News

Sweden has become the latest and 38th signatory to the Artemis Accords, as Swedish Minister for Education Dr. Mats Persson signed the accords on behalf of Sweden at an event in Stockholm. Participants at the signing included Persson and Ambassador Erik D. Ramanathan, the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, who gave remarks welcoming Sweden to the Accords family. Pre-recorded remarks by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played during the ceremony as well.

The UK Space Agency (UKSA), in collaboration with the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), has announced an initiative to support early-stage space startups. With £8 million allocated for investment, this initiative aims to address the critical funding gap that many early-stage space companies face at the pre-seed and seed stages. UKI2S is leading the Space Portfolio, while Future Planet Capital is responsible for managing it.

The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) has become the interim host for the pan-African Digital Earth Africa Program Management Office, a free platform providing satellite imagery and products specific to the African continent. Digital Earth Africa is on track to improve the lives of African people and support decision-makers across the continent to assess, plan, and protect their countries from the potential impacts of climate change.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded funding to the Space2CLIMB project that seeks to explore the feasibility of a product that will support the financial services sector through innovative biodiversity analytics. Led by GlobalTrust, in collaboration with Ecogain, Space2CLIMB looks to pioneer a satellite data-driven service at the intersection of environmental sustainability and financial decision-making. 

Switzerland has become the 37th member of the Artemis Accords, as Guy Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Education & Research, signed the Accords on behalf of Switzerland at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Monday, April 15. The signature consequently affirms Switzerland’s commitment to the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind.

Aerospacelab has announced the acquisition of AMOS, a company known for its opto-mechanical systems widely used in astronomy, space and other industries. The acquisition marks a significant milestone for the two aerospace companies, jointly entering a new era in advanced space technologies and opening new markets respectively.

Voyager Space (Voyager), has announced the appointment of Neeraj Gupta as the company's Chief Strategy Officer. As CSO, Neeraj will lead the development and execution of comprehensive strategic initiatives to drive innovation, market expansion, and sustainable growth. Neeraj was a key player in establishing the company in 2021 and helped secure the second-largest Series A capital raise in aerospace history: $1.4 billion.

Space Systems Command (SSC) and its mission partners have successfully launched the United States Space Force (USSF)-62 Weather System Follow–on–Microwave (WSF-M) satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in northern Santa Barbara County, California. This mission brings new capabilities to the US and its allies by placing the first satellite of two new generations of operational environmental monitoring satellites into orbit.

What is one of the main reasons behind orbital cluttering and debris? A conversation of our Dr Emma Gatti with Dr Luca Rossettini, co-founder and CEO of D-Orbit (plus, the many reasons for Luca to go to Space Symposium, including its night parties..;)

After a behemoth month of space-tech investment in February ($1.7b), global venture investment in space-tech fell back to earth in March with only $93.96m invested. Europe held three of the four largest investments this month: Multiverse Computing in Spain (€25m), Mbryonics in Ireland (€17.5m), and Blackwave in Germany ($6.6m), with South Africa’s Simera Sense (€13.5m) rounding out the top-four.