Week in images: 05-09 May 2025
Friday, 09 May 2025 12:15
Week in images: 05-09 May 2025
Discover our week through the lens
Biomass completes a relay race of a LEOP
Friday, 09 May 2025 08:00
Mission control at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre has completed the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) for ESA’s Biomass, after nine days of intense work.
Earth from Space: Northwest Sardinia, Italy
Friday, 09 May 2025 07:00
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Part of the Italian island of Sardinia is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. 
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Gripping exploration Proba-3 achieves precise formation flying
Thursday, 08 May 2025 07:05
For the first time, two spacecraft in orbit were aligned in formation with millimetre precision and maintained their relative position for several hours without any control from the ground.
Plato grows its many eyes
Thursday, 08 May 2025 07:00
The activities to assemble the European Space Agency’s Plato mission are progressing well now that 24 of the spacecraft’s 26 cameras have been installed. Once in space, Plato will use its many eyes to survey a very large area of the sky and hunt for terrestrial planets. The spacecraft’s supporting element is also coming together in parallel.
Vega-C liftoff in slow-mo
Thursday, 08 May 2025 07:00
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ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
In orbit, this latest Earth Explorer mission will provide vital insights into the health and dynamics of the world’s forests, revealing how they are changing over time and, critically, enhancing our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle. It is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band synthetic aperture radar for interferometric imaging. Thanks to the long wavelength of P-band, around 70 cm, the
Moon becomes little more out of reach for NASA's VIPER rover
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
NASA is exploring alternative ways to deliver its VIPER rover to the moon after canceling partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface.
VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover, is supposed to study the extreme environment of the moon's south in search of ice and other potential resources.
On Wednesday, NASA announced it can BlackSky Completes First Gen-3 Satellite Commissioning and Prepares Second Unit for Q2 Launch
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has successfully concluded the commissioning of its first Gen-3 satellite, achieving this milestone a full month ahead of schedule. The initial satellite is delivering exceptional tasking-to-delivery performance, backed by strong customer feedback on its early 35-centimeter very high-resolution imagery and AI-driven analytics.
"BlackSky has demonstrate Reveal and Maxar Expand Farsight Platform with High-Resolution Satellite Data Integration
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
Reveal Technology and Maxar have announced a strategic partnership to integrate Maxar's high-resolution satellite imagery and 3D data directly into the Farsight platform, enhancing real-time situational awareness for defense users operating at the tactical edge.
This collaboration aims to provide defense personnel with enhanced operational decision-making capabilities by incorporating Maxa ispace Achieves Key Mission 2 Milestone with Successful Lunar Orbit Entry
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global leader in lunar exploration, has announced the successful entry of its RESILIENCE lunar lander into lunar orbit. This critical milestone, known as Success 7 of the Mission 2 "SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon" initiative, occurred on May 7, 2025, at 5:41 a.m. JST (May 6, 2025, 20:41 UTC).
The maneuver was executed from ispace's Mission Control Cente Defense contractor successfully tests hypersonic flight vehicle
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
Stratolaunch successfully tested for the second time a fully recoverable uncrewed hypersonic vehicle for the Department of Defense in March, the private contractor and federal agency said Monday.
Stratolaunch, based in the Mojave Desert in California and Nevada, first tested one in December.
Reusable hypersonic flights are the first since the manned X-15 program was scrapped in 1 Space Force documentary screened on Capitol Hill, highlighting need for space superiority
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
Guardians connected with members of Congress at a special screening of "The U.S. Space Force - America's Invisible Front Line" documentary at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center April 30. The event aimed to help inform lawmakers on the Space Force's critical role in national security, the growing need for investment and the continued need for additional resourcing of military space capabilities. NRO director shares personal insights on leadership at NASA workshop
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
Communicating well, connecting with mentors, and saying yes to new challenges are some of the keys to unlocking success in leadership, NRO Director Dr. Chris Scolese told an audience of aspiring managers gathered at NASA headquarters.
"I think it's really valuable to share," Scolese said. "I had many people that helped me out."
Scolese shared his experiences at NASA's Project Managem iDirectGov 450 SDR Modem Successfully Integrated with Airbus DS Ranger Flyaway Terminal
Thursday, 08 May 2025 04:33
iDirect Government (iDirectGov), a leading provider of secure satellite communications for U.S. military and government applications, has successfully completed field trials of its 450 Software Defined Radio (SDR) modem in collaboration with Airbus DS Government Solutions. This integration marks a significant milestone in enhancing MILSATCOM capabilities, offering greater flexibility, security,