Frontiers

Prof Nicolas Peter, International Space University, spoke with Dr Emma Gatti during the Space Symposium 2024. They discussed their long-standing relationship with North America and their upcoming Space Studies Program 2024 in collaboration with @RiceUniversity and NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). He also discussed training the next generation of space professionals and the widely discussed topic of talent recruitment for the space industry.

The Director General of the German Space Agency at the DLR, Dr Walther Pelzer, spoke to us during the Space Symposium 2024. He highlighted how the Symposium is a platform to showcase the commercialization of space. He also spoke about how there is a push for a 'Business to Business' partnership shift happening and why networking with the industry is crucial to fostering this.

According to State Space Corporation Roscosmos anouncements on Thursday 11 April 2024, followed by Agence TASS reports, an Angara-A5 heavy-lift rocket with an Orion booster launched from the Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East on its third attempt.In about 12 minutes, the Orion booster separated from the Angara upper stage and proceeded to a double orbital insertion: first a cube sat in lower orbit, then a test-payload delivered into the targetted geostationary orbit as part of the rocket’s flight development tests.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Masahito Moriyama have signed an agreement to advance sustainable human exploration of the Moon. As a result, Japan will design, develop, and operate a pressurized rover for crewed and uncrewed exploration on the Moon. On the other hand, NASA will provide the launch and delivery of the rover to the Moon as well as two opportunities for Japanese astronauts to travel to the lunar surface.

Join Markus in an engaging episode of the Space Cafe Podcast, where he converses with Bianca Lins, an Austrian who has intricately woven her life into the fabric of one of the world's smallest yet remarkably influential countries in the space sector, Liechtenstein. Bianca shares her unique perspective on space law, Liechtenstein's history with the Apollo missions, and how even the tiniest nations can have a stellar impact on global space policy.

Astrobotic is partnering with Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) on MOONRISE, a project in which researchers are working to bring 3D printing to the Moon. As a result, LZH has contracted with Astrobotic for a flight to the Moon, which will tentatively take place in late 2026. LZH will equip Astrobotic’s lander with a compact, sturdy laser that will melt lunar dust, known as regolith, creating 2D structures on the lunar surface.

Vast Space has announced that its Haven-1 commercial space station will feature SpaceX's Starlink user terminal, consequently providing Gigabit/s speed low-latency connectivity to its crew users, internal payload racks, external cameras and instruments.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced it has won a $14.49 million task order from the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to launch an Electron mission from Launch Complex 2. The mission, called Space Test Program-30 (STP-S30), falls under the Space Systems Command (SSC) Assured Access to Space organization and is part of Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4).

Thales Alenia Space has signed a framework contract divided into different tranches with the European Space Agency (ESA), worth a total of €522m, to continue essential activities for the completion of the ExoMars 2028 mission. The contract includes the development of the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM) and maintenance activities on vehicles already built for the 2022 mission.

On day one of the 39th Space Symposium, Dr Emma Gatti spoke with Dr Anke Pagels-Kerp, Divisional Board Member for Space at the German Space Agency, DLR, about the new project the DRL is investing on, and the German Aerospace Agency´s international coming soon committments.