Milan, Italy (SPX) Oct 17, 2024
At this week's International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a contract marking the start of HydRON's Element #1. HydRON, which stands for High thRoughput Optical Network, aims to enhance satellite communication using laser technology to enable faster connections between satellites and ground networks. ESA selected Kepler Communications, a Cana

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 17, 2024
NASA is advancing its strategy to adopt commercially operated satellite communications for near-Earth missions, aiming to enhance service coverage, availability, and accelerate data delivery. Beginning Friday, Nov. 8, the agency's legacy Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system, which is part of the Near Space Network, will cease onboarding new missions. The system will continue to

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 17, 2024
NASA has formed a new strategy review team to assess potential changes in the Mars Sample Return Program's architecture, a significant initiative aimed at returning carefully selected Martian samples to Earth. This effort represents a crucial part of NASA's broader mission to deepen understanding of the solar system and address the question of whether life ever existed on Mars. Earlier thi

University Park PA (SPX) Oct 17, 2024
A new search technique has allowed astronomers to target exoplanets that align with Earth and each other in search of radio signals that could indicate interplanetary communication. Penn State researchers, in collaboration with the SETI Institute, recently conducted a 28-hour search of the TRAPPIST-1 system using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), marking the most extensive investigation of its ki

Paris, France (SPX) Oct 17, 2024
An international research team, including scientists from the CNRS, the European Southern Observatory, and Charles University, has traced the origins of 70% of known meteorite falls to three asteroid families in the main asteroid belt. These families - Karin, Koronis, and Massalia - were formed by collisions occurring 5.8, 7.5, and around 40 million years ago. The new findings, which have identi

The Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions are a major leap forward in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. With the United Kingdom’s re-entry to the EU’s Copernicus programme, funding has been confirmed to complete the development of all six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions, as discussed this week during the International Astronautical Congress taking place in Milan, Italy.

Image: VAST focus of future space frequencies

At the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan this week, ESA signed a contract for Element #1, the first phase of the HydRON Demonstration System. HydRON, which stands for High thRoughput Optical Network, is set to transform the way data-collecting satellites communicate, using laser technology that will allow satellites to connect with each other and ground networks much faster.