Meet ESA’s R&D directorate
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 12:29
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Our new brochure introduces ESA’s R&D directorate: the engineers charged with inventing the new technologies needed for Europe to push further out into space, and develop the novel services improving our lives here on Earth.
NASA seeks seat on April Soyuz mission to ISS
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 12:28 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — NASA announced Feb. 9 it wants to obtain a seat on the next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station, launching in just two months, to ensure a U.S. presence on the station in the event of any commercial crew delays.
NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch first Gateway elements
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 11:49 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — NASA awarded a contract to SpaceX Feb. 9 for the launch of the first two elements of its lunar Gateway on a Falcon Heavy in 2024.
NASA will use a Falcon Heavy rocket to launch the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) modules of the Gateway, destined for the near-rectilinear halo orbit around moon.
ESA and UNOOSA illustrate space debris problem
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 09:00 Write a comment
Space debris is an issue of global concern that threatens our continued use of near-Earth space for the benefit of humankind.
Chinese spacecraft nearing Mars, world's 2nd in 2 days
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 08:07 Write a comment
China spacecraft enters Mars orbit, 2nd in 2 days after UAE
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 08:07 Write a comment
Proba-V’s plus one
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 08:01 Write a comment
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Proba-V’s plus one Thales Alenia Space wins $3.0 bn Canadian contract
Tuesday, 09 February 2021 00:01 Write a comment
Franco-Italian group Thales Alenia Space has won a multi-billion dollar contract for a huge constellation of telecom satellites for the Canadian group Telesat, it said Tuesday.
Telesat is to spend around $3.0 billion for almost 300 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites that will allow it to provide high-speed internet and communication services, a statement said.
The group already operates a Investors see multiple avenues for space sector exits
Monday, 08 February 2021 21:57 Write a comment
SAN FRANCISCO – Money will continue flowing into the space industry from government agencies, private equity firms and public markets, according to panelists at the 2021 SmallSat Symposium.
“It has never been a better time to raise money for ventures in and around space,” said James Murray, a partner at investment bank PJT Partners.
NASA's first mission to the trojan asteroids installs its final scientific instrument
Monday, 08 February 2021 21:46 Write a comment
With less than a year to launch, NASA's Lucy mission's third and final scientific instrument has been integrated onto the spacecraft.
Amazon Web Services sees role as technology enabler for space industry
Monday, 08 February 2021 21:41 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Amazon Web Services is keeping its sights on the space sector. The cloud computing giant provides ground infrastructure for companies to process and analyze data from satellites, and is now looking to attract new customers by offering more customized services such as cloud-based satellite operations and mission control.
SpaceX sees strong demand for smallsat rideshare launch services
Monday, 08 February 2021 20:25 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — SpaceX is seeing strong demand for its dedicated smallsat rideshare missions, a program that is putting pricing pressure on small launch vehicle developers.
During a panel discussion at the 2021 SmallSat Symposium Feb. 9, a SpaceX official said the company has two more dedicated rideshare missions scheduled this year after its Falcon 9 Transporter-1 launch Jan.
Strong interest for SpaceX smallsat rideshare launch services
Monday, 08 February 2021 20:25 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — SpaceX is seeing strong demand for its dedicated smallsat rideshare missions, a program that is putting pricing pressure on small launch vehicle developers.
During a panel discussion at the 2021 SmallSat Symposium Feb. 9, a SpaceX official said the company has two more dedicated rideshare missions scheduled this year after its Falcon 9 Transporter-1 launch Jan.
Explainer: how the UAE probe reached Mars' orbit
Monday, 08 February 2021 20:10 Write a comment
The first Arab interplanetary mission reached Mars' orbit Tuesday in the most critical stage of its journey to unravel the secrets of weather on the Red Planet.
The unmanned probe—named "Al-Amal", Arabic for "Hope"—blasted off from Japan last year, the latest step in the UAE's ambitious space programme.
Here are some facts and figures about the oil-rich nation's project, which draws inspiration from the Middle East's golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.
Outsize plans
The United Arab Emirates, made up of seven members including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has 12 satellites in orbit, with plans to launch several more in coming years.
In September 2019, it sent the first Emirati into space, Hazza al-Mansouri, who was part of a three-member crew. They blasted off from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station.
But the UAE's ambitions go much further, with a goal of building a human settlement on Mars by 2117.
In the meantime, it plans to create a white-domed "Science City" in the deserts outside Dubai to simulate Martian conditions and develop the technology needed to colonise the planet.
Turkey unveils space program including 2023 moon mission
Monday, 08 February 2021 20:08 Write a comment
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled an ambitious 10-year space program for his country Tuesday that includes missions to the moon, sending Turkish astronauts into space and developing internationally viable satellite systems.
Erdogan announced the program, seen as part of his vision for placing Turkey in expanded regional and global role, during a live televised event laced with special effects.