News

Viasat, Inc. has won a contract from Northrop Grumman to support the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) initiative, called the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) Call 003 program – better known by its nickname 'Global Lightning.' As a result, the company's high-capacity geostationary satellites will support the program, which is connecting commercial space internet services for military users

On the 26th of January 2024, 118 marine conservation and environmental organizations signed a petition asking Iridium to stop producing their Short Burst Data (SBD) modules, real-time GPS tracking devices, because such service is used in dFADs, short for drifting fish aggregating devices, fishing tools scientifically proven to be environmentally harmful. Iridium’s answer acknowledged the potential issue, but declined the criticism. Whether the responsibility lies in the hands of the satellite tracking service providers, or with wholesale satellite network operators such as Iridium, it’s the first crack in a canvas painted by a domain that refuses to accept and take action upon a bitter reality: Space-based technology is dual-use in every sense, and the extreme efficiency and power of our services can, is and will be used for crimes against the environment, if not thoroughly regulated.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Dana Weigel as the International Space Station (ISS) Program manager, based at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Weigel succeeds Joel Montalbano, who has accepted a position as deputy associate administrator for the Agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Both positions will be effective April 7.

CREAN has announced its newest addition to its team as it hires Sam Peterson as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). This strategic hire marks a significant step forward for CREAN as it continues to accelerate growth through new product and service offerings to our customers with complex engineering, production, and supply chain challenges.

Iridium Communications Inc. has announced that the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of Defense (MOD) has adopted Iridium connectivity for strategic use within its military operations. The ROK Army will consequently leverage a full suite of Iridium products and services to enhance operations, including real-time position-tracking capabilities for soldiers.

The Space Café Podcast #101:  Answers to the biggest questions in reach – ELT project manager Roberto Tamai shares insights about the  Extremely Large Telescope in Chile Episode 101 features. In this captivating episode, Markus takes us on an exploratory journey to one of Earth's most remote and intriguing places, the Atacama Desert, home to the future of astronomical discovery: The European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). Roberto Tamai, the project manager of the ELT, shares the human stories, technical marvels, and ambitious goals behind the world's largest optical and near-infrared telescope.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has disclosed the four Indian astronauts that will fly to low-Earth orbit as part of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission, which will be the first crewed Indian space mission. The Gaganyaan mission envisages the demonstration of Indian human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bringing them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea waters. The Prime Minister made the announcement while visiting the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

In a strategic move to boost the telecommunications landscape, the Global Satellite Operator's Association (GSOA) and the GSM Association (GSMA) have announced an important cooperation to foster innovation and seamless TN-NTN integration. Both associations consequently commit to advancing the capabilities of global communications by driving innovation, promoting standards, and delivering value to their members and the broader telecommunications industry. Furthermore, by combining the expertise and resources of both associations, they aim to explore new frontiers in technology and leverage synergies between mobile and satellite technologies.

Unseenlabs has announced the closure of its fundraising round of €85 million. This operation, one of the largest in the space industry, signifies the global interest in Earth observation and marks a new milestone in Unseenlabs’ development. This new funding round brings together new leading investors: Supernova Invest, ISA LT via its Strategic Transition Fund and UNEXO. All of Unseenlabs’ historical partners - 360 Capital, OMNES, Bpifrance, Breizh Up managed by UI Investissement, and S2G Ventures - also reaffirm their support for this new phase by investing in the new funding round. 

Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance partnership opportunities, marking a significant milestone in bilateral collaboration between Rwanda and Poland in space technology. Rwanda and Poland share robust bilateral ties, demonstrated by a state visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda this month to Kigali, Rwanda's capital city.