Spire Global, Inc has signed an agreement with OroraTech to build, launch and operate an eight-satellite constellation dedicated to global temperature monitoring. Once operational, it will represent the first and largest constellation of satellites dedicated to tracking and monitoring wildfires.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna. She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy. The Secretary-General also extended his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.

The Board of The Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) has announced the election of Telesat’s CEO, Dan Goldberg, as its new Chair. The body also elected Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat, as co-Vice Chair, alongside Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat, whom the body appointed earlier this year.

Virgin Galactic has announced the four-person crew and target date for its Galactic-01 commercial spaceflight. The three-person crew from the Italian Air Force and National Research Council of Italy will board VSS Unity for a 90-minute flight to conduct a series of suborbital science experiments.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded GMV a contract to develop the ground segment responsible for in-orbit control and validation of the Galileo Second Generation (G2G). The new contract comes on top of those GMV has already signed for the Galileo First Generation (G1G), bringing the total contract value since 2018 to more than €500 million.

OQ Technology and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have announced their partnership for the launch of the PHI-Demo satellite, part of the Payload Hosting Initiative (PHI). The satellite will carry technologies into space to undergo testing for the very first time, marking a milestone achievement for both organizations.

ATMOS Space Cargo (ATMOS) has announced the successful closure of its initial seed funding round, raising €4 million. The round was oversubscribed, with investments from renowned industry leaders, including lead investors High-Tech Gründerfonds and the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund, alongside Seraphim, E2MC, VENTIS, and another. vc. As a result, the Company is on track to embark on its first demonstration mission at the end of 2024.

Ecuador and India have joined the ever-growing list of countries to become parties to the Artemis Accords, becoming the 26th and 27th signatories, respectively. Ecuador formally joined the Accords during a ceremony at the Ecuador embassy in Washington on Wednesday, with Karen Feldstein, NASA associate administrator for International and Interagency Relations, participating in the ceremony for the agency, and Gustavo Manrique Miranda, Ecuador’s foreign affairs minister, for Ecuador. On the other hand, the White House disclosed India's decision to become a signatory on Thursday, with NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also agreeing to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024,

D-Orbit has secured four multi-million contracts under the framework of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). These contracts represent a great opportunity for the Company to take part in national projects that will mark historical milestones in the space sector and cooperate with some of the most renowned and innovative Italian companies in the industry.

Reflex Aerospace, a Munich and Berlin-based startup specializing in the design and manufacture of advanced satellites, has signed Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS) as its first commercial customer. This strategic partnership will leverage Reflex’s satellite manufacturing expertise to support MBS in delivering cutting-edge space technology. Furthermore, the launch is tentatively in 2024 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant milestone in achieving both companies’ ambitious goals.