Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed initial on-orbit validation tests of its upgraded XR-5 Hall Thruster using Boeing‘s X-37 unmanned space plane as part of the U.S. Air Force‘s Orbital Test Vehicle mission 4. The five-kilowatt XR-5A Hall Thruster includes performance and operating range modifications based on the results of XR-5’s initial low-rate production and flight programs, Aerojet Rocketdyne said July 1. […] More

United Technologies Corp. has confirmed that it is currently in negotiations with multiple bidders for the acquisition of UTC subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft, Defense News reported Saturday. Andrew Clevenger writes that sources have named the bidders as Airbus, Blackstone, Lockheed Martin and Textron. The report said the news comes after UTC announced its plan to either sell or spin […] More

Boeing will build a third 702SP all-electric propulsion satellite for ABS to provide satellite services to Australia, New Zealand, Russia and countries in the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The company said Friday ABS-8 will add to the ABS-3A and future ABS-2A all-electric propulsion satellites and replace ABS-7 at its orbital location. Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing’s satellite systems business, […] More

Iridium Communications has completed the integration of communication and surveillance payloads with the Iridium NEXT satellite. The company said Monday it will send the satellite with the integrated Aireon-hosted tracking payload for aircraft surveillance to Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France for final qualification testing. The integrated module is part of the 66 low-Earth orbit satellites that will […] More

NASA has launched two solicitations worth nearly $50 million combined for new space technologies intended to advance science and human exploration missions. The space agency said Friday it plans to form a public-private partnership to develop and market commercial space systems under the tipping point technologies solicitation. Under this program with a submission deadline of […] More

Northrop Grumman has received Milestone C approval for the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system it built for the U.S. Air Force. The approval from the Milestone Decision Authority is part of the Defense Department‘s acquisition process and paves the way for the Global Hawk to move into the production phase, the company said Tuesday. “The most important date in any […] More

Boeing Co. has received the first signals of its ninth global positioning system IIF satellite from space. Boeing said the GPS IIF took off Wednesday aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and reached the orbit after more than three hours. Aerojet Rocketdyne supplied the propulsion system […] More

The Lockheed Martin-built Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft has detected aurora-like atmospheric lights and a dust cloud at orbital altitude during its mission for NASA‘s Mars Exploration Program. NASA said Wednesday MAVEN’s Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument and Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph observed the two phenomena in the spacecraft’s fourth month on Martian orbit. The dust cloud, which has been present throughout MAVEN’s […] More

Lockheed Martin is developing a new spaceflight system consisting of the Jupiter space tug and Exoliner disposable supply module that the company hopes will support future cargo missions beyond low Earth orbit, Space.com reported Thursday. Mike Wall writes that Lockheed presented a concept video of the new system to show how it could be used for NASA missions to the International […] More

At least five companies have submitted bids to NASA to deliver supplies to the International Space Station through a second round of commercial resupply services competition, the Washington Post reported Monday. Christian Davenport writes NASA’s decision to partner with industry for ISS cargo resupply missions has drawn interest from bigger contractors and encouraged investor-backed startup […] More

Lockheed Martin has invested in Rocket Lab‘s U.S. subsidiary to support research and development of new technologies for space exploration. “Rocket Lab’s work could have application in a number of aerospace domains, and we look forward to working with them to complement our overall efforts in small lift capabilities and hypersonic flight technologies,” Ned Allen, […] 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