News

In April 2022, ESA's new Center for Space Safety was opened in Darmstadt. Andreas Schepers spoke with Dr. Holger Krag, Head of ESA's Space Security Program, about the ESA program and the tasks of the new center. At the beginning of the interview, Krag explains the ESA program and outlines the three areas of space weather, asteroid defense and space debris.

Launch vehicle company Astra, revealed its new launch vehicle suitable for heavier payloads and more frequent launches. Rocket 4.0 is part of the company’s Launch System 2.0. The launch vehicle will be able to carry up to 300 kg into low Earth orbit at a base price of US $3.95 million.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced they are opening up the Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) facility at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, to UN Member States.

Commercial space company Axiom Space, celebrated groundbreaking at the company’s new headquarters at Ellington Airport, the site of the Houston Spaceport in Space City. Axiom Space will construct a campus of offices, astronaut training, and mission control facilities, engineering development and testing labs, as well as a production facility.

Australian commercial space launch provider Southern Launch, announced it has opened its new headquarters following the expansion of its space launch services and applied space engineering consultancy operations in the country. The facilities in Hindmarsh, South Australia, include a warehouse for space vehicles preparing to launch as well as office space.

The United Kingdom and the United States signed a partnership to boost opportunities in the UK, the UK Government reported. The agreement lays the foundation for rockets, high-altitude balloons and spaceplanes to lift off from British spaceports. The UK and the US work together on future commercial spaceflight missions in the Smithsonian Institution, according to the partnership.

Our Space Café WebTalk “33 minutes with Nicole Thalhofer: The BDLI – Lobby of the German Space Industry and Organizer of the Unique ILA Space Pavilion” took place on Tuesday, 10th May. Nicole Thalhofer is the Head of Space Department and Lawyer at the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI).

In this Space Café Radio -  SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Jim Bridenstine, Senior Advisor at Acorn Growth Companies, former NASA Administrator and US Congressman at the LEO Kinetic Space Safety Workshop in Lausanne about threats and risks in Low Earth Orbit and how to move forward to a sustainable future in space

Space Café "Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland" will analyse current space developments with a legal focus. It will, at the same time discuss and ‘demystify’ the law for everyone. In our next Space Café “Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland”, Host Steven Freeland and Co-Host Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch.Global’s Publisher, welcome Ranjana Kaul and Kai-Uwe Schrogl 

German Rivada Space Networks, a new company launching a constellation of 600 low-Earth-orbit communication satellites, announced a pledge of US $112 million toward creating an Open Access Platform for the ITU Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to help bridge the digital divide.