News

Private Investment and the Space Startup

Private investment

In the last column I wrote, I talked about the conundrum faced by government policy makers as they attempt to craft programs to help the entrepreneurial space sector.  One of the major dilemmas that they face is that all entrepreneurial companies depend on private investment to survive, succeed and grow.  Helping those companies means being prepared to help investors.

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Astrobotic Peregrine Propulsion System Anomaly Jeopardizes Mission

The Astrobotic Peregrine spacecraft Multi-Layer Insulation in the foreground appears damaged.

The launch of the United Launch Alliance new Vulcan rocket carrying the Astrobotic Peregrine spacecraft at 2:18 a.m. ET was flawless. And approximately two hours later Astrobotic issued a press release saying that they had “successfully contacted the lander and began receiving telemetry. ” Everything seemed fine, but the next update several hours brought to light an anomaly that appears to have put the landing in …

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British Columbia’s Golden Meteorite

A timelapse image of a fireball event from start to finish.

Until a few decades ago, it was unusual for a meteorite even to be recognized as being connected with a particular meteor event in the sky. But camera technology, sky surveys, and sophisticated software have changed all that. Analyzing a photographic record like the Golden meteorite blazing a trail over Alberta and British Columbia is almost routine nowadays. In short order, the meteor physics group …

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