Space Dev of Colorado has received confirmation from NASA that proposals to provide experiments for its Near Earth Asteroid Prospector (NEAP) programme will be considered within the space agency's Discovery programme. The venture is the first by a commercial company to launch a privately financed interplanetary spacecraft. Space Dev has issued requests for launch vehicle information to begin launch procurement for the NEAP flight.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
