Astrobotic announced on the 19th of December that their Peregrine lunar lander has successfully completed all integration milestones and was mated with United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket payload adapter on the 16th of November. After the three week campaign to fuel and complete final checkouts, the Peregrine spacecraft is ready to launch to the Moon on the 8th of January 2024. 

Space42 has been unveiled as the new brand for the enlarged entity following the announcement of the proposed merger of Bayanat and Yahsat earlier this week. The proposed merger will focus on AI-powered space technology in the MENA region. The companies believe that the combined entity will be optimally positioned to capture regional and international opportunities in geospatial and mobility solutions, satellite communications, and business intelligence. 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Walloon Region signed a memorandum of understanding on the 18th of December. Elio Di Rupi, the Minister-President, Willy Borsus, the Vice-President and Minister for the Economy, Adrien Dolinont, the Budget Minister signed the agreement with EIB, represented by Kris Peeters, Vice President. 

DCUBED, a German NewSpace hardware manufacturer, and the Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences have been awarded funding for a joint research project by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. The funding is part of the Bavarian Space Research Program, through which the state government supports the development of technologies promising to overcome the societal challenges of the future.

SpaceWatch.Global CEO and Publisher Torsten Kriening interviewed Ali Al Kuwari, Es’hailSat’s President and CEO, about the plans and future of the Qatari satellite company.

Axiom Space announced it plans to launch its third mission, Ax-3, on the 9th of January 2024.  Four commercial astronauts will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft.

Sydney will host the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) between the 29 September to 3 October in 2025. The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA), backed by the Australian Space Agency and the NSW Government, signed the agreement.

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, the mobility arm of the UAE’s Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (YAHSAT) announced on the 13th of December that it is releasing a new generation version of its XT-PRO DUAL satellite phone. The phone is a dual-mode, dual-SIM satellite-cellular phone that allows users to move in and out of terrestrial coverage and seamlessly connect with ease, regardless of their location. It has been developed to meet the needs of a growing market and was upgraded to support terrestrial 4G LTE networks for flexible connectivity.

True Anomaly, an aerospace company based in Colorado, announced on the 12th of December that it has closed a $100 million Series B equity raise. The round was led by Riot Ventures with participation from Eclipse, ACME Capital, Menlo Ventures, Narya, 645 Ventures, Rocketship.vc, Champion Hill Ventures, and FiveNine Ventures. True Anomaly was founded in 2022 to build solutions that address space domain awareness, security, and readiness challenges.

Nicolas Peter has been appointed Acting President of the International Space University (ISU), ISU announced. He is succeeding Professor Pascale Ehrenfreund who has served as President since September 2021.