[Space] 2023.09.01

NASA is seeking AI-based research assistant solutions to help researchers in areas such as literature summarization, citation analysis and recommender systems. First place is $13,000. Closing date: October 2, 2023. 

Help NASA overcome challenges inherent to living far away from Earth by submitting an idea for sustaining a human presence to, from, and around the Moon. Deadline: October 2, 2023.

Space Talent is a resource for careers at the intersection of space and tech. They match employers with top talent while providing insights and resources to grow your career.

NASA's Software Catalog offers hundreds of software programs, free to use in a wide variety of technical applications. Releases include a wing-design algorithm and an AR/VR toolkit for spacecraft design and mission telemetry.

The Amateur Astronomers Association, founded in 1927, seeks funds to build a free public observatory in New York City. Funds will be used for site construction costs, see further updates and pictures here.

Global event with over 1,000 decision makers for deal-making and discussions shaping the future of the satellite industry. $580-$3730. Online and in-person in Paris. September 11-15, 2023.

2-day event addressing the NewSpace economy and sustainability. Special guests include NASA Chief Economist Alexander MacDonald and NASA Commercial Director Dan Rasky. CHF 269-649. Luzern, Switzerland. September 11-12, 2023.

The theme of the Global Aerospace Summit is Innovating the Skies, Connecting the World. Presenting Sponsors including Airbus and Raytheon Technologies will discuss the latest developments, trends, challenges, and opportunities in aviation and space. Washington DC. September 12-13, 2023.

UNIDIR’s Outer Space Security Conference provides a unique forum for the diplomatic community and, military experts, and more, to jointly consider challenges and solutions related to security in outer space. Free online and in-person. Geneva, Switzerland. September 13-14, 2023.

The 2nd annual South Florida Space Day is a full-day event comprised of keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking in support of space entrepreneurship. Free. Fort Lauderdale, FL. September 21, 2023.

Image of Mars taken by the OSIRIS instrument on the ESA Rosetta spacecraft during its February 2007 flyby of the planet.  Image Credit: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team

The 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention brings together leading scientists, engineers, commercial space executives and government policymakers to discuss current and future Mars exploration and planning for human missions. Tempe, Arizona. October 5-8, 2023.

Asia-Pacific satellite and space industry professionals gather for market insight and collaboration on the industry’s challenges and opportunities. $650-1,500. Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur. October 10-12, 2023.

Two satellite industry events hosted back-to-back. Satellite Innovation focuses on analyzing next-generation satellite technologies and the current business environment, while MilSat Symposium will focus on space defense. $50-2,195. Mountain View, CA. October 17-20, 2023.

Insights and discussions on key military issues. Get access to senior officials from a variety of nations, with representatives from India, South Africa, Portugal and Peru added in 2023. Tickets £1198-2898. London, UK. November 6-9, 2023.

A showcase of the latest technologies, networking opportunities, and topical debates around new technologies. Free. Bremen, Germany. November 14-16, 2023.

The annual workshop, organized by the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) in partnership with U.S. Space Command, brings together leaders from various DoD agencies to discuss policy and operational issues related to commercial and military satellite communications. Arlington, Virginia. December 12-14, 2023.

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Axiom is developing a commercial space station and a lunar spacesuit and has more than $2 billion in customer contracts to date. The funding round was led by Saudi-owned Aljazira Capital and Korean health-care investment firm Boryung.

Britain's BAE Systems agreed to buy Ball Corp's aerospace assets for about $5.55 billion in cash, acquiring a key U.S. contractor in areas such as space, national security and intelligence.

Illustration of imaging satellites in space. Credit: HEO

Australian startup HEO, which uses space-based sensors for flyby inspections of satellites and debris objects, raised an $8 million Series A round led by Australian venture capital firm Airtree Ventures. Other investors include Y Combinator and In-Q-Tel, the CIA funded venture firm.

Seattle-based program management software company Integrate Space closed a $3.4M seed round led by Hyperplane with participation from Riot Ventures, Ravelin Capital, and John Capodilupo. The money will help expand its team and grow its customer roster.

European space startup Tilebox, focused on providing flexible, high-performance data processing capabilities for satellites, closed a $1.7 million pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Cocoa Ventures, Possible Ventures and Remote First Capital.

SCOUT Space on-orbit services and mission augmentation. Credit: SCOUT Space

Space safety and observation company SCOUT Space acquired space security startup Free Space, established in 2022 to provide cybersecurity solutions for the space industry. This allows SCOUT to strengthen its relationship with the DoD and the intelligence industry.

Trive Capital acquired Texas-based AI company Hypergiant Industries for an undisclosed amount. Hypergiant's CommandCenter, a geospatial data visualization platform, uses AI for threat analysis and real-time success probability for decision-making.

Sidus Space acquired on-orbit edge processing software and hardware company Exo-Space, the first exit for crowdfunding platform Spaced Ventures.

The market for materials manufactured in space could reach $10 billion by 2030, according to an estimate from McKinsey. The unique environment allows companies such as Varda and Space Forge to explore new advances in pharma, semiconductors, beauty and health products and potentially food.

India becomes the fourth country – after Russia, the U.S. and China – to land on the moon, and the first to land on one of the lunar poles. 

SpaceX has not set a public launch target date yet for Starship, but conducted a successful hot fire test of its Super Heavy booster. This second test saw all 33 Raptor engines ignite and all but two run for the full six-second duration.

SBUDNIC, a bread-loaf-sized cube satellite with a drag sail made from Kapton polyimide film, was designed and built by students at Brown University. Credit: Marco Cross

SBUDNIC, built by a team of students, was confirmed to have successfully reentered Earth’s atmosphere in August, demonstrating a practical, low-cost method to cut down on space debris.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the most distant star ever detected, within the most strongly magnified galaxy known: the Sunrise Arc.