News

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected OKAPI:Orbits to assess the provision of potential future external conjunction assessment support services to ESA. The selection is under a pilot scheme testing and complementing ESA's existing and established collision avoidance processes. ESA currently uses the collision avoidance processes for its SWARM mission.

Long-term orbital sustainability provider, Astroscale Israel, a subsidiary of Astroscale US, has implemented changes in its executive leadership, naming Ofir Azriel the new Managing Director of the company.

On December 19, the Outer Space Institute published an International Open Letter on Reducing Risks from Uncontrolled Reentries of Rocket Bodies. The letter was signed by nearly 200 leading experts, including former astronauts, foreign ministers, heads of space agencies, a Nobel Prize winner, and a recently retired Chief Scientist of NASA.

UK-based software defined ground segment solution provider, Clutch Space, has signed a letter of intent with Luxembourg-based space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance company, Kleos Space, to participate in the demonstration and evaluation of the AnyTime micro ground station network.

The Outer Space Institute (OSI) has published the International Open Letter on Reducing Risks from Uncontrolled Reentries of Rocket Bodies, the third international open letter that the OSI has developed and released. The Open Letter calls on governments to negotiate a multilateral agreement requiring controlled reentries and, in the meantime, demonstrate leadership by immediately and unilaterally committing to national controlled reentry regimes.

Saturn Satellite Networks has selected CesiumAstro’s Vireo-GEO active phased array RF payload for Saturn’s Space BroadbandNetworks-1 (SBN-1). The SBN-1 program consists of 6 high-throughput geostationary satellites (HTSs) that will provide satellite-based internet access services to satellite operators, capacity resellers, internet service providers, and end users.

Approximately 2 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff an anomaly occurred on the rocket’s Zefiro 40 second stage, thus ending Arianespace’s Vega C mission, the company said. Data analyses are currently in progress to determine the reasons of the launch failure.

HPS’ (High Performance Space Structure Systems) ADEO braking sail has successfully deployed aboard D-Orbit’s ION satellite carrier, which will now sail to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in the shortest possible time to then fully burn up, HPS said. The “Show me your Wings” mission is the final proof-of-concept flight.

Aerospace and defense technology innovator, L3Harris Technologies, signed a definitive agreement with propulsion systems and energetics provider, Aerojet Rocketdyne, for L3Harris to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for US $58 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at US $4.7 billion, inclusive of net debt, L3Harris said. The deal is expected to close in 2023.

Airbus has successfully achieved the System Critical Design Review (CDR) on the EGNOS V3 satellite-based augmentation system. According to the Company, the EGNOS V3 (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service)'s design will add key security features for the most safety-critical applications, such as aircraft navigation and landing. Furthermore, it will provide entirely new services for maritime and land users. EGNOS V3 is the second generation of the overlay system and will improve the performance of GPS and Galileo.