Europe

by Ronald van der Breggen A second-generation LEO has been in operation for years. Why are we only now launching our first generation? Recently I got an email with people referring to various LEO systems and they were classified into being either first or second or third generation. It was interesting because their definitions were different from mine

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Prof. Thomas Schildknecht, Director of Swiss Optical Ground Station and Geodynamics Observatory Zimmerwald and Vice-Director of Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland, in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global.

Young people are the future:  On the 12th of May 2021, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) released a Lunar Governance Report outlining the ideas and proposals of the young generations for the inclusive, effective and adaptive regulation of lunar activities. The Report is accessible online and is accompanied by an Executive Summary and a Lunar Manifesto.

Mynaric and SpaceLink join forces to use Mynaric’s laser communication product portfolio on SpaceLink’s data relay network. The cooperation has a volume of $20 million, SpaceLink said, and will help drive forward its satellite relay service, which provides secure, continuous, high-capacity communications between LEO spacecraft and the ground.

The research and development group Space Applications Services has been mandated by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and deliver three reactors to produce oxygen from lunar soil, the group said. Space Applications said it will lead eight European companies and R&D institutes

The quantum encryption technology specialist Arqit goes public and raises $400 million through a merger with the publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Centricus, the companies announced. The pro forma equity value of the business combination is approximately $1.4 billion, the companies said, and the pro forma enterprise value approximately $1.0 billion

SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present the 27th episode in our podcast series The Space Cafe Podcast: Bruce Damer - a new origin of life and how to mine an asteroid. Episode 027 features a special guest Bruce Damer. Bruce Damer is a versatile scientist who may be on the verge of rewriting the story of the origin of life.

This Space Café Balkan will feature Raycho Raychev, founder and CEO of Endurosat! in conversation with Anja Nakarada Pecujlic and Marko Pajović, friends of SpaceWatch.Global. Is the Balkan an emerging space region? Recently, an increase of space activities in the Balkan region is noticable and even though there is no real coherence between Balkan countries,

This Space Café Spain will feature Carlos Entrena, founder and CEO of Plus Ultra Space Outposts in conversation with Izan Peris, a friend of SpaceWatch.Global and fellow space entrepreneur. Does Spain have a role in the new lunar economy? Space Café Spain will hold its inaugural episode with Carlos Entrena,

One step closer to launch: the central power unit of Ariane 6’s upper stage has completed its qualification and will soon be used in the first hot-fire tests, ArianeGroup said. The propulsion system’s Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) completed its final qualification tests at its site in Vernon, France.