Advanced Television

Jeff Bezos

Bezos risks all on unproven rockets

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has contracted with three rocket launch companies to a 5- year launch timetable to place his 3236 ‘Project Kuiper’ satellites into orbit. Kuiper has until July 30th 2026 to launch at least half of its constellation (1618 satellites) to retain its FCC orbital and frequency permissions. The cargo being carried works […]

April 8, 2022

Bezos’s giant rocket orders unwrapped

The news on April 5th that Jeff Bezos had signed unprecedented orders for rocket capacity to get Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband system operational did not go far enough. The announcement also kick-starts a five-year timetable and designed to compete head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Starlink operation which is already in business. Amazon had ordered up a […]

April 6, 2022

Bezos makes Kuiper move

Jeff Bezos has ordered a massive series of rocket launches to get Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband system into space. Amazon has selected Arianespace, its own Blue Origin, as well as the United Launch Alliance for an overall 68 launches, split between the three giant launch providers. The three sets of contracts are by far the […]

April 5, 2022By Chris Forrester

Blue Origin readies next launch

The next Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin rocket launch was originally currently scheduled for March 23rd. Following the need for additional ground tests, lift-off is now scheduled for March 29th at 08:30 CDT from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas. It will be the 20th flight for the rocket. The New Shepard version of […]

March 22, 2022By Chris Forrester

Curiosity Stream announces 2022 originals

Curiosity, the global factual streaming service and media company, has announced a sneak peek into its 2022 slate of original series and feature-length documentary films, featuring more originals for Curiosity Stream and Curiosity Channel than any previous year. Several popular series are back for new seasons plus new titles showcasing compelling stories from biomimicry, asteroids, […]

February 25, 2022

Blue Origin to double passenger flights

The Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin rocket system says it plans to more than double the number of people it lofts into sub-orbital space upon its New Shepard vehicle. It was a New Shepard rocket which carried William Shatner into sub-orbital space last October. Bob Smith, chief executive of Blue Origin, speaking at the annual FAA […]

February 24, 2022By Chris Forrester

China wants 13,000 satellites

Local reports seem to confirm China’s intentions to build and launch 13,000 low Earth orbiting satellites. The mega-constellation would rival the existing Starlink system from SpaceX, the UK and India-backed OneWeb scheme and a planned similar constellation from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) has called […]

January 31, 2022By Chris Forrester

Blue Origin acquires Honeybee Robotics

Honeybee Robotics is to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Origin. A deal between Honeybee’s parent organisation, Ensign-Bickford Industries, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, is expected to close in mid-February. Financial terms were not disclosed. Since 1983, Honeybee has delivered more than 1,000 advanced projects to government and industrial customers in the spacecraft, planetary […]

January 28, 2022By Chris Forrester

Arianespace “fully reusable by 2030”

ArianeGroup Chief Executive André-Hubert Roussel has said the Ariane family of rocket launchers would be fully reusable starting by the end of this decade. His comments follow on from French Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire who has been highly critical of the Arianespace’s current use of non-reusable rockets, including the giant Ariane 5 and smaller […]

January 25, 2022

Arianespace revenues up 30%

Europe’s Arianespace has reported a 30 per cent increase in revenues for 2021 having complete 15 successful launches during the year. Arianespace says it saw revenues of €1.25 billion last year and says it will likely break-even in trading terms once the year’s accounts are complete. The launch company now operates from three spaceports: its […]

January 10, 2022By Chris Forrester