Geopolitics News

Slovenia presented a formal request for full membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) yesterday at the Space Summit in Seville, Spain. The request has followed the official decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia last Friday. It was submitted to Josef Aschbacher, the Director-General of ESA, by Matevž Frangež, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport and Tanja Permozer, the head of the Slovenian Space Office. 

Viasat, Inc. has successfully supported the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Air Mobility Command (AMC) during a major military exercise, Mobility Guardian 2023 (MG23), involving 3,000 personnel and 70 aircraft from the U.S. and Allied Forces. One of the biggest of the year, the Air Force exercise featured complex test flights and operational scenarios across 3,000 miles of the Pacific region, including over Japan, Australia, and Hawaii. U.S allies also participating in the exercise included Canada, France, New Zealand, and the U.K.

Government ministers representing ESA’s Member States, Associate States and Cooperating States have resolved to strengthen Europe’s space ambitions to better serve European citizens after the ESA Space Summit in Seville. As a result, Europe aims to harness space for a greener future, take decisive steps in exploration, and ensure autonomous access to space while preparing a paradigm shift towards a more competitive next generation of launchers, following decisions taken today at the Space Summit.

The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see ISRO design, assemble, integrate, test, launch and operate an Earth Observation satellite for Mauritius. The signing happened in the presence of Hon. Deepak Balgobin, the Mauritian Minister of Information Technology, Communication, and Innovation, Republic of Mauritius, and Hon. Shri V. Muraleedharan, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs & Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

SpaceRake, Inc., has received approximately $1.8 million in Direct to Phase II SBIR funding from the Space Development Agency (SDA). The two-year agreement will consequently provide funding for SpaceRake to develop miniaturized lasercom terminals for networking satellites in space. The SpaceRake terminals will enable a wide variety of satellites to connect to orbital network links like the SDA Transport Layer currently in development, allowing cost-effective small satellites and constellations to be increasingly viable for incorporation into future resilient space communication architectures.

Sierra Space has announced the completion of its first  Dream Chaser spaceplane, which will ship to NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio for environmental testing in the coming weeks. Sierra Space was able to develop the spaceplace through a substantial contract from NASA to resupply the International Space Station. The Pureplay commercial space company intends the Dream Chaser to lead the way in democratizing access to space, forging a path towards joint space exploration and international cooperation.

An illuminating discussion from #SDC2023 with two trailblazing Estonian space leaders - Elise Olt and Marily Hendrikson! � Get inspired as they share a vibrant vision for Estonia's growing role in the global space industry. Learn how their work is expanding access and opportunity in space tech for future generations. Elise and Marily provide unique perspectives on Estonia's emerging space sector and shaping the new space economy.

The Netherlands has become the newest and 31st signatory to the Artemis Accords, signing the document during a ceremony at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence in Washington on Wednesday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Netherlands Space Office (NSO) director Harm van de Wetering signed on behalf of the Netherlands.

Straight from Tallinn! �� Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr. Daniel Fischer, Head of Ground Segment System and Cyber Security Engineering at European Space Agency - ESA, about critical work safeguarding our space infrastructure. Hear directly from Dr. Fischer on ESA's cutting-edge approaches to cybersecurity in the space sector. He discusses how to build resilience against emerging threats in an increasingly complex space ecosystem. ☄ Dr. Fischer also provides fascinating insights into ESA's Zero Debris Universe initiative - charting innovative ways to mitigate dangerous space junk. Join us from Software Defined Space Conference for an engaging conversation at the intersection of space technology, engineering, and security. This exclusive interview sheds light on critical work you won't hear about anywhere else!

Don't miss this exclusive fireside chat with an influential leader and innovator! Torsten Kriening spoke with Martin Ruubel, CEO of Estonian tech giant Nortal, at #SDC2023 about their bold move into the space industry. Hear Martin's vision straight from the source on why and how Nortal is leveraging their software expertise to help shape the future of space tech. We discuss key takeaways from the conference, trends to watch, and insights