Government

The European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) has extended cooperation with the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) to deliver the Galileo Search and Rescue Service. This new Contract will further expand the long-lasting and excellent collaboration between EUSPA and CNES in the SAR activities. Furthermore, it will ensure the continuation of the operations, maintenance, and hosting services of the SAR/Galileo. It will also ensure the uninterrupted delivery of SAR signals and SAR data needed to guarantee the SAR/Galileo Service contribution to Cospas-Sarsat to the utmost standards.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Agency) has initiated a project to incentivise operators with large numbers of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to gain situational awareness throughout LEO, Breaking Defense said.

Raytheon BBN has won a contract with the U.S. Air Force to develop a rocket cargo mission planning and Command and Control, or C2, system for the U.S. Air Force. The contract has a potential value of $8.7 million over four years and is part of the U.S. Air Force 2030 Science & Technology Strategy’s transformational science and technology portfolio.

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has launched two U.S. military satellites into geosynchronous orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the fifth successful flight of the rocket. Intended to launch on Saturday, January 14, the mission was delayed for a day, eventually launching on Sunday, January 15.

After years of preparation and construction, mainland EU’s first orbital launch complex, Spaceport Esrange, has officially been inaugurated by the Swedish Head of State, King Carl XVI Gustaf, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson. Thereby, the European Union introduced a new and long-awaited critical asset to its shared space infrastructure, offering an independent European gateway to Space from northernmost Sweden.

On the heels of Israel’s purported announcement of the development of its “space administration” Space Force, one cannot help but wonder if the emergence of Space Forces is yet another affront to the provisions of the legal framework that governs outer space.

The Republic of Djibouti has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group Limited and Touchroad International Holdings Group to develop an international commercial spaceport in its northern Obock Region of Djibouti. 

The UK Space Agency’s Head of Space Exploration, Libby Jackson, and Professor Terry Moore, Emeritus Professor of the University of Nottingham, both received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the honors. The OBEs recognize the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK.

On 13 January 2023, the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and European and Swedish political dignitaries will visit Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden to cut the ribbon of a new spaceport. The new spaceport, which saw years of preparation and construction, will significantly reshape the European space landscape. The event will take place in Kiruna in conjunction with Sweden taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

 The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of the United Kingdom are strengthening their partnership with a new project to bolster space sustainability. Efforts will focus on raising awareness and building capacity related to implementing the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.