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Vega joined the family of launch vehicles at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in 2012. At 30-m tall the rocket weighs 137 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over. By rocket standards Vega is lightweight and powerful, the first three stages burn through their fuel and bringing Vega and its satellites to space in just six minutes.

Specialising in launches of small satellites to orbits flying over Earth’s poles, Vega has an impressive roster of missions that it has sent to space. Flagship ESA missions

San Francisco (AFP) Aug 29, 2024
A bill aimed at regulating powerful artificial intelligence models passed California's legislature on Wednesday, despite outcry that it could kill the technology it seeks to control. "SB 1047 - our AI safety bill - just passed off the Assembly floor. I'm proud of the diverse coalition behind this bill - a coalition that deeply believes in both innovation and safety," said Democratic stat

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have identified a doughnut-shaped structure deep within Earth's liquid core, offering new insights into the mechanisms behind our planet's magnetic field. The newly discovered structure, located thousands of kilometers beneath the Earth's surface, is confined to low latitudes and aligns parallel to the equator. Despite its significa

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) marked its fifth anniversary on August 29 with a review of its achievements and strategic objectives for the future. Senior leaders gathered for a panel discussion during a special edition of the Mitchell Institute's Schriever Spacepower Series in Colorado Springs on August 28, reflecting on the command's progress since its inception in 2019. Gen. Stephen Wh

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall concluded a week-long trip aimed at reinforcing international partnerships and supporting Airmen and Guardians aligned with NATO's goals in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility from Aug. 19 - 25, 2024. During the visit, Kendall engaged with senior leaders in Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, and Poland, reaffirming th

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 30, 2024
Orbit Communication Systems Ltd. (TASE: ORBI), a key global supplier of maritime and airborne SATCOM terminals, tracking ground station solutions, and mission-critical airborne audio management systems, has secured a $6 million contract with a major Asian integrator. The contract involves the supply of advanced satellite communication systems for new naval military platforms, with deliveries sch

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
The U.S. Space Force's (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build the second of three planned Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) sites, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts to bolster space domain awareness. The DARC system is an advanced radar technology designed to track and monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), a critical

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
Space Systems Command (SSC) has reached a significant milestone with the successful delivery of the first mission payload for the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) sensing in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (NGG). This achievement, announced on Aug. 30, 2024, was made possible through a collaborative effort with Lockheed Martin Space and Raytheon Technologies Corporation.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 30, 2024
Hughes Network Systems, in collaboration with Boost Mobile, both subsidiaries of EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS), recently demonstrated advanced multi-transport network management capabilities designed to enhance the U.S. Navy's operational resiliency. The successful demonstration, conducted earlier this year, focused on remote network orchestration, wide area network (WAN) resilience, and secure Radio

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 03, 2024
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked continuously over the past four months to overcome a glitch that prevented BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The ESA/JAXA mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will take it just 165 km from Mercury's surface on Wednesday. Taking BepiColombo closer to Mercury than it's ever been before, this flyby will reduce