Starsem has won a contract from the European Space Agency for two launches of its Soyuz booster from Baikonur in 2005. Each will carry a Galileo System Test Bed satellite for in-orbit validation of the satellite navigation system. The system will comprise 27 active and three back-up satellites in medium-Earth orbit.
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.
