Geopolitics

The European Space Agency has announced the successful hot-fire test of the Ariane-6 rocket, passing a major full-scale rehearsal in preparation for its first flight. The teams on the ground went through a complete launch countdown followed by a seven-minute full firing of the core stage’s engine, as it would fire on a launch into space. The trial, using a test model on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, was the longest ‘full-stack' run yet for Ariane 6’s lower liquid propulsion module with a Vulcain 2.1 engine.

The UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency have announced the award of a contract to Spaceflux to build a new ground-based space camera-telescope system in Cyprus to monitor objects in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000km above Earth’s equator. the telescope's mission will be to provide position information on UK satellites, helping to prevent collisions, protect critical space assets, and enhance the UK’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA).

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Richard Lochhead, Member of the Scottish Parliament and Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade just before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. Torsten and Minister Lochhead spoke about the space industry in Scotland. Mr Lochhead highlights the rapid growth and impact of the space sector in Scotland, particularly in manufacturing small satellites. He mentions the presence of companies like Spire, AAC Clyde Space, and Mangata, which contribute to Scotland's reputation as a satellite manufacturing hub.

In the most recent episode of “Space Café BeNeLux”, our host Dr. Heike Poignand, welcomed Kees Buijsrogge, Director High Tech for Civil & Military Space at TNO to an open discussion around the delicate topic how space technology is key for Europe’s sovereignty? The conversation highlighted the significance of space in Europe's sovereignty, the methods employed to achieve it—such as programs like IRIS²—and the integral role space plays in our daily life, impacting innovation and competitiveness, that are crucial especially for smaller nations like The Netherlands.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of Japan, in cooperation with the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), are providing opportunities for students from developing countries to study nano-satellite development. As a result, the Post-graduate Study on Nano-Satellite Technologies (PNST) Fellowship Program is making three slots in the Master Programme and three slots in the Doctoral Programme available. The program will also cover tuition fees and provide a stipend to cover living expenses. As a result, students are invited to submit their applications by 5 January 2024 and follow in the footsteps of more than 60 graduates over the years.

The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), is hosting the 2023 edition of the World Radio Conference in the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference began yesterday, Monday, November 20 and will continue till 15 December 2023. The conference holds every three to four years to review and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits.

SpaceX has conducted the second test of its Starship Rocket to launch it into Space in an attempt to evaluate the spacecraft's ability. The Spacecraft lifted off successfully but the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster exploded in a fireball over the Gulf of Mexico after crucially maneuvering to separate with its core Starship stage. Despite the booster's explosion, Starship continued its trip to space - crossing the 100km mark - until a SpaceX company broadcaster confirmed that mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle.

“Strategic Autonomy“is a bit like “Diversity”: you can keep repeating all day that mantra for space access, but that alone doesn’t make it happen. How much of a game changer  was the early November 2023 European Space Summit in Séville?

In this latest episode of Space Café Radio, our editor in chief Emma Gatti converses with guest Patrizia Caraveo, research director at the Italian Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) about Europe’s challenges within the space industry. The conversation revolves around the recent news of the EU commissioning the launch of part …

The National Aerospace Services Company (NASCOM), the Sultanate of Oman's premier aerospace company, has awarded the UK Launch Service Limited the first major contract to deliver the plan for Etlaq Spaceport.