There’s a cloud hanging over the industry in the form of geopolitical tensions over the use of anti-satellite weapons and a lack of clear rules on what constitutes threatening behavior in space, in contrast to peaceful commercial activities.

Leaders of the House space subcommittee have asked the Federal Aviation Administration for more details on its investigation into a Blue Origin New Shepard launch accident.

The post Congress asks for more transparency into New Shepard failure investigation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Registration has begun for the ESA Open Day at ESTEC on Saturday 1 October, open to people with disabilities. ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, will be open from 10:00 to 14:00, giving visitors with disabilities the opportunity to tour this leading European space establishment at their own pace. The event will conclude with a talk by ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer.

Rocket Lab successfully launched a Japanese radar imaging satellite Sept. 15 as the company prepares for another attempt to recover and reuse a booster.

The post Rocket Lab launches Japanese radar imaging satellite on 30th Electron mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

Washington (AFP) Sept 15, 2022
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has detected its highest concentrations yet of organic molecules, in a potential signal of ancient microbes that scientists are eager to confirm when the rock samples are eventually brought to Earth. While organic matter has been found on the Red Planet before, the new discovery is seen as especially promising because it came from an area where sediment and sal

Flagstaff AZ (SPX) Sep 15, 2022
Within two weeks, the DART spacecraft will impact the asteroid moon Dimorphos as it completes the world's first planetary defense test mission. The success of the effort relies heavily on the Lowell Discovery Telescope, which scientists are using for both before- and after-impact observations. The DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission is an outgrowth of ongoing interest in planet

Video: 01:04:23

On September 27 at 01:14 CEST, NASA’s DART (for ‘Double Asteroid Redirection Test’) mission is lined up to collide with a body called Dimorphos – a 160-m diameter ‘moonlet’ of a larger asteroid called Didymos – to try and measurably shift its orbit. In this media briefing, hear more about Europe’s contribution to the DART mission, and learn of ESA’s own mission with a close-up survey of Dimorphos, conducted by a spacecraft called HERA. The HERA mission is planned for launch in 2024.

Los Altos CA (SPX) Sep 15, 2022
Antaris, the software platform provider for space, and GalaxEye, an imaging satellite operator, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to create the world's first satellite featuring both SAR and optical sensors on a single satellite. The MOU highlights a unique commitment between three Indian space leaders-GalaxEye, Ananth Technologies and XDLINX Labs-and US-based satellite

Video: 00:19:25

On 15 September 2022, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti conducted an in-flight call with the European Parliament from the International Space Station. In conversation with President Metsola and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, she provided insights into the importance Europe’s presence in space, as well as the scientific and technological progress enabled by its activities. The three also touched on Samantha’s upcoming commandership, life on the Station, and the pressing issue of space debris.