Forecasting performance of a space antenna – before it gets built
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 07:29
Antennas are among the most complex systems aboard a satellite – making them demanding to produce and often unpredictable to test. Tiny variables in their building, mounting or operation may impact their working performance in a big way. So ESA teamed up with Danish company TICRA to develop a method of forecasting such discrepancies well before an antenna construction even starts.
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On the pull Xplore to fly sensors on OrbAstro nanosatellites
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 04:18
Xplore announced a contract Jan. 25 to purchase Orbital Astronautics Ltd. satellites for a variety of Earth-observation and astronomical missions.
The post Xplore to fly sensors on OrbAstro nanosatellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA hosted payloads waiting for rides to orbit
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 23:55
NASA continues to face difficulties in sending some of its payloads to orbit as hosted payloads on commercial satellites.
The post NASA hosted payloads waiting for rides to orbit appeared first on SpaceNews.
Cause of Lucy solar array deployment problem identified
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 23:52
Engineers have identified the likely reason one of two solar arrays on NASA’s Lucy asteroid mission failed to latch in place after launch, but NASA is still studying whether to fix the problem.
AFWERX to fund development of laser terminal that connects military aircraft with satellites
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 22:52
Space Micro, a defense and NASA contractor recently acquired by Voyager Space, won a contract to design a laser communications terminal to connect military aircraft with geostationary satellites in orbit.
The post AFWERX to fund development of laser terminal that connects military aircraft with satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Comtech rejects $790 million takeover offer
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 21:05
Satellite communications equipment maker Comtech Telecommunications said Jan. 25 it has rejected a $790 million offer to take over the company.
The post Comtech rejects $790 million takeover offer appeared first on SpaceNews.
Military space advocate Rep. Jim Cooper to retire from Congress
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 20:02
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces, announced Jan. 25 that he will not run for re-election in 2022.
The post Military space advocate Rep. Jim Cooper to retire from Congress appeared first on SpaceNews.
NOAA to move new weather satellite quickly into position
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 19:45
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will move its next Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) into position over the Western United States soon after launch to speed up data delivery to the National Weather Service.
The post NOAA to move new weather satellite quickly into position appeared first on SpaceNews.
Isar Aerospace wins 10 million euro European Commission launch competition
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 19:44
Isar Aerospace won 10 million euros in a European Union prize competition, the latest sign of the E.U.’s growing role in supporting Europe’s launch industry.
The post Isar Aerospace wins 10 million euro European Commission launch competition appeared first on SpaceNews.
Op-ed | LEO broadband: Will this time be different?
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 18:59
Twenty years later, a host of new LEO broadband systems are coming to market, led by Starlink, and the question must be asked: will this time be different?
The post Op-ed | LEO broadband: Will this time be different? appeared first on SpaceNews.
After a successful 2021, Avio is looking forward to the future
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 18:41
Space-based services and applications are increasingly important in our daily life, for the economy, the environment, the resources’ management and for our security.
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EU launches 'game changer' space startup fund
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 17:44
The EU launched Tuesday a billion-euro fund to support startups in the space sector with the hope it will be a "game changer" and attract private investors into the key sector.
Named the Cassini fund after the 17th century Italian astronomer, it was launched as part of the European Investment Fund (EIF) which provides risk financing to small and medium-sized businesses across Europe.
"Many of our startups cannot get sizeable equity investment in the EU once they need to scale up," said Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, at a gathering for the European space industry in Brussels.
He said the firms are thus forced to turn to non-EU investors.
"This is a major loss for Europe. The Cassini Fund will be a game changer," he added.
The head of the EIF, Alain Godard, said that each euro the fund invests typically attracts three or four euros of private investment from firms that otherwise would have found the project too risky.
A complementary mechanism will provide access to lending to space startups.
The European space sector is estimated to account for about 10 percent of the overall economy, and is expected to see its revenues double over the coming decade.
Astronaut hearing test | Cosmic Kiss
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 15:00
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The International Space Station can be a noisy place. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer is putting his hearing (and headphone untangling skills) to the test in an experiment called Acoustic Diagnostics.
Acoustic Diagnostics is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) experiment, developed in cooperation with the University of Rome Tor Vergata, to study the effects of microgravity on the hearing of astronauts. The study began during ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano’s mission and monitors what are known as optoacoustic emissions (OAEs).
OAEs are caused when hairs in the inner ear move in response to auditory stimulation. That means the measurement is passive.
Federal Trade Commission blocks Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 13:10
Lockheed Martin’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne has been blocked by the Federal Trade Commission, the agency announced Jan. 25.
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