U.S. Space Force Completes First Commercial Orbital Launch
Astra surprised space aficionados this week, when the almost unknown company announced the successful launch of a test payload into orbit on their stripped-down demonstrator rocket. In an industry where press releases resemble musical chairs, rotating new developments from the same handful of brand names, the news caught some unaware. The payload wasn't any commercial test equipment, but a contracted payload for the United States Space Force, launched through a Defense Innovation Unit Other Transaction Agreement.
“A Workable Strategy” for Eliminating Space Debris
An Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor and his co-inventors patented a workable, functional solution to the prevention of spaceborne debris accumulation. Named the Drag De-Orbit Device, or D3, the system is designed to guide small satellites out of Earth orbit into the atmosphere where they burn up in re-entry. The increased usage of private and commercial satellites, even smaller ones for cheap research experiments, presents an ongoing risk for all.
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