[News] 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week

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Wave of private space stations in the works to replace aging ISS
For the past 20 years, commercial space companies have focused on ways of getting people and cargo to space.

Now, they are turning their attention to creating destinations in space.

With the International Space Station set to be decommissioned by 2030, NASA will transition from premier gatekeeper of U.S. access to the space station to become just one of many customers of private space stations in what many hope will be a robust low-Earth orbit economy.

Currently, there are only two destinations in low-Earth orbit, the ISS and a smaller modular station being built by China.

Within the next decade, NASA expects that to change.

 

Speaking Tuesday during the Satellite 2022 conference in Washington, D.C., Blue Origin's senior vice president of the New Glenn program, Jarrett Jones, said the rocket would not fly from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station before the end of this year as previously planned. Details on a new timeframe were not offered.

A Blue Origin spokesperson later confirmed Jones' comments and said the 322-foot rocket recently completed a design review but will not be ready in time to fly from Launch Complex 36 this year.

"After completing our final design review and getting our agreements with our current customers, it won’t be the end of this year," the spokesperson said. "We’re communicating on a new date with our customers."

NASA wants second lunar lander to compete with SpaceX

NASA will choose a second company to develop a lunar lander to complement SpaceX's Starship to ensure a sustainable human presence on the moon.

NASA last year selected SpaceX as its sole commercial partner to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface from an orbiting "Gateway" space station as part of the agency's Artemis program.

NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, said he expects about one human mission to the moon each year after Artemis III, now set for 2025.

“But beyond Artemis III we want to increase the healthy competition and advance our lunar capabilities to support more science, more exploration and an emerging lunar marketplace," said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

Shunning Russia OneWeb signs deal with SpaceX for satellite launches
OneWeb, the parent company of a Space Coast satellite manufacturing facility, signed a deal with SpaceX to launch internet satellites that had previously flown on Russian Soyuz rockets.

In a brief statement, OneWeb said last week said it entered into an agreement with SpaceX to fly its internet-beaming satellites starting later this year. The company did not offer details on pricing and did not say which of the sites – Florida or California – would host the launches.

"Terms of the agreement with SpaceX are confidential," OneWeb said.