Was going to space a good idea?
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 16:26
In 1963, six years after the first satellite was launched, editors from the Encyclopedia Britannica posed a question to five eminent thinkers of the day: "Has man's conquest of space increased or diminished his stature?" The respondents were philosopher Hannah Arendt, writer Aldous Huxley, theologian Paul Tillich, nuclear scientist Harrison Brown and historian Herbert J. Muller.
Sixty years later, as the rush to space accelerates, what can we learn from these 20th-century luminaries writing at the dawn of the space age?
The state of space 60 years on
Much has happened since. Spacecraft have landed on planets, moons, comets, and asteroids across the solar system. The two Voyager deep space probes, launched in 1977, are in interstellar space.
A handful of people are living in two Earth-orbiting space stations. Humans are getting ready to return to the moon after more than 50 years, this time to establish a permanent base and mine the deep ice lakes at the south pole.
There were only 57 satellites in Earth orbit in 1963. Now there are around 10,000, with tens of thousands more planned.
NAVISP Industry 2023 @ ESTEC
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 16:00
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In November 2023, ESA hosted its annual NAVISP Industry Days event. This year, more than 200 positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) professionals from across Europe gathered at ESA’s Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands to explore together opportunities for innovation, commercialisation and collaboration via ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP).
For more information: visit https://navisp.esa.int
Orbit Fab and Australia’s Space Machines Company cooperate on in-orbit servicing
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 12:00
Data rights limitations affecting NASA technology development
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 11:41
Galileo Second Generation satellites take shape
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 11:10
To make the future of Galileo a reality, ESA and European industry are hard at work developing ultra-precise atomic clocks, system testbeds, ground mission and ground control segments and, of course, the satellites. Airbus Defence and Space, who is building six of the Galileo Second Generation constellation satellites, presented their first flight model structure to the programme’s stakeholders last week.
Delve into the new CEOS Earth Observation Handbook
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 08:15
Delve into the new CEOS Earth Observation Handbook
Chandrayaan-3 Propulsion Module Successfully Transitions from Lunar to Earth Orbit
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 05:42
In a striking demonstration of space mission versatility, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully maneuvered the Propulsion Module (PM) of its Chandrayaan-3 mission from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around Earth. This maneuver is not just a technical achievement but also a strategic move to enhance the utility of the mission's assets.
Launched on July 14, 202 CAS Space expands into Guangdong with new rocket engine testing complex
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 05:42
CAS Space, a prominent Beijing-based rocket company under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, marked a significant milestone on Saturday with the commencement of construction on a new rocket engine testing facility in Guangdong province. This facility, the first of its kind in this economically vibrant region, represents a crucial step in the expansion of China's space capabilities.
Situated CityU develops universal metasurface antenna, advancing 6G communications
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 05:42
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have achieved a significant breakthrough in antenna technology, creating the world's first universal metasurface antenna that can control all five fundamental properties of electromagnetic waves through software. This novel technology holds immense potential for the future of 6G wireless communication systems, offering advanced waveform manipul D-Orbit advancing space logistics with Beyond mission
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 05:42
On December 1st, D-Orbit, a leader in the realm of space logistics and orbital transportation, achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching its 13th commercial mission, named Beyond. This mission utilized the company's innovative Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), the ION Satellite Carrier, showcasing its versatility and advanced capabilities in the industry.
The launch occurred Tracking undetectable space junk
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 04:16
Satellite and spacecraft operators may finally be able to detect small pieces of debris orbiting Earth using an approach proposed by researchers from the University of Michigan.
"Right now, we detect space debris by looking for objects that reflect light or radar signals," said Nilton Renno, the principal investigator from the University of Michigan team and a professor of climate and spac STS-61, the First Hubble Servicing Mission
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 04:16
The discovery after its launch that the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror suffered from a flaw disappointed scientists who could not obtain the sharp images they had expected. But thanks to the Hubble's built-in feature of on-orbit servicing, NASA devised a plan to correct the telescope's optics during the first planned repair mission. The agency assigned one of its most experienced crews Lift-off for EIRSAT-1, Ireland's first ever satellite
Tuesday, 05 December 2023 04:16
Six years of hard work and dedication paid off in spectacular fashion today, as the Educational Irish Research Satellite, EIRSAT-1, successfully blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Hitching a ride on a Space-X Falcon-9 launcher, the tiny satellite - measuring just 10.7cm x 10.7cm x 22.7cm - has now made history as Ireland's first satellite!
EIRSAT-1 was designed, buil