Europe

UK climate tech satellite company Satellite Vu, has hired industry veteran Camilla Taylor as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) ahead of their upcoming satellite launch, the company stated. Taylor has spent the last decade in CFO roles at what3words, and at electric mobility business Saietta Group PLC.

Darmstadt-based company Vyoma, will advance the procurement of its spacecraft integrated with debris-tracking cameras after a successfully closed Seed financing round during the summer, the firm said. With the help of the investment, the company will also be able to flight test its algorithms, and deploy a portfolio of services. The first spacecraft is planned to be launched in 2024.

Australian in-space transportation and logistics startup Space Machines Company (SMC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global launch services company Arianespace, to study the available options to ensure an optimal compatibility between the launchers and SMC’s OTV family.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Navigation Directorate is planning an in-orbit demonstration with new low Earth orbit (LEO) navigation satellites supplementing Europe’s 23 Galileo satellites. The LEO-PNT satellites will investigate a new multi-layer satellite navigation system-of-systems approach to deliver seamless Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT). ESA states that the technology could enable much more accurate, robust and available-to-all services.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Xavier Pasco, Director of the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique in Paris, during the 6th PSSI Space Security Conference, held in Prague, from the 19th to the 21st of June 2022. During this episode Xavier discusses the threats in the space domain, the European space safety and  security capabilities with Torsten. Tune in to hear more!

The hard reality of energy dependency has since February hit the European continent, which has decided to give a decisive push to the search for alternative methods to generate green and independent energy. Space is part of this huge technological challenge, with Space Based Solar Panels (SBSP) being discussed more and more as a viable method to generate electricity directly from Space-based infrastructures. Needless to say, the technological, economical, political and environmental challenges are enormous.

CYSEC, a European company specializing in data protection, in particular confidential computing, has announced raising €2m with the support of Karista. The company has earmarked the additional funding to spur the company’s growth in the NewSpace market, where it already has a large footprint.

Space launch systems operator Virgin Orbit (VO), and the Luxembourg Minister of Defence signed a Letter of Intent to begin the process towards developing responsive space capabilities inclusive of a Luxembourg-based mobile launch infrastructure available for NATO partners, and other Allies across the European continent, VO said. As part of the agreement, VO will assess how such a space capability could be based in the country and optimized for various needs. 

Kongsberg NanoAvionics has announced a multi-million investment plan to support and accelerate its goal of becoming the prime supplier for small satellite constellations globally. As a result of the recent acquisition by Kongsberg and part of its growth plan, the company seeks to significantly grow its production capacity over the next two years. Likewise, it intends to ramp up its research and development (R&D) program.

Airbus´ High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) Connectivity Business has signed a strategic partnership with Salam as the last batch of Airbus' Pléiades Neo satellites arrives at the European Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, following a transatlantic flight from Toulouse, France.