Europe

Leaf Space, the Italy-based pioneering ground segment as-a-service (GSaaS) solutions provider, is launching the CARES project, the company said. The project utilises telemedicine via satellite transmission and allows for the home monitoring of patients recovering from COVID-19. CARES is co-funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

British Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man’s government has agreed to join the 12 countries already embracing Artemis Accords. The Artemis Accords are an international agreement among participating nations setting out guidelines for cooperation in space exploration.

The British watchdog Ofcom wants to tighten the rules that govern satellite mega-constellations, Bloomberg reported. Satellite systems would be checked in the U.K. for whether they risk degrading other services, and if they could harm competition, Bloomberg said.

Isar Aerospace extended its series B funding by €63 million to over €140 million, the company founded in 2018 and specialising in small and medium satellites said. With a total financing volume of more than €150 million, Isar Aerospace now sees itself as "the most well-funded space start-up in the European Union".

The European Space Agency (ESA) and OHB will cooperate to boost commercial Earth Observation services, the agency said. Φ-lab, the Division in the Future Systems Department of the EO (Earth Observation) Programmes Directorate of ESA, and OHB Systems AG agreed to examine together "transformational technologies" to benefit the end-users of the commercial EO market, ESA said.

The German aerospace startup Polaris signed a four-month €250,000 contract with the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) to examine applications of its Aurora spaceplane for military observation missions, the company said. The contract allows for testing and validating the potentials of the reusable Aurora spaceplane in defense activities

Astroscale works with Mitsubishi on active debris removal and projects for improving space environmental protection, the Japanese company said. The collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will leverage Astroscale’s on-orbit servicing technologies and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ launch vehicle manufacturing and launch services capabilities.

Eumetsat, Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, extends its ocean and atmosphere monitoring and becomes the largest operator of Copernicus’ Sentinel satellite missions. The European Commission signed the Copernicus.2 contract with Eumetsat, a €735 million, seven-year agreement to entrust the agency with the operation and exploitation of Sentinel.

The launch service provider Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has successfully tested its staged combustion engine and thus marked the entry of the first European player in this technology segment, the company said. RFA’s eight-second engine test was conducted in Kiruna, Sweden, the company said.

SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present the 32nd episode in our podcast series The Space Cafe Podcast: Jacques Arnould, a tricky question for the entire space industry. Episode 032 features a special guest Jacques Arnould. Jacques Arnould is paid to ask uncomfortable questions. As an ethicist at the French space agency CNES