:17 pm

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will visit Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture in Kent, Wash., to get a firsthand look at the Seattle area’s growing space industry. Next Wednesday’s Washington… Read More

Illustration: Low-frequency gravitational waves cause ripples in spacetime

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Astrophysicists report solid evidence for a background hum of gravitational waves

by Alan Boyle on June 28, 2023June 28, 2023 at 5:34 pm

Astrophysicists have found the best evidence yet for a low-frequency “hum” of gravitational waves rippling through the cosmos, based on 15 years’ worth of ultra-precise measurements checking the timing of… Read More

Maury Island Incident mural in Des Moines, Wash.

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Maury Island Incident and ‘Men in Black’ stories become a cause for celebration

by Alan Boyle on June 21, 2023June 30, 2023 at 1:16 pm

Even the Men in Black need their day in the sun. And they’re getting it this week, in the place where those classic characters in UFO tales made their debut.… Read More

Clean-room team with Orbiter SN3 space tug and Otter Pup docking spacecraft

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Spinning spacecraft adds unwelcome twist to Starfish Space’s docking test mission

by Alan Boyle on June 21, 2023August 28, 2023 at 5:43 pm

Starfish Space’s ambitious mission to test its on-orbit satellite docking system has taken an unfortunate turn — or, more precisely, an unfortunate spin. The Kent, Wash.-based startup’s Otter Pup spacecraft… Read More