Image: Zero Debris Charter goes intercontinental

Boca Chica, United States (AFP) Oct 13, 2024
SpaceX on Sunday successfully flew the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket back to the launch pad after a test flight, a technical tour de force that furthers the company's quest for rapid reusability. The "super heavy booster" had blasted off attached to the uncrewed Starship rocket minutes earlier, then made a picture-perfect controlled return to the same pad in Texas, where a p

Where would we be without our GNSS-enabled car navigation systems or navigation apps on our smartphone? Space technology, particularly global navigation satellite systems like the European Galileo, is the backbone of today's mobility and transport.

But are current technologies and systems enough to meet the evolving mobility needs of the future? The European Space Agency is closely monitoring emerging technology trends and staying ahead of the curve, designing and developing the future of Galileo and EGNOS, and conceiving new missions and programmes so that European space technology continues to serve the demands of an increasingly interconnected and mobile world.

ESA’s Living Planet Symposium 2025 will take place from 23–27 June 2025 at the Austria Center Vienna, Austria. As this prestigious event approaches, now is the time to submit your abstracts for a chance to present your research on topics related to Earth observation from space, with a special focus on the theme: From Observation to Climate Action and Sustainability for Earth.

ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defence has taken its first images using three of the instruments that will be used to explore and study the asteroids Dimorphos and Didymos.

What’s better than one spacecraft on the quest to search for life-friendly ocean worlds in the Jupiter system? Two! ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is set to join forces with NASA’s Europa Clipper – launched on 14 October – to tackle one of the biggest questions in Solar System science.

Paris, France (SPX) Oct 11, 2024
ESA engineers have closely examined an aluminium weld produced in space, marking a historic achievement as the first autonomous welding conducted in orbit, and the first of its kind involving ESA. The weld, just one centimeter in size, was produced using electron beam welding during an experiment initiated by ThinkOrbital, a US startup. This weld, created aboard a spacecraft launched via a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 11, 2024
Parry Labs has secured a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Space Force (USSF) as part of its "Digital Spaceport of the Future" challenge. This initiative focuses on enhancing spaceport operations with cutting-edge digital solutions. Out of over 150 submitted proposals, Parry Labs was one of 12 companies chosen for this contract, issued thro