1. Rocket Lab reported earnings, with shares falling 12% after the close; 2. Neutron project is on track, but a guidance miss and market sell-off increase short-term risk; 3. The current stock price may offer value for long-term investors, but short-term volatility and potential further declines are possible.
Recent #Space news in the semiconductor industry
➀ The article discusses the potential of manufacturing semiconductors in space, highlighting the advantages of low gravity and vacuum environments, which can lead to higher quality and more efficient chips.
➁ It mentions the challenges, including the high cost of launching equipment to space and the logistical difficulties of setting up and maintaining facilities in space.
➂ Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of space-based semiconductor manufacturing are significant, including reduced carbon emissions, improved chip performance, and the possibility of new technological advancements.
➀ EnSilica has been awarded £10.38 million over three years from the UK Space Agency's C-LEO programme.
➁ The funding will support the development of a chip family for future satellite broadband user terminals.
➂ The terminals will connect with various satellite constellations and utilize advanced semiconductor technology.
➀ The UK government has announced a £20 million investment in Orbex's Prime rocket, which will be the first orbital rocket manufactured in the UK and launched from British soil.
➁ Orbex, a UK-based private company specializing in low-cost orbital launch services, is set to launch the first Prime rocket towards the end of 2025.
➂ The Prime rocket is powered by renewable bio-propane fuel, making it an ultra-green launch system and aiming to reduce carbon emissions.
➀ A Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) has been signed between the USA and Norway, allowing for the export of US space hardware to Andøya Spaceport in Norway.
➁ This agreement marks a significant step towards making Andøya one of the most attractive locations for satellite launches globally.
➂ The spaceport, which officially opened in November 2023, is capable of supporting the launch of small satellites up to 1.5 tons.
➀ Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) has opened a new optical cleanroom at its headquarters in Guildford, UK.;
➁ The cleanroom will support the company's capabilities in optical imaging and will house the Optical Payloads Team for Earth observation satellite missions.;
➂ The UK Space Agency provided £250,000 in funding for the initiative, and the cleanroom will enable the team to design and assemble high-performance optical imagers for Earth observation missions.
➀ Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have integrated flexible electronics into a self-deploying boom for cube sats. The boom is made of a three-ply carbon fiber and epoxy composite, and is expected to launch in 2025. ➁ The team aimed to add function to weight-constrained cube sats while ensuring they can withstand the harsh environment of space. ➂ The research has resulted in a pool of data for future designs and improvements.
➀ Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launch was aborted minutes before liftoff due to technical issues; ➁ The launch window was set for 1:00 a.m. EST, but the team identified multiple anomalies; ➂ The rocket is designed for high-energy orbits and can carry payloads to GTO and LEO.
➀ NASA is considering two plans to bring Martian rock samples back to Earth; ➁ The first plan is to recreate the 'sky crane method' used in previous missions; ➂ The second plan is to partner with a commercial space company for a lander; ➃ The new plans aim to reduce costs and bring the samples back earlier than the previous target of 2040.
➀ NASA is working on strategies to reduce Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) during space travel.
➁ The organization conducts various testing procedures to mitigate EMI issues.
➂ EMI can be a significant problem, potentially leading to disastrous consequences in outer space.
➀ The UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is funding a space sustainability project worth £690,000 to test innovative rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) missions. The project aims to identify bottlenecks and areas of uncertainty around licensing novel space activities, such as in-orbit refuelling, repair services, and active debris removal.➁ The UK could capture an estimated 25% share of the ISAM market by 2031, valued at £2.7 billion.➃ DSIT believes that an advanced RPO capability will underpin all future UK ISAM missions, with funding being received by Astroscale UK, D-Orbit, and ClearSpace.
➀ A large metal ring weighing over 1,100 pounds is suspected to be space debris and crashed in a Kenyan village; ➁ The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is investigating the incident; ➂ Some experts doubt the origin of the debris, suggesting it could be from an airplane.
➀ Fleet Space, an Australian space startup, has raised AUS$150 million for its space-based mining insights. ➁ The funds will be used to expand ExoSphere, their end-to-end exploration platform, which utilizes 3D subsurface imaging and AI analysis. ➂ The company aims to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals needed for clean energy, with a focus on reducing environmental impact.
➀ A former NASA engineer has developed a satellite with Google and T-Mobile to enable space selfies; ➁ The satellite carries a Google Pixel smartphone and a camera to capture and beam back images; ➂ The service is free for T-Mobile account holders and Google Pixel smartphone users, or requires a subscription for others.
➀ Orbex has decided to switch its launch operations to SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, Scotland, rather than building its own spaceport in Sutherland. This decision will allow the company to focus more funding on the development of a new medium-sized launch vehicle, Proxima. ➁ The move is expected to strengthen Orbex's position in the European space industry and support the growth of SaxaVord Spaceport. ➂ Orbex is also planning to increase its manufacturing capability in Forres, Inverness, to meet demand for its smaller vehicle, Prime.
➀ Inversion has raised $44 million in Series A funding for its space-based cargo delivery service; ➁ The company plans to use the funds to scale operations and develop its next-generation autonomous re-entry vehicle, Arc; ➂ Inversion aims to revolutionize the logistics industry with its innovative approach to delivering cargo to remote locations on Earth.
➀ Researchers have identified a possible source of long-period radio transients; ➁ The source, GLEAM-X J0704-37, is a low-mass star in a binary system; ➂ The discovery raises new questions about the energy output of M dwarfs.
➀ The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and CGI have joined the Advisory Board of Space South Central, aiming to drive innovation and enhance satellite and space technologies. ➁ Space South Central's members contribute nearly 20% of the UK Space businesses' GDP. ➂ The UK Space sector employs 52,000 skilled professionals and achieves labor productivity 2.3 times the national average.
➀ NASA released a cozy 8-hour 4K fireplace video to celebrate the holiday season, featuring the heat of the SLS rocket's engines and the sounds of a crackling fire. The video is a loop of archival footage of the RS-25 engines that launched the Artemis I rocket. ➁ The Orion spacecraft reached a speed of 24,581 mph during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. ➂ The video includes the sound of rocket engines and the crackling of wood fire, creating a warm and festive atmosphere.
➀ The Sombrero galaxy, known as Messier 104 (M104), is revealed in a new image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, showing a smooth inner disk and an intricate outer ring. ➁ The image reveals the distribution of dust, which is an essential building block for astronomical objects in the universe. ➂ The Sombrero galaxy is not known for star formation, producing less than one solar mass of stars per year, and its central supermassive black hole is classified as a low luminosity active galactic nucleus.