Craig Bamford

Craig started writing for SpaceQ in 2017 as their space culture reporter, shifting to Canadian business and startup reporting in 2019. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, and has a Master's Degree in International Security from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He lives in Toronto.

Canadensys Wins Contract to Help Design Test Demonstrator for Lunar Greenhouse

Illustration of a Lunar Greenhouse ground test demonstrator. Image credit: Canadensys Aerospace.

Bolton, Ontario’s Canadensys Aerospace has received a contract with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to work on lunar agriculture. According to the announcement, they will specifically be assisting with design work on subsystems for a “Ground Test Demonstrator” (GTD) of a Lunar Greenhouse. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support independent journalism. …

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Spaced Ventures Pivots, Becomes Mach33 Financial Group

Spaced Ventures is now Mach 33

In an announcement on LinkedIn, Spaced Ventures co-founder Aaron Burnett revealed that the company is changing its strategy. The company has changed its name to “Mach33 Financial Group,” part of a refocusing effort on catering to accredited investors. Burnett called it a “bittersweet day.” This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support …

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NASA Report Sparks Debate over Cost Effectiveness of Space-Based Solar Power

Space Based Solar Power concept

NASA has released a report on space-based solar power that acknowledges its viability, but questions its cost-effectiveness.  While NASA grants that the technology could be used as a renewable source of energy by 2050, they raised concerns as to its potential cost vis-a-vis terrestrial generation, which sparked responses focused on whether NASA’s cost assumptions were accurate or overly pessimistic. This page is for subscribers only. …

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SFL and NOSA Achieve Laser-Based Sat-to-Ground Communications from a CubeSat

Artist rendering of NorSat-TD microsatellite developed by Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)

Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) and the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) say that they have successfully transferred data from a small CubeSat to a ground station using a laser-based optical link. This is a first for Dutch-built laser communications devices, and one of the few times that it’s been done on a small satellite and which posed a challenge with the various payloads.  This page …

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Rise in Space Investments in Q4, but 2023 Still Down

Image credit: Space Capital.

Space Capital has released its analysis of the latest quarter in the space industry. The report, Space Investment Quarterly: Q4 2023, also included some information on cumulative space investment, as well as a breakdown of the various segments of the industry and how much investment they’ve attracted.

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Reaction Dynamics Finishes Hybrid Engine Development with 30 Second Hot Fire

30 seconds test firing of the RE-101, December the 18th 2023. Joliette, Québec

Canadian launch company Reaction Dynamics has completed a thirty-second test fire of the RE-101 hybrid propulsion system for its Aurora small-lift rocket. The company said that this concludes developmental testing of the engine, and that it is moving on to prepare for actual launch attempt testing, with a goal of reaching orbit. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space …

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The Need to Resolve Safety Concerns and Other Issues Delays Artemis II and III Missions

Dec. 8, 2023 - The Artemis II crew trains for post landing emergency egress inside the Orion Mockup in Building 9 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. On the top left is Pilot Victor Glover of NASA and Commander Reid Wiseman of NASA. On the bottom right are Mission Specialist's Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

NASA has announced delays in the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. In an announcement on Tuesday, they said that both the Artemis II and Artemis III missions will be delayed, though the Artemis IV mission will remain on schedule.  This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support independent journalism. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

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Upcoming Private Missions May Be Key Vindication of NASA’s New Lunar Strategy

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander is encapsulated with ULA's Vulcan rocket

NASA may be headed towards a big strategic win in the next few months. With the scheduled launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One on January 8th, and the coming Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission scheduled for mid-February, the agency could see the vindication of its long-term strategy for lunar mission privatization, and take another step towards a permanent American presence on the Moon.

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Alberta Land Reclamation Combines Space and Land Data

Generation 1 hyperspectral satellites. Credit: Wyvern.

Edmonton-based Earth observation company Wyvern will be working with NorthWind Land Resources on environmental assessment and land reclamation work in Alberta. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support independent journalism. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

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