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On this concern:
- AstroForge critiques setbacks — and successes — throughout first mission
- Terran Orbital CEO says firm just isn’t searching for a purchaser
- Information from the FCC, Terran Orbital and extra
Asteroid mining startup AstroForge is racing in opposition to the clock to finish its refinery demonstration on orbit after encountering a variety of sudden setbacks earlier than and after launch, the startup mentioned in a candid blog post printed final week.
This demonstration mission could show to be a case examine within the difficulties of placing {hardware} on orbit for the primary time. Such challenges are sometimes gestured to within the frequent chorus that “space is hard,” however they’re hardly ever elaborated upon with a lot element.
AstroForge is altering that. Within the weblog put up, the corporate dives into the issues it encountered — some even earlier than the mission launched.
Close to-Earth asteroid, pc paintings. Picture Credit: Science Photograph Library – ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Getty Photographs underneath a Royalty-Free license.
Terran Orbital CEO Marc Bell advised staff final week throughout an all-hands assembly that the corporate just isn’t searching for a purchaser in an effort to quash a report that it was in search of bids by the top of the month, in keeping with sources who spoke to TechCrunch.
In a separate e-mail merely titled “WSJ,” which was despatched to all employees, Bell mentioned the WSJ received the story “very wrong” and “we are working with them to correct.”
“My goal is to keep us independent and turn us into a Prime. Nothing has changed.”
Picture Credit: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Photographs/LightRocket through Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs
Extra information from TC and past
Amazon’s Venture Kuiper successfully validated key technology that can improve throughput and cut back latency for patrons utilizing its satellite tv for pc web service, the corporate mentioned final week.
Apex House, a satellite tv for pc bus manufacturing startup, has opened a new headquarters and production facility in California that can finally scale as much as manufacture 50 satellite tv for pc platforms yearly.
Blue Origin is aiming to lastly conclude a more than 15-month pause in operations of its New Shepard suborbital rocket, with the corporate asserting that it’s going to fly an uncrewed mission as early as December 18.
Helicity House has closed a $5 million seed round to speed up improvement of fusion propulsion, a expertise that might lastly unlock quick, environment friendly journey in deep area.
In Orbit Aerospace wants to be the third-party logistics supplier for Earth to area commerce and science.
The U.S. Federal Communications Fee has made a final denial of Starlink’s application for $885 million in public funds to increase its orbital communications infrastructure to cowl elements of rural America, saying the corporate “failed to demonstrate that it could deliver the promised service.”
True Anomaly has closed $100 million in new funding, a powerful sign that the urge for food for startups working on the intersection of area and protection is much from abating.
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