Challenges | Solicitations | Resources
Who Let the Gas Out? NASA Tank Venting Challenge | NASA Tournament Lab (NTL)
Register to submit your novel solution to NASA’s spacecraft ullage venting challenges in microgravity for extended space travel. Chosen concept designs will win a share of the $80,000 prize. Deadline: February 22, 2024.
The solar system's biggest space jobs site | Space Crew
Accelerate your space career with email alerts for key space industry insights and over 4000 space company jobs.
Jobs in the Space Field & Tech Industry | Space Talent
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.
Upcoming Events
Three-day conference focusing on the business and technical aspects of the smallsat ecosystem. $595 - $1695. Mountain View, CA and virtual. February 6-8, 2024.
Space Situational Awareness Workshop
This year’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency workshop theme is "Bridging Government and Industry Collaboration". Speakers include NorthStar Earth & Space CEO Stewart Bain and NASA Space Traffic Coordination Program Officer Dr. Travis Blake $0-$249. Springfield, VA. February 6, 2024.
Small Satellites & Services International Forum (SSSIF)
SSSIF 2024 is an international workshop for small satellite designers, technicians, developers, and launchers. €100 - €400. Málaga (Spain). February 20-22, 2024.
Space-Comm Expo brings together world-class speakers to discuss the theme, “Accelerating the commercial future of space” as multiple space-related industries network and learn about space technology and commercial developments. Farnborough, UK. March 6-7, 2024.
45th IEEE Aerospace Conference 2024
The IEEE Aerospace Conference invites leaders in aerospace, academia, and the military for plenary sessions on cutting edge aerospace system technologies and applications. $130-1770. Big Sky, MT. March 6-9, 2024.
Conference and exhibition to include manufacturers, service providers, and integrators serving all technology end-user markets. Speakers include Office of Space Commerce Deputy Director Janice Starzyk and SpaceX VP of Commercial Sales Stephanie Bednarek. Washington, DC. March 18-21, 2024.
61st AAS Goddard Space Science Symposium
The Goddard Space Science Symposium brings the space community together to discuss topics including cislunar infrastructure, space weather and interplanetary missions under the theme “Space 2040: Pathways to the Future”. $0-$925. College Park, MD. March 20-22, 2024.
April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse | NASA
Passing from Mexico to Canada, it will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous US until 2044. April 8, 2024.
Space Symposium gathers all sectors of the space community for networking and opportunities to examine multiple perspectives on critical space issues and plan for future achievements in space. $425-$3,560. Colorado Springs, CO. April 8-11, 2024.
This conference brings together leading academics, business leaders, innovators, and policy influencers working on the new space economy for curated sessions under the theme “Economics, Commerce, and Sustainability of New Space”. $150-$525. Huntsville, AL. April 21-23, 2024
CubeSat Developers Workshop 2024
Join over 600 attendees from 50 countries for this global small-satellite conference hosted by CubeSat. $175-$700. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. April 23–25, 2024.
12th Inter-Planetary Small Satellite Conference
Conference organized by staff and students from Caltech, MIT, Cornell and other institutions to explore mission concepts, discuss emerging technologies, and foster “outside the box” thinking on interplanetary small satellite missions. Tucson, AZ. April 30-May 2, 2024.
Small Satellites Systems and Services Symposium
Join presentations around “Space Transformation” toward a circular economy, clean space, and how new technology impacts satellite design and data use. The program will also cover sessions including mission and system analysis, Earth observation, and small satellites access. €500-€1100. Palma de Mallorca, Spain. May 27-31, 2024.
75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2024 | International Astronautical Federation
IAC 2024 will highlight efforts to keep the space environment secure and open to exploration through international cooperation. Over 8,000 are expected to attend the event, which will feature the theme “Responsible Space for Sustainability.” Milan, Italy. October 14-18, 2024.
Add your event or campaign. Contact us for details.
Space Ecosystem | Startups | Deals
Google and AT&T join $155 million AST SpaceMobile investment
Google and AT&T join Vodafone in a $155 million strategic investment in AST SpaceMobile to help fund deployment of its commercial direct-to-smartphone connectivity constellation and produce larger, Block 2 BlueBird spacecraft this year.
Albedo raises $35 million for commercial very low Earth orbit constellation
Albedo raised $35 million in a Series A-1 investment round led by Standard Investments to build and launch a high-resolution Earth-imagery satellite for its VLEO constellation.
Latitude plans the first launch of its Zephyr rocket in 2025 and will double its payload capacity in 2028. Credit: Latitude
Latitude raises $30 million for small launch vehicle development
French small launch vehicle developer Latitude has raised $30 million in a Series B round to produce its first rockets. Investors include Crédit Mutuel Innovation, Expansion, Deeptech 2030, and UI Investissement.
French SSA startup Aldoria raises $10.9 million
French startup Aldoria, formerly Share My Space, has raised 10 million euros ($10.9 million) in a Series A round to expand the tracking network for its space situational awareness (SSA) system. French venture fund Starquest Capital led the round, with participation from the European Innovation Council Fund, Deeptech 2030, Expansion Ventures, Space Founders France and Wind Capital.
Space investment rebounded in 2023 with heavy sector M&A, report says
Space Capital reports that space sector investment rebounded to $12.5 billion, but still below the record high of $15.3 billion in 2021. Space infrastructure companies including Firefly Aerospace, Ursa Major, D-Orbit, Stoke Space and True Anomaly brought in 70% with $2.6 billion of private investment in the 4th quarter.
Space Exploration | Development
After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
Packing more computing power than all other NASA deep space missions combined, Ingenuity was originally a 30-day experimental technology demonstration, but flew more than 14 times farther than planned. The helicopter is functional apart from rotor blade damage, but can no longer fly.
Japan's SLIM spacecraft nose down on the surface of the Moon. Image Credits: JAXA / Takara Tomy / Sony Group Corporation / Doshisha University
SLIM moon lander revived after solar power setback
JAXA confirmed contact was reestablished on January 28, just days ahead of a likely mission-ending sunset. Japan became the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon when its Small Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down. The spacecraft lost one engine during descent and fell over, however, with solar cells facing away from the Sun.
Elon Musk’s recent all-hands meeting at SpaceX was full of interesting news
Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets flew 96 times and Starship completed 2 test flights, with goals of 140 and 10, respectively, in 2024. SpaceX is improving Falcon 9's first-stage boosters to fly 40 times without major overhaul and aims to get under 24 hours pad turnaround by year end.
Buried water ice at Mars's equator?
More recent MARSIS radar data from ESA’s Mars Express seem to indicate layers of dust and ice up to 3.7 km thick in the Medusae Fossae Formation. If melted, the ice would cover the entire planet in a layer of water 1.5-2.7 meters deep, or enough to fill Earth’s Red Sea.
Astronomy | Astrophysics | Astrobiology | Cosmology
Capturing the ripples of spacetime: LISA gets go-ahead
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission was approved to begin development of three spacecraft to detect gravitational waves from space. LISA will enable detection of predicted gravitational ‘ringing’ from the initial moments of the universe. Work is scheduled to begin in January 2025, with the launch of LISA’s three spacecraft planned for 2035 on an Ariane 6 rocket.