Europe launches Moonlight, a bold proposal to put in place a commercially viable satellite constellation around the Moon. The European Space Agency (ESA) signed contracts with two consortia to develop a Moon constellation and provide telecommunications and navigation services for all kind of Moon missions.

The ‘fiber-in-the-sky” pioneer Mynaric will use its Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) to connect Cloud Constellation’s SpaceBelt LEO satellites, the company announced. Cloud Constellation is developing an LEO constellation known as SpaceBelt to provide Data-Security-as-a-Service (DSaaS) and further secure cloud storage and management services.

The satellite imagery and geospatial solutions provider Planet will launch on Astra and closed a multi-launch contract “with plans to begin launching in the near future”, the launch startup said. Astra also disclosed plans to launch payloads up to 500kg to a 500 km, mid-inclination (50 degree) orbit.

The Luxembourg-based startup Maana Electric extends its contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to complete the production of its 1MW TerraBox system and demonstrate how to transform terrestrial sand and lunar regolith into solar panels, the company said.

He did not welcome the uncontrolled return of China’s Long March launcher pieces for its Mars mission, but he congratulated China for the release of its first photos from the Zhurong Mars rover. “Congratulations to the China National Space Administration on receiving the first images from the Zhurong Mars rover,” the new NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

“The first ever lunar communications & navigation service”: Europe pushes ahead with its plan to place communication and navigation satellites around the Moon. Under its Moonlight initiative, the European Space Agency (ESA) supports two consortia of European companies which embark on the design of telecommunications and navigation services for Moon missions.

Paris, 19 May 2021. – York Space Systems wants to open a new “mega” manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Denver, to meet the growing demand from government and commercial customers, the company said. York's Manufacturing Technology Center will be the hub of the company's next phase to expand its production capacity by four times, the space mission solution provider said.

The European space start-up Pangea Aerospace said it raised €3 million to develop and test its low-cost, 3D printed and reusable aerospike rocket engine. The company founded in 2018 and based in Barcelona announced the completion of its Series Seed round of €3 million, bringing the total funding to more than €6 million, including public financing.

Lighter, less expensive and reusable: the European Space Agency (ESA) signed two contracts with ArianeGroup to develop the reusable low-cost Prometheus engine and the lighter Ariane 6 upper stage called Phoebus. The contracts have a value of €135 million and €14.6 million respectively.

NASA invests more than $100 million in more than 100 American small high-tech businesses to “help them move their innovations to market”, the U.S. space agency said. Under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, NASA grants 140 new awards to 127 small businesses located across 34 states and Washington, D.C., the agency said. The investment totals $105 million.