Atom interferometry demonstrated in space for the first time
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
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Extremely precise measurements are possible using atom interferometers that employ the wave character of atoms for this purpose. They can thus be used, for example, to measure the gravitational field of the Earth or to detect gravitational waves. A team of scientists from Germany has now managed to successfully perform atom interferometry in space for the first time - on board a sounding rocket. Optimised approaches for less noise and lower fuel consumption
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28 Write a comment
Approaches to busy airports are often noisier and less fuel-efficient than they could be. This is because aircraft have to be configured in an individual process before touchdown. Pilots reduce speed, set flaps, extend slats and finally deploy the landing gear. However, air traffic control restricts the flight profile, and pilots often have limited information about weather conditions.
Thu Satcom Global and AnsuR Technologies to deliver unique visual communications for EO market
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28 Write a comment
Leading satellite communications provider Satcom Global is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with software specialist AnsuR Technologies (AnsuR). The collaboration will enable Satcom Global to support its maritime and remote-land based communications customers with access to innovative visual technology, globally.
AnsuR develops software solutions for use in challenging environ Arianespace offers free launch to deserving cubesat
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:16 Write a comment
VALLETTA, Malta — European launch provider Arianespace announced April 13 that it would provide a free cubesat launch to one deserving space technology startup, lab or university.
The “Destination: A Better Life on Earth” competition is part of Airanespace’s plan to unveil a range of smallsat rideshare offerings in June at VivaTech 2021, the fifth edition of an annual technology conference held in Paris.
Sierra Nevada Corporation to spin off space division
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 11:31 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) will spin off its space division into a separate company, a move reflecting the “historic growth” it foresees for that business in the next several years.
HawkEye 360 raises $55 million
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 10:18 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — HawkEye 360 has raised $55 million in additional funding that the company says will allow it to complete its constellation of satellites that track ships and vehicles by their radio-frequency emissions.
HawkEye 360 said that NightDragon, a venture capital firm that specializes in security and related industries, led its Series C round, announced April 12.
Drone test of Hera mission's asteroid radar
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 08:31 Write a comment
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Drone test of Hera mission asteroid radar Fly your software in space
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 06:55 Write a comment
What would you do with a powerful space computer that can learn, react, photograph our planet and send and receive information in a variety of forms? The test of all knowledge is experiment, as Richard Feynman once said, and OPS-SAT is the first ESA spacecraft that you can apply to experiment with. Tell us your ideas for new OPS-SAT experiments via the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP).
Lockheed Martin pitching mid-size satellite bus to DoD for remote sensing
Monday, 12 April 2021 23:59 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin announced a new line of satellites designed for space-based surveillance. The mid-size satellite bus is aimed at the military market and would be interoperable with military weapons systems such as fighter jets and air defense systems.
Researchers study collective behavior of nanosatellites
Monday, 12 April 2021 16:20 Write a comment
Scientists from the Skoltech Space Center (SSC) have developed nanosatellite interaction algorithms for scientific measurements using a tetrahedral orbital formation of CubeSats that exchange data and apply interpolation algorithms to create local maps of physical measurements in real time. The study presents an example of geomagnetic field measurement, which shows that these data can be used by other satellites for attitude control and, therefore, provided on a data-as-a-service basis. The research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research.
SSC is the research lead within the Nanosatellites Swarm project ("Roy MKA") performed by a consortium of several Russian universities and included in the ISS experimental program led by RSC Energia. "Roy MKA" aims to deploy autonomous groups of CubeSats and verify their swarm behavior.
For one of the "Roy MKA" experiments, SSC researchers suggested a tetrahedral formation, which provides an ability to measure the geomagnetic field at any point on orbit. The system is fully autonomous, which means that satellites can process and update measurement data on board and predict magnetic field values by interpolation.
"We use the Kriging interpolation which helps to select the magnetic field values in accordance with its characteristics (autocorrelation).
Video: How to clear Earth's orbit of space debris
Monday, 12 April 2021 14:52 Write a comment
On 20 April 2021, ESA will host the 8th European Conference on Space Debris from Darmstadt, in Germany. Scientists, engineers, industry experts and policy makers will spend the virtual four-day conference discussing the latest issues surrounding space debris. They will exchange the latest research, try to come up with solutions for potential problems and define the future direction of any necessary action.
There are currently over 129 million objects larger than a millimeter in orbits around Earth. These range from inactive satellites to flakes of paint. But no matter how small the item of debris, anything traveling up to 56,000 km/h in an orbit is dangerous if it comes into contact with the many satellites that connect us around the world, be it for GPS, mobile phone data or internet connectivity. The solution is to take action before it's too late. This is why ESA has commissioned ClearSpace-1—the world's first mission to remove space debris—for launch in 2025.
This film contains interviews with ESA Head of Space Debris Office Tim Flohrer; ESA Head of Clean Space Office Luisa Innocenti; and Xanthi Oikonomidou, ESA Space Debris Office.
York Space Systems automates ground system operations
Monday, 12 April 2021 14:43 Write a comment
SAN FRANCISCO – York Space Systems has learned a lot from operating its first production-model spacecraft in orbit for two years. The biggest takeaway, though, has been the need to automate satellite handling on the ground.
“In the first few months, it became clear it was going to require as many as 15 different people to operate a constellation for a specific customer,” Charles Beames, York Space Systems executive chairman, told SpaceNews.
Korea Aerospace Industries to invest $880 million to expand space business
Monday, 12 April 2021 13:58 Write a comment
SEOUL, South Korea — Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which played a key role in developing South Korea’s recently launched CAS500-1 remote sensing satellite, will invest 1 trillion won ($880 million) over the next five years to expand its space business, including satellite production, according to its chief executive.
Astrobotic selects Falcon Heavy to launch NASA’s VIPER lunar rover
Monday, 12 April 2021 13:00 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Astrobotic has signed a contract with SpaceX for the launch of its Griffin lunar lander, carrying a NASA lunar rover, on a Falcon Heavy in 2023.
Astrobotic announced April 13 that it selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy for its Griffin Mission 1 lunar lander mission, which will deliver the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) spacecraft to the south pole of the moon in late 2023.
Slingshot developing graphics tool for missile-warning satellite operators
Monday, 12 April 2021 13:00 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Slingshot Aerospace announced April 13 it won a $1.2 million Space Force contract for the development of software to help satellite operators visualize missile detection.
Slingshot teamed with Zoic Labs to develop a graphics tool that makes it easier for operators to view and interact with complex data collected by the Space Force’s overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensor satellites, said Melanie Stricklan, Slingshot’s co-founder and CEO.