News

Astrobotic has announced its purchase of launch services aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for its third upcoming lander mission to the Moon. The Company made the announcement during the spring Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) This mission will subsequently launch an Astrobotic lander to the Moon’s South Pole in 2026 to deliver payload customer instruments and cargo from around the world.

ispace, inc. has issued an update on the status of the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander. The HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander was scheduled to touchdown on the surface of the Moon at approximately 1:40 a.m. JST. As of 8:00 a.m. JST, April 26, 2023, the communication between the lander and the Mission Control Center is lost, despite expecting it even after the touchdown. As a result, ispace has determined that Success 9 of the Mission Milestones is not achievable.

Evolution Space has announced the successful completion of its first space mission, Gold Chain Cowboy. The rocket reached apogee at 124.5 kilometers (408,456 ft), 24.5 km past the Kármán line - the internationally recognized boundary of space - at 8:12 am on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023. This consequently marked a significant milestone for the company and the greater space launch industry. Furthermore, the success also sees the Company become the 9th privately funded US company to pass the Kármán line and reach space.

OQ Technology has received a space activity licence from the Government of Luxembourg after undergoing rigorous technical, legal, security, and administrative due diligence on the company, its operations and future plans. As a result, OQ Technology becomes one of the first space companies in Luxembourg to receive this authorization under Luxembourg’s new law on Space Activities

Kacific has, through its CommsBox, a transportable, all-in-one satellite communications product, received recognition at the 10th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. Kacific won the Gold Stevie® Award for “Achievement in Product Innovation” with CommsBox, which addresses the challenges faced by disaster-prone areas. Users can quickly and easily deploy CommsBox to create a self-contained wireless communication network.

Torsten Hoffmann, founder and CEO of Melbourne-based 3D/4k Content Hub has announced the launch of his latest documentary, FORTITUDE. The documentary will build on Hoffman's previous film CRYPTOPIA (Netflix Europe, Amazon Prime), which delved into the world of blockchain technology. However, FORTITUDE will now explore the inspiring and rapidly evolving landscape of the emerging NewSpace economy.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a letter of intent with the Swedish National Space Agency to send an ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) on an Axiom mission. For this mission, Axiom and partners of the ISS have to approve the flight and the name of the astronauts that will go on the mission. 

The Swiss Federal Council has strengthened its commitment to space by adopting its 2023 Space Policy. This sets the course for the Confederation’s future space activities, providing a policy that is coordinated with Switzerland’s players in the space sector and embedded in its international context.

Apogeo Space has announced a collaboration agreement with INSIGHIO P.C. (INSIGHIO). The collaboration will see Apogeo Space test its satellite connection services on several of INSIGHIO’s existing products and projects. These projects will range from smart agriculture, precision agriculture, environmental and infrastructure monitoring to waste management. 

On 26 and 27 April, the EU Global Action will participate in the NewSpace Africa Conference 2023 to put on display success stories and explore the new opportunities emerging in the fast-growing African space sector, a sector in which Europe is strongly present and sees new opportunities for business cooperation and growth.