ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defence involves not just one spacecraft but three: two shoebox-sized CubeSats will fly up to a few dozen kilometres away from their mothership around the Didymos binary asteroid system. Keeping this trio in communication to fulfil their own mission needs while also ensuring their safe separation is the task of a novel inter-satellite link radio technology, produced by a Portuguese company best known for terrestrial drone systems.

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Video returned from the ESA Young Professionals Satellite payload, YPSat, attached to the upper stage of the inaugural Ariane 6 rocket, launched on 9 July 2024. This clip shows two cubesats deployment into orbit from the Exolaunch dispenser: The first CubeSat is ISTSat-1 and the second is 3Cat-4, both supported by ESA Education initiatives. The video has been enhanced to highlight these events, that were part of the key mission objectives for YPSat. The YPSat project represents the culmination of about two and a half years of dedication and hard work core team of about 30 Young

Paris, France (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT), a global leader in satellite networking technology, solutions, and services, announced that the company has received over $9 million in cumulative orders from various satellite operators. These orders aim to enhance global SATCOM networks using Gilat's advanced and proven solutions. Gilat's technology will support a variety of services an

London, UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Ten teams of engineers and scientists have been chosen as finalists in the Aqualunar Challenge, aimed at developing technologies to provide sustainable water supplies for a permanent Moon base. The Aqualunar Challenge is part of a Pounds 1.2m prize funded by the UK Space Agency's International Bilateral Fund and managed by Challenge Works. In collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (C

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
NASA continues to advance the frontiers of space exploration with its Mars mission. At a recent Mars conference, ten groundbreaking technologies were highlighted, each playing a crucial role in the future of Mars exploration. One of the standout innovations is the Mars Helicopter, named Ingenuity. Weighing just 1.8 kg, Ingenuity has completed over 50 successful flights on Mars. These fligh

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
This spring, NASA published a comprehensive document identifying nearly 200 technology areas requiring further development to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The aerospace community was invited to rate the importance of these areas to help integrate the community's technical challenges and guide NASA's space technology development and investments. Today, NASA's S

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Morpheus Space, a leading provider of space mobility solutions, has inaugurated its first mass production facility for space systems in Dresden, Germany. The new "Reloaded" factory will begin by producing 100 units annually of the GO-2, Morpheus Space's second-generation electric propulsion system, designed to meet the increasing demand for satellite mobility solutions. The GO-2 is a modul

Houston TX (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
When designing a new spacecraft or exploration vehicle, there is intense focus on its technical performance. Do its systems perform as expected? What kind of power does it need? Will it safely reach its destination? Equally important, however, is whether that vehicle also works for the humans inside. Can astronauts easily reach critical controls? Do the seats conform to a crew member regar

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC) has announced the commencement of four new space research projects jointly funded with New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), starting in August 2024. These initiatives mark the first phase of the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program and include projects on methane emissions monitoring, real-time gree

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Three teams from The University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) Space Hardware Club (SHC) have achieved top national rankings in the 2024 International CanSat competition. The UAH student teams Shockwave, Snapdragon, and Moonracer secured first, third, and fourth places nationally and second, seventh, and tenth places internationally. "The accomplishment is even more impressive considerin