Snapshot
SpaceX surpasses its 50th astronaut launched to space
SpaceX launched its Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station, surpassing 50 humans sent to space by the company. This is the first spaceflight for spacecraft commander Matthew Dominick and specialists Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin. However, it is pilot Michael Barratt’s third voyage into orbit.
2021 TSRQ1: Mars Missions – Snapshot
The first attempts to reach Mars began more than 60 years ago, when the former Soviet Union launched two probes to Mars. Both failed to reach Earth orbit.
2018 – U.S. Civil Space Budgets – Snapshot
Seven U.S. civil government agencies have space line items, if not subordinate space agencies, in their budget…
2018 – U.S. National Security Space Budgets – Snapshot
Space technologies are a vital asset to the United States military across air, land, sea, and cyberspace. All four branches under the Department of Defense (DoD) – the Air Force (USAF), the Army (USA), the Navy (USN), and the Marine Corp (USMC) – have space assets. DoD agencies…
2018 – Galileo Ground Networks – Snapshot
Responsibility for the operation of the Galileo constellation’s ground system moved in 2018 from the European Space Agency (ESA)…
2018 – GPS Ground Networks – Snapshot
In 2018, the USAF continued GPS operations with ground equipment that is decades…
2018 – Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) – Snapshot
Japan’s Cabinet Office continues to operate all four satellites of QZSS (also known as Michibiki), the country’s PNT constellation. QZSS is a regional PNT system solely catering to . . .
2018 – Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) – Snapshot
India launched one Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellite to complete its Navigation with Indian Constellation…
2018 – Global Positioning System (GPS) – Snapshot
The U.S. maintained 31 operational GPS satellites during 2018, the same number operational during 2017. While that number of operational satellites is . . .
2018 – Global Navigation Satellites System (GLONASS) – Snapshot
For 2018, Russia maintained its 2017 number of operational GLONASS PNT satellites, 24; these satellites are also . . .