A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
by Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. Two years ago, Forecast International published a blog post about a trend toward decreasing launch mass in commercial communications satellites. Since that post …
Commercial Communications Satellite Launch Mass – It’s Complicated Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. Accion Systems is developing an electric propulsion system for small satellites. As the number of small satellites built and launched increases each …
Accelerating the SmallSat Propulsion Market: Interview with Accion Systems CEO Natalya Bailey Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. International Launch Services (ILS) recently announced that it will introduce a new Proton launch vehicle variant with a larger payload fairing – …
Launch Vehicle Flexibility Increasingly Important Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. On the morning of February 15, 2017, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (designated PSLV-C37) launched the 714-kilogram Cartosat-2 Series Satellite and 103 …
PSLV Launch with 104 Payloads Opens New Opportunities for Small Satellites Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Representative John Culberson (TX-07) have introduced a bill in Congress to require NASA to develop …
Cornyn, Culberson Restart Debate on Future of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Efforts Read MoreRecent Decline Continued, but Stage Set for Renewed Activity in 2017 by Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. The year 2016 saw 85 launches into Earth orbit (this count …
Launch Vehicles: Year in Review 2016 Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. United Launch Alliance (ULA) has announced a new website that enables customers to shop for launch services and sets standard price transparency. …
New ULA Website Marks New Era in Launch Industry Transparency and Competition Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. SpaceX has officially filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to build and operate a massive network of low-Earth orbit (LEO) …
SpaceX Files to Build Massive Satellite Network Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. After dominating the commercial launch market for years – along with the Ariane 5 – the Proton is seeing a loss in …
ILS Plans to Revitalize Proton Sales Read Moreby Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International. On October 5, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket performed an in-flight test of the capsule’s full-envelope escape system, designed to quickly propel …
Blue Origin Conducts Successful In-Flight Escape Test Read More