News

The Australian Government has announced its commitment never to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti‑satellite missile testing, consistent with its role as a responsible actor in space. When a party performs such tests, these tests generate large amounts of debris that remain in space for years. The debris subsequently threatens satellites and other space objects, risking the long-term sustainability of human activity in space.

Mengtian (“dreaming of the heavens”), the third module of China’s Tiangong space station has docked, completing its construction. The Long March 5B rocket that deployed the module is currently on its way back Earth, with an estimated uncontrolled re-entry this Saturday.

After over three years, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launched to space again carrying US military payloads as part of the USSF-44 mission to a geosynchronous Earth orbit. Falcon Heavy consists of three modified Falcon 9 first stage boosters.

Continuing its cooperation with African countries, China has taken steps to strengthen its relations with Namibia in the space industry. China recently organized a "Talk with Taikonauts" session with eight African countries; Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Algeria, and Senegal

In our next Space Café “Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland”, Host Steven Freeland, Emeritus Professor of International Law at Western Sydney University, Sydney and Professorial Fellow at Bond University, Australia, and Co-Host Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch.Global’s Publisher, welcome Olga Volynskaya and Lucien Rapp at the magnificent café Le Bibent in Toulouse where Adam Smith began writing The Wealth of Nations.

In this Space Café Radio – SpaceWatch.Global Event coordinator and Space Café Young Global Talents Host Chiara Moenter spoke with all the cohort of the very first Space for Business course: Gerarda De Pasquale, Rui Serapicos, Ana Brandão, Daniël van Beekhuizen, Pascal Alexander Rodel, Martijn Leinweber, Joana Kamenova, Yann Tincelin, Gonzalo Martín de Mercado, and Lisa Denzer.

Terran Orbital Corporation, a satellite-based solutions company, announced that it has entered into a note and warrant purchase agreement pursuant to which Terran Orbital received a $100 million investment from Lockheed Martin in exchange for convertible notes and warrants issued by Terran Orbital

ispace, inc., a private Japanese company developing robotic spacecraft technologies, has announced that it has delivered its Mission 1 (M1) lunar lander, part of the company’s HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, to the United States and is now in Cape Canaveral, Florida. In addition, ispace announced an updated launch window for M1.

Next-generation satellite communication systems provider SatixFy Communications, has gone public by completing its business merger with Endurance Acquisition following stockholder approval and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Prior to the business combination, Endurance and SatixFy entered into an OTC (over-the-counter) Prepaid Forward Purchase Agreement.

Global mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat, and global communications company Viasat got approval from the Australian Government's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) for the planned combination of their businesses, Inmarsat said.