Hot summer for Europe's reusable rocket engine
Thursday, 26 October 2023 11:00
An ongoing project to develop a low-cost, reusable engine for European rockets made considerable progress over the summer and autumn, with a series of tests that achieved full ignition and, ultimately, a 30-second burn with re-ignition of an early prototype of the Prometheus engine.
Six trends to watch in commercial Earth observation
Thursday, 26 October 2023 08:20
With a multitude of opportunities for start-ups, established companies and investors, commercial Earth observation is a vibrant sector with fast-moving innovations in technology, datasets and downstream applications. ESA is a key driving force for the development of European Earth observation and provides impetus through its many programmes and initiatives.
To set the scene ahead of ESA’s Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum next week, here is some need-to-know background information on the evolution and state of play of the Earth observation industry.
Mission Spatiale arrives at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie in Paris
Thursday, 26 October 2023 08:16
The permanent exhibition Mission Spatiale just opened its doors at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie in Paris. Produced in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), this immersive exhibition is dedicated to space exploration and invites visitors to embark on an interactive journey structured into five steps: Explore, Travel, Transit, Stay and Questions.
China launches new mission to space station
Thursday, 26 October 2023 07:08
China sent a fresh crew to its Tiangong space station on Thursday, in the latest mission for a growing space programme that plans to send people to the Moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-17 blasted off from the Jiuquan launch site in northwest China at 11:14 am (0314 GMT), carrying a three-astronaut team with the youngest average age since the space station's construction.
At a farewell ceremony Cosmonauts to install equipment, check coolant leak on ISS during spacewalk
Thursday, 26 October 2023 07:08
Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub are scheduled to complete a spacewalk from the International Space Station Wednesday, according to NASA.
The cosmonauts are scheduled to begin their spacewalk. which is expected to last about 7 hours, at 1:55 p.m. EDT.
While on their spacewalk the cosmonauts will investigate a radiator leak on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory mo Introducing roster recruitment at ESA
Thursday, 26 October 2023 06:11
We are pleased to announce the introduction of roster recruitment at ESA as a new way to launch your career with us. If you work in a field for which ESA consistently recruits in high numbers, such as system engineering, corporate controlling and product assurance, placement on a roster will open up your access to job opportunities with us. The first ESA roster recruitment position has just been published, so here is a short explainer to bring you up to speed on this new system.
Rocket Lab projects Electron return to flight in fourth quarter
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 23:19
Terran Orbital hosting town hall meeting to revive flagging shares
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 21:13
Crunch time for Phoebus before testing
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 17:57
Launching things into space is hard. Aside from the engines and software, orbital calculations and the launch pad, the tanks that hold the fuel are a masterful example of engineering in their own right.
New US rocket Vulcan Centaur set to launch on December 24
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 17:23
A new US rocket, United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s Vulcan Centaur, is to make its maiden flight on Christmas Eve with a payload that includes a private lunar lander.
The mission, called Cert-1, will also carry on board the cremated remains of several people associated with the original "Star Trek" series, including creator Gene Rodenberry and cast member Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed the character Uhura. Rodenberry's ashes have been launched into orbit before.
Liftoff is scheduled for December 24 from the US Space Force launch base at Cape Canaveral, Florida, United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced Tuesday evening.
"We'll be launching several times in '24," promised ULA's CEO Tory Bruno in an interview on CNBC. "When we get about halfway through '25, we'll be launching every two weeks, so you'll see a steady ramp up."
ULA describes the Vulcan Centaur as its "next generation" rocket that will provide higher performance and greater affordability than its current lineup, which includes the Atlas V.
Space Force planning $8 billion satellite architecture for nuclear command and control
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 17:04
Lunar astronauts will need easy walking trails around the moon's south pole
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 16:44
Before this decade is out, NASA plans to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo Era and build the necessary infrastructure to keep sending them back. And they will hardly be alone. Alongside NASA's Artemis Program, the European Space Agency also plans to send astronauts to the moon and establish a permanent habitat there (the Moon Village), while China and Russia are working toward creating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Numerous commercial space companies will also be there to provide crew transportation, cargo, and logistical services.
All of this will happen in the moon's southern polar region, a topographically complex region characterized by craters, permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), and undulating slopes. This terrain could prove difficult for crews conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) away from landing sites and habitats.
In a recent study, an international team of researchers used data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to create a detailed atlas of the region that accounts for all the traverses and descents.