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Varda Space Industries advances space-based manufacturing and hypersonic testing

Varda Space Industries Inc., which specializes in in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing and hypersonic reentry technologies, is expanding its research and applications across multiple sectors. With innovations in microgravity-based drug development and reusable reentry systems, the company integrates space-based manufacturing processes with scalable solutions for defense and industrial applications.

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Axiom Space revamps station assembly plans, targets 2028 for free-flying platform

Axiom Space announced a major revision to the assembly sequence for its Axiom Station, paving the way for it to operate as an independent orbital platform as early as 2028. This adjustment advances the timeline by approximately two years and appears to address both customer demands and national objectives, including NASA’s plans to retire the International Space Station by the end of the decade. 

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Artemis 2 crew provide a readiness update in front of their SLS Core Stage

On December 16, NASA hosted a select group of media representatives inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for an exclusive briefing on the ambitious Artemis program. The event provided updates on mission preparations, challenges, and progress as NASA works toward its goal of returning humans to the Moon and landing at its South Pole.

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Post-ISS NASA might look very different than we expected

Next year we will pass the milestone of a quarter century of a continued human presence in space thanks to the International Space Station. Led by NASA’s efforts to lead in LEO, NASA plans to take the lead in the commercial space station market as well. However, NASA’s method might not be what we expect it to be.

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Terminal Count: Artemis 2 delayed to 2026 while SpaceX continues to break records

Liftoff of SLS for the Artemis 1 mission

It will be a quiet launch week with only two days seeing orbital launches from China, Japan, and of course, SpaceX. The biggest story of the last week was with NASA; it received a nomination for the next NASA Administrator, then the outgoing Administrator announced the delay of the Artemis 2 and 3 missions.

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Coalition for Deep Space Exploration supports Artemis schedule update

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 5) – The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration (CDSE) supports NASA’s announcement of a schedule update for the Artemis-II and Artemis-III missions providing the incoming administration a sound path forward for the program. CDSE shares NASA’s optimism for the future of Artemis and the excitement of returning to the Moon soon. The announced schedule adjustment recognizes the reality that as industry develops the complex pieces required to return humans to the Moon, the Artemis program will encounter both known and unknown challenges, and as they appear, industry is solving them. No company or development process is immune to obstacles when attempting great things, yet all must be held to a singular standard where crew safety remains the paramount priority.

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UCF investing in space medicine curriculum to support future space travelers

The University of Central Florida in Orlando is launching a pioneering space medicine program, reflecting its commitment to advancing human health in extraterrestrial environments. This initiative is particularly significant for those aspiring to specialize in space medicine, as it offers a comprehensive educational pathway in this emerging field.

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Spire Global appoints Theresa Condor as CEO and taps aerospace industry veterans for executive team

This is a press released shared to or found by Space Explored but written by the company/agency in question, not the Space Explored team. It has been slightly edited for better reading.

VIENNA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Spire Global (NYSE: SPIR) (“Spire” or “the Company”) announced that Theresa Condor, who currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and a board member, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer. Condor will assume the role on January 1, 2025, and Founder and CEO Peter Platzer will become Executive Chairman as part of a planned leadership transition.

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Jed McCaleb: From cryptocurrency pioneer to space innovator

Known for his contributions to cryptocurrency, Jed McCaleb has shifted his focus to outer space with his company Vast Space. By exploring artificial gravity habitats and commercial space ventures, McCaleb is expanding his reach into industries shaping the future. His journey spans from blockchain innovation to the frontiers of space exploration.

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Orbex to develop medium sized rocket and switch launch operations to SaxaVord Spaceport

This is a press released shared to or found by Space Explored but written by the company/agency in question, not the Space Explored team. It has been slightly edited for better reading.

Spaceflight company Orbex is to focus its operations exclusively on developing small and medium sized space rockets after switching its launch operations to SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

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Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator: Does he have The Right Stuff?

President-elect Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to nominate private astronaut and businessman Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. While Isaacman has had massive success in the private market and building his own space program, does he have the “Right Stuff” to lead the world’s premier space agency?

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Lunar Outpost: Revolutionizing space robotics and lunar exploration

Lunar Outpost, established in 2017 and headquartered in Arvada, Colorado, specializes in space robotics, lunar surface mobility, and space resources. The company is developing a range of advanced robotic systems, including the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover series, designed for exploration and resource utilization on the Moon, as well as terrestrial applications.

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PLD Space secures an €11 million loan from COFIDES to accelerate the development of the MIURA 5 launch site

This is a press released shared to or found by Space Explored but written by the company/agency in question, not the Space Explored team. It has been slightly edited for better reading.

Madrid (Spain), 2 December 2024. PLD Space, a Spanish company specializing in the development of reusable space launchers, has secured an €11 million loan from COFIDES to support the development of the launch site for its MIURA 5 rocket in Kourou, French Guiana. The company will initially invest a total of €16 million in the development, construction, and operation of this launch base, located at the CSG—Europe’s spaceport in Kourou—operated by the French Space Agency (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

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SpaceX Starlink Mini AC Dual Band Satellite Wi-Fi System copy

First deal we have tracked now live on SpaceX’s Starlink Mini satellite internet system at $450 ($149 off)

As part of an official promotion, we are now looking at the first chance we have tracked to save on SpaceX Starlink Mini AC Dual Band Satellite Wi-Fi System at $449.99 shipped via Best Buy. This is a regularly $599 setup that is now seeing sizable $149 price drop – the best we have seen since it became available in the US. The Starlink Mini comes at a bit of a premium over the older standard entry-level setup that carries a regular $350 price tag – one of the differences here is the router is separate on the standard, whereas the mini combines the two into a single unit (but the mini is also newer and has better specs overall). 

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Space Renaissance International urges U.N. Flag on the Moon

This is a press released shared to Space Explored but written by the company/agency in question, not the Space Explored team. It has been slightly edited for better reading.

Hong Kong – Adriano V. Autino, CEO and Founder of Space Renaissance International (SRI), announced a bold initiative at the Aerospace Innovation Research Summit (AIR Summit) organized by the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong and “OASA”. He urged the Artemis and International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) coalitions to plant a United Nations flag on the Moon alongside their respective national flags. This gesture would signify a united human presence as our species returns to the Earth’s natural satellite after more than 50 years since the Apollo missions. This emblematic act underscores that the Moon, and space in general, is the common heritage of all humankind, not any one nation.

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Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Mission 1 to the Moon Readies for Launch

This is a press released shared to Space Explored but written by the company/agency in question, not the Space Explored team. It has been slightly edited for better reading.

CEDAR PARK, Texas, Nov. 25, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced it successfully completed environmental testing on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander ahead of its first mission to the Moon supporting NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Firefly is now preparing to ship the lander to Cape Canaveral, Florida, in mid-December for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a six-day window that opens no earlier than mid-January 2025.

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