Europe

The United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) has funded Scientists to help them use the International Space Station to perform experiments seeking to improve understanding of currently incurable child brain tumors and the muscle ageing process.

This Space Café Italy will feature Prof. Luigi Carrino, President of Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale della Campania, and Dr.ssa Mariella Pappalepore, the CFO of Planetek Italia, in conversation with Dr Emma Gatti, Editor- in-Chief and correspondent of SpaceWatch.Global for Italy. Southern Space - A view of the Italian Space industry in the southern regions

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium announced on the 22nd of March their findings on how asteroid composition will help to further understand how asteroids form and how best to alter their trajectory. Their research has been studying the outcome of the Double-Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), a space mission conducted by NASA and ESA that hit the Didymos-Dimorphos double asteroid last year. 

In light of Virgin Orbit's pause operations amidst financial uncertainties, the Launch Company will partly resume operations after nearing a $200 million deal with Venture capital firm Matthew Brown Companies. According to Reuters, the Texas-based company will prevent Virgin Orbit's rocket from bankruptcy via a private share placement. 

During his visit to Brazil, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Mr. Espen Barth Eide announced that NICFI’s Satellite Data Program is extended until September 2024. After 2.5 years of the program, it has become evident that public access to high resolution satellite images leads to more effective rainforest protection, Eide said.

XCAM Ltd, a UK-based designer and manufacturer of digital camera systems, announced on the 22nd of March that they have received significant further funding from ESA for the manufacture of its Space Particle Fall Out (PFO) Monitor. This has come after an eight-year technical development programme where XCAM and ESA have collaborated. Space PFO is due to be ready to launch into space inside a rocket launch vehicle in the summer of 2025. It will be the first instrument to measure particulate contamination inside a rocket. 

In this  Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Victor Danchev, Chief Technical Officer at Endurosat, about the Toliman mission, together with the University Of Syndey and the Breakthrough Initiatives

The Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) has announced the winners of the 2023 SIG Awards. The awards celebrate the standout innovative technologies and solutions from individuals, companies, and institutions within the SIG membership. This year’s winners are Ashram (Engineering Program Manager, Micro-Ant), Atheras Analytics' SGD Design Tool, Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability (DIFI) Consortium, and Valentin Eder (Space Analyses). The categories were: Cooperation of the Year, Innovation of the Year, and Young Engineer of the Year.

The  Space Café “33 minutes with Maya Glickman-Pariente“, CEO of SPACECIALIST, Head of Space Operations, SAS Founder of “My space academy,” in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global was conducted on 14th March 2023, about the future of satellite operations and the role of AI, as well as her advice to the next generation of women in STEM.

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., and Astraius Ltd. have announced a collaboration to enhance future satellite launch capabilities from Prestwick Spaceport. During a visit to the Spaceport by Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise, Ivan McKee, the companies commemorated the announcement with a signing ceremony.