Boeing has received initial signals from its first all-electric propulsion satellites that were launched into space over the weekend. The two 702SP satellites took off as a conjoined stack onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Boeing said Monday. Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc., said the paired, lightweight satellite system model is intended to […] More

The U.S. Air Force‘s Space and Missile Systems Center may open competition this spring for 28 commercial launches of military and intelligence satellites to bolster the use of U.S.-made rocket engines, Reuters reported Saturday. Andrea Shalal writes that both the government and private sector will fund the potential program, which aims to launch the first satellite by 2022. The effort […] More

Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, has said ULA will adopt new business strategies as the company aims to stay ahead in the space launch services market, Reuters reported Friday. Andrea Shalal writes ULA, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture, seeks to grow its customer base to include commercial firms and reduce cycle time […] More

Ball Aerospace and Technologies‘ Scripps NISTAR radiometer instrument will launch to space as part of the Deep Space Climate Observatory mission of NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The instrument will support the DSCOVR program in measuring irradiance on the Earth’s surface to study the planet’s exchange of energy with the sun, Ball said Tuesday. […] More

Boeing aims to send its crew capsule to space with a NASA astronaut and a Boeing test pilot for a first manned test flight in July 2017. NASA said Monday that Boeing and SpaceX executives have laid out their companies’ spacecraft development, testing and flight goals under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The agency awarded a […] More

Boeing has produced a set of 702SP small-platform satellites that will use an all-electric propulsion system when they are launched to space in February as a stacked pair. SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 rocket will carry the ABS-3A and EUTELSAT 115 West B satellites to space together next month, Boeing said Friday. Besides 702SP, the company said it also released the 702MP and 502 […] More

Boeing has completed NASA’s ground segment critical design review of its CST-100 crew space transportation system as part of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA said Dec. 10 that Boeing underwent a three-week review of its ground-based operation processes and system designs for the spacecraft, including planned assembly and processing facilities at the Kennedy […] More

The Government Accountability Office has denied Sierra Nevada‘s protest against the award of contracts for the NASA Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program to Boeing and SpaceX. Ralph White, managing associate general counsel for procurement law at GAO, said Monday the agency found NASA clearly notified CCtCap program bidders that their proposals would be evaluated against a […] More

NASA and its industry partners Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp. and SpaceX together passed 23 milestones in the Commercial Crew Program in 2014 as they seek to develop crew space transportation systems. NASA said Monday the program also included technical review sessions to ensure the reliability and safety of those systems, which would carry astronauts to and from the […] More

Boeing has passed a NASA certification baseline review the space agency conducted for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program. NASA said Monday this is the first of several Boeing must go through to complete full certification of its human space transport systems. The review evaluated Boeing’s CST-100 space capsule design, the Atlas V rocket and the operational systems needed for the launch. […] More

Boeing, Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada Corp. and SpaceX have reported their current statuses on their respective agreements with NASA under the Commercial Crew Program for space transportation systems. “Our partners’ detailed progress on launch and spaceflight capabilities expands domestic access to space,” Kathy Lueders, manager of the Commercial Crew Program, said Friday. NASA said these industry partners are working with […] More

NASA has released a second request for proposals through its commercial space program for more companies to launch logistical and research payloads and help send supplies to the International Space Station. The Commercial Resupply Services 2 program includes at least six flights to and from ISS for each potential contract through 2020 and an option for additional flights through 2024, NASA said Friday. “To […] More