CHINA’S SPACE STATION: MOVING TOWARDS UTILIZING THE ORBITING OUTPOST - China this week is expected to reach a new high point in outfitting its multi-modular space station as it moves from assembly in low Earth orbit to ongoing utilization. Rocket technicians at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China’s southern island province of Hainan are in final readiness mode for the launch of a Tianzhou-6 uncrewed cargo spacecraft atop a Long March-7 Y7 booster, another upgrade in China’s blossoming space station program. The cargo craft-rocket combination has been rolled out vertically on a mobile launch platform, slowly scooting along on a specially-built track at the site.   More
(Source: SpaceRef - May 10)

NASA PROPOSES “HYBRID” CONTRACT APPROACH FOR SPACE STATION DEORBIT VEHICLE - NASA is proposing a hybrid contract approach for procuring a vehicle to help deorbit the International Space Station at the end of the decade, combining elements of cost-plus and fixed-price contracts. NASA released a draft request for proposals (RFP) May 4 for what the agency calls the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), a spacecraft that would dock to the station and perform a controlled reentry of it. NASA is seeking feedback on the draft through the end of the month before releasing a final RFP this summer.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 10)

SPACE FORCE REVIEWING BIDS FROM SATELLITE MANUFACTURERS FOR SPACE TEST PROGRAM - The U.S. Space Force is reviewing bids from satellite manufacturers competing to produce and integrate experiments for the Space Test Program. Vendors could be selected as early as December for the Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0., Lt. Col. Jonathan Shea, head of the DoD Space Test Program at the Space Systems Command, said May 8 during a conference call with reporters. The STP office last week issued a revised draft request for proposals for the STEP 2.0 contract and is seeking comments from vendors by May 19.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 9)

BLACKSKY SEEKS TO EXTEND OPERATIONS OF SATELLITES RUNNING ON EMPTY - BlackSky is requesting permission to operate two of its satellites in lower orbits as the spacecraft are running out of propellant. The company filed a request for special temporary authority (STA) with the Federal Communications Commission April 28, asking the FCC to allow the company to continue operations of its Global 7 and Global 8 imaging satellites below the originally authorized lower limit of 385 kilometers. The company is requesting permission to operate the satellites at altitudes as low as 340 kilometers.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 8)

ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES NASA’S TROPICS SATELLITES FROM NEW ZEALAND - NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) constellation, having switched launch vehicles after losing two satellites aboard an Astra Rocket 3.3 last year, has launched — this time aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket on a mission titled “Rocket Like A Hurricane” from Launch Complex 1B (LC-1B) in Mahia, New Zealand. Liftoff from LC-1B was on schedule at 13:00 NZST (1:00 UTC) on May 8.   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - May 8)

EUROPE WANTS ITS OWN SATELLITE MEGACONSTELLATION TO COMPETE WITH SPACEX STARLINK - A group of Europe's major space and telecommunications players will bid for a proposed satellite constellation that could compete with SpaceX's Starlink system. Companies including Airbus Defense and Space, Eutelsat, SES, and Thales Alenia Space announced that they have formed a partnership to respond to the European Commission's call for assistance in creating a future European satellite constellation.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 8)

TWIN TROPICS SATELLITES SET TO BE LOFTED INTO ORBIT - Rocket Lab’s launch of NASA’s second pair of TROPICS hurricane research satellites, reassigned from Astra following a launch failure last year, has been rescheduled for Sunday (U.S. time) after a delay due to unfavorable weather at the the company’s New Zealand spaceport. Originally planned as a series of six satellites, the first two were lost in an Astra launch failure last year, and the remaining four were subsequently switched to Rocket Lab, which could meet NASA’s requirement to have its TROPICS fleet operational in time for this year’s Northern Hemisphere storm season.    More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 7)

TIANZHOU-5 CARGO SPACECRAFT SEPARATES FROM SPACE STATION COMBINATION - The Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, carrying supplies for the China Space Station, separated from the orbiting station combination at 3:26 p.m. Beijing Time on Friday and switched to independent flight, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMS).   More
(Source: CGTN - May 6)

SPACEX WON'T LAUNCH NEXT PRIVATE ASTRONAUT CREW FOR AXIOM SPACE IN EARLY MAY AFTER ALL - The second-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) won't launch in the next few days after all. The Houston-based company Axiom Space had been targeting May 8 for the launch of its Ax-2 mission, which will send four people to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for a roughly 10-day stay. But Axiom, SpaceX and NASA (which, as a major ISS partner, must approve such missions) have nixed that plan, pushing the liftoff into the nebulous future.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 6)

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