Colorado-based UP Aerospace launched its 21st suborbital space flight from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport occurred at 7:09 a.m. local time Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024).

One of Spaceport America’s foundational tenants, UP Aerospace partnered with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program on its latest flight, SL-15, which featured its SpaceLoft rocket shuttling a variety of payloads to sub-orbital heights.
One payload was a suite of multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers from NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and their contractors Fraunhofer and Qascom. GNSS …

A2Z Drone Delivery launches BVLOS drone dock network
A2Z Drone Delivery has launched multiuse drone dock network operating beyondvisual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) with a single operator managing a fleet of four drones simultaneously. Conducting both autonomous patrol of protected urban waterways, supporting water rescue, and expediting regional retail delivery, the deployment marks the company’s first as a drone service provider. In this first phase of the network rollout, A2Z Drone Delivery is partnering with the Anji Bureau of Water Resources to conduct autonomous aerial patrol of the Bureau’s protected waterways and reservoirs that …

UP Aerospace launches suborbital flight to test GNSS payloads
Colorado-based UP Aerospace launched its 21st suborbital space flight from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport occurred at 7:09 a.m. local time Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024).
UP Aerospace partnered with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program on its latest flight, SL-15, which featured its SpaceLoft rocket shuttling a variety of payloads to sub-orbital heights.
One payload was a suite of multiGNSS receivers from NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, the European …

Ultra-high-speed remote sensing image laser transmission test
A commercial Chinese satellite company has conducted an ultra-high-speed, highresolution satellite-ground remote sensing image laser transmission test using an independently developed, vehicle-mounted laser communication ground station and the laser terminal aboard one of its Jilin-1 satellites. The 100-Gbps (gigabits per second) image transmission test was a success, said Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. To complete the test, a research team from the company comprehensively updated the vehiclemounted ground station and overcame a series of technical difficulties. They also established a coherent, ultra-long distance, …

Indian Railways floats Rs 3,200- cr tender for LiDAR system to enhance track safety
The Indian Railways has issued tenders of Rs 3,200 crore for installation of Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) technology on trains and rail tracks. The LiDAR technology will help detect fractures, faults, and missing sections on the tracks.
It will also help the railway develop 3D models of tracks using images from sensors. The technology uses laser beams to map the tracks, identify obstacles, and measure distances. The sensors will be placed on moving trains and at fixed …

DoD announces strategy for countering unmanned systems
On December 2 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III signed a classified Strategy for Countering Unmanned Systems. The strategy unifies the Department’s approach to countering these systems that looks across domains, characteristics, and time frames.
Unmanned systems pose both an urgent and enduring threat to U.S. personnel, facilities, and assets overseas. Unmanned aerial systems, most commonly known as drones, pose the most significant threat at this time …

Skykraft forms international partnership
Skykraft has announced the formal signing of Participating Project Partner Agreement for the “Demonstration of Collaborative Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)” project. Supported by an International Space Investment (ISI) India Projects grant from the Australian Government, this initiative marks a key step in supporting the growth of joint space projects between Australia and India. ISI India Projects broadly aligns with the India Economic Strategy to 2035, especially regarding the …

YellowScan teams up with Argosdyne
YellowScan has announced a collaboration with Argosdyne, whose latest UAV has officially received the C2 Class certification. The C2 Class certification permits closer operation to bystanders and in densely populated areas, meeting stringent European safety requirements. www.yellowscan.com
ESA and Japan expand collaboration in space exploration
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have signed a new joint statement to deepen their partnership across asteroid, lunar, and planetary …

Astranis is the prime contractor for the U.S. Space Force
Astranis has been selected as a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) new Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program. It is one of four awarded an agreement to produce design concepts for R-GPS’ Lite Evolving Augmented Proliferation program.‍ The R-GPS program was created by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to build and launch small, lowcost PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) satellites to bolster the existing GPS fleet. The R-GPS satellites will include the latest GPS …

WingXpand, Raytheon AI collaboration
WingXpand has collaborated with RTX’s Raytheon. The partnership aims to enhance the capabilities of WingXpand’s smart planes. The smart planes’ open systems architecture allows for the seamless integration of organic and third-party applications and payloads, designed for mission flexibility as threats and tactics evolve. Raytheon’s advanced infrared technology seeks to enhance the capabilities of WingXpand’s smart planes by improving their ability to detect and identify potential threats at greater distances.
WingXpand has also introduced a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability for its xRAI smart …