July 13, 2018: Weekly Spatial Resolutions

Aerospace startup Rocket Lab says it’s going to build a second launch site in the US Soon the company will be known for building launch pads, instead of launching rockets from them. I understand caution, but Rocket Lab is nearing the Virgin Galactic approach for launching things. I am also confused by this. One of […]

May 11, 2018: Weekly Spatial Resolutions

Word of the day: Bangabandhu The satellite on SpaceX’s first Block 5 Falcon 9 launch seems to be named after Bangladesh’s founding father. It supposedly means “friend of Bengal.” Budget 2018: space agency details still scant – but GPS and satellite imagery funded Okay, the Australians are so serious about space, they’re spending millions to […]

Launching satellites is getting cheaper?

Last year was pretty good for small satellites weighing less than 10 kg (22 lbs). 46 percent of all satellites launched in 2014 weighed less than 10 kg. A LOT of satellites were launched in 2014. Heck, just one Russian Dnepr rocket deployed 37 satellites during one launch last year. Many were deployed from the International […]

Micro-Sat Communications Over Australia (Plus 2 DIY Space Projects)

Between my previous post about Planet Labs’ New Zealand remote terminal, and this post about Australian communications satellites winning an communications innovation award, it’d be easy to think something is in the water down under. Like Planet Labs, Australia is using micro satellites, but, for now, they are using the satellites for communications and not imagery. The Australians […]