United Space Alliance and Spacehab have agreed jointly to develop commercial markets for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. United operates the Space Shuttle for NASA, while Spacehab operates habitable extension modules in the Shuttle's mid-deck. The firms will focus on expanding the non-government market for life and materials experiments in weightlessness.
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.
