News

Astroscale Japan has been selected by the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for its Small and Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop an on-orbit inspection demonstration mission that will image and diagnose a large, defunct satellite in space. 

The UK Space Agency has announced up to £65 million of funding for ground-breaking innovations that aim to boost UK leadership in space technologies and applications. The National Space Innovation Program (NSIP) will support high-risk, high-reward projects designed by British organizations with the potential to accelerate the development of new space technologies, satellite applications, and services.

The Independent Enquiry Commission, set up by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, has concluded its findings on the test anomaly during the static firing test of the modified Zefiro40 engine. The Director General set up the Enquiry Commission to understand the cause of the test anomaly and propose recommendations. The ESA Inspector General, Giovanni Colangelo, chaired the Commission, which also comprised experts from CNES, ASI, ESA, Arianespace and academia.

Eutelsat Communications has announced that its entire issued share capital has been admitted to the Standard Segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the Main Market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under the ticker symbol: ETL.

In this episode of Space Café Radio, SpaceWatch.Global’s publisher, Torsten Kriening, has an exciting conversation with Lukasz Wilczynski, President of Space Communications Alliance and European Space Foundation, Organizer of European Rover Challenge, about the bid of Poznan, Poland for the International Astronautical Congress  (IAC) 2026. Poznań as a Host for IAC 2026: Lukasz emphasizes the suitability of Poznań, Poland, for hosting the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). He mentions the city's history of hosting large international trade fairs and its strategic location, making it easily accessible by plane and train. Furthermore, Poznań offers a compact layout with various amenities like restaurants and hotels in close proximity.

In the latest “Space Café BeNeLux”, our host Dr. Heike Poignand, welcomed Major Nicolas Gérôme, Head of Space Office at the Belgian Ministry of Defence to an eye-opening discussion of the question: “Space for Defence or Defence for Space?” Regarding Space for Defence 6 basic space applications are considered: Navigation and Timing, Satellite Communication, Earth Observation, Meteorology, Ballistic Missile Defence, and Space Situational awareness.

NASA has selected SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket to provide the launch service for the agency’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission. The mission comprises a pair of small satellites that will study space weather and how the Sun’s energy affects Earth’s magnetic environment or magnetosphere.

Euroconsult has published the fourth edition of its 'Prospects for Space Exploration' market intelligence report. The market report positions lunar exploration as the catalyst behind an unprecedented surge in the space exploration sector. This consequently led to a global Government investment rise to an impressive $26 billion during 2023.  Ambitious lunar missions will potentially also boost investment to nearly $33 billion by 2032, a growth trajectory which underscores lunar exploration's pivotal role in shaping the future of space exploration. 

ispace Technologies U.S. (ispace - U.S.) has announced its new U.S. headquarters in Denver, Colorado, where it is currently designing and has plans to manufacture its new APEX 1.0 lunar lander for future missions. The new headquarters will establish a central base of operations for the company to serve its American customers.

In the latest (15th) “Space Café Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland, host Steven Freeland, Emeritus Professor at Western Sydney University, and Professorial Fellow at Bond University, and Co-Host Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch.Global’s Publisher, welcomed Ann Vandenbroucke and Martin Reynders to a fantastic breakfast discussion at the famous Bundesbüdchen in Bonn. Over breakfast treats (and some coffee), they discussed important issues relating to current and future space activities and the challenges and opportunities raised by constantly developing space technology.