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During this week’s SpaceCafé, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening caught up with space archaeologist and associate professor at Flinders University. Prof. Dr. Alice Gorman. Alice Gorman is Associate Professor at Flinders University, and an internationally recognised leader in the field of space archaeology. Her research focuses on the archaeology

SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present the 44th episode in our podcast series The Space Cafe Podcast #044: Steven Freeland: Rethinking New Space. Episode 044 features a special guest Steven Freeland. In this episode, we take a bird's eye view on many things in the New Space scene. Steven Freeland teaches space law and hosts his own show, Space Cafe "Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland".

Space consulting and market intelligence firm Euroconsult has released its “Government Space Programs” report for 2021. The highlight of this year’s findings is an accelerated volume of governmental investment in the space sector. This is due to ambitious space exploration programmes and the militarization of space.

South-Korean Innospace and Norwegian Andøya Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch into polar and sun-synchronous orbit from Norway, Andøya Space announced. Established in 2017, Innospace provides manufacturing and engineering services for aerospace and defence contractors.

The new German government has nominated Anna Christmann from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen as Coordinator of the Federal Government for German Aerospace. She succeeds Thomas Jarzombek from Düsseldorf, member of Bundestag since 2009 for the christian democrats CDU. The German aerospace coordinator sits within the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection in Berlin.

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Peter Hulsrøj, legal consultant for intergovernmental organisations, in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global. Space and the Fundamental Questions. Peter Hulsrøj is, with Marco Aliberti, the author of the book ‘Essays on the Optional Society – and a Letter Concerning Inclusion’ just out on Ex Tuto.

The Ariane 6 core and upper stage are on their way to Kourou, French Guiana scheduled to arrive at Europe’s Spaceport this month, ArianeGroup reported. The two stages will undergo combined testing on a new launch pad built under the supervision of the French Space Agency, CNES.

2021 finished strong, with another SPAC merger with a space-related (albeit not originally a space) company (Tomorrow.io), more fundraising by SpaceX, a few major private rounds, a couple of investments by Virgin Orbit (and hence yet further examples of a de-SPAC’d company deploying part of its cash towards investments) and even a small IPO (Sidus).

The U.S. committed to extend the operations of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced. The Biden-Harris Administration wants to continue to work with its international partners “to enable continuation of the groundbreaking research being conducted in this unique orbiting laboratory through the rest of this decade”.

In this Space Café Radio – TOP-10 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN SPACE IN 2021, contributing editor Dr. Emma Gatti talks about her thoughts on the previous year. 2021 has been an intense year for the Space sector. From breakthrough scientific achievements to thorny diplomatic accidents, the industry seems almost to be not keeping pace with itself.