Today, the ESA Council appointed Dr Josef Aschbacher as the next Director General of ESA, for a period of four years. He will succeed Prof. Jan Wörner, whose term of office ends on 30 June 2021.

As the holiday season swiftly approaches, even our planetary neighbours are getting into the spirit – as shown by this perfect pair of festive silhouettes spotted by ESA’s Mars Express.

Climate data taken from Earth orbiting satellites, combined with machine learning techniques, are helping to better predict outbreaks of cholera and potentially save lives.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 16, 2020
A team of astronomers used the Keck I telescope to measure the distance to an ancient galaxy. They deduced the target galaxy GN-z11 is not only the oldest galaxy but also the most distant. It's so distant it defines the very boundary of the observable universe itself. The team hopes this study can shed light on a period of cosmological history when the universe was only a few hundred million yea

Washington DC (AFNS) Dec 16, 2020
The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR and D) of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), together with the Missile Defense Agency, successfully completed a series of flight tests of the David's Sling Weapon System (DSWS) in an advanced system configuration against current and emerging threats. During the campaign, designate

Bethesda, MD (SPX) Dec 15, 2020
Should the US Space Force be planning a human military presence in space? So far there has been no urgent or justifiable argument for an in-orbit armed "fort." However, a new version of the game of "Hide and Seek" has been evolving in outer space. Earlier this year, Gen. John Raymond, the U.S. Space Force Chief, mentioned that Russian "inspector" satellites are

Eglin AFB FL (AFNS) Dec 16, 2020
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) successfully demonstrated new warhead technologies for high speed weapons at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Nov. 18, 2020. AFRL and two small business partners, Energetic Materials and Products Inc. and Hydrosoft International, developed the warhead technologies. Holloman's 846th Test Squadron conducted the test on their High Speed Test Track.

Beijing (AFP) Dec 17, 2020
An unmanned Chinese spacecraft carrying rocks and soil from the Moon returned safely to Earth early Thursday, completing another chapter in China's effort to become a space superpower. The mission was the first in four decades to collect lunar samples, emulating the feats of the United States and the Soviet Union from the 1960s and 1970s - and going a few steps further. Scientists hope

Luxembourg (SPX) Dec 17, 2020
Kleos Space S.A. has appointed Heribert Kramer as Chief Operating Officer who will join the team headquartered in Luxembourg on 1st January 2021. Mr Kramer is a highly qualified professional who brings a significant expertise to the company, having held diverse senior leadership roles with extensive experience in operations management, change management and business transformation. Mr Kramer's e

Mountain View CA (SPX) Dec 17, 2020
Saturn Satellite Networks Inc. has selected Apollo Fusion propulsion systems for Saturn's NationSat geostationary communications satellites. The Apollo 1.4 kW ACE Max propulsion system will be used for orbit transfer to geosynchronous orbit and on-orbit station keeping on 15 year missions. Saturn selected Apollo Fusion because Apollo's unique Electric Propulsion system supports the Saturn