Europe

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft, built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage, UK, was launched on board a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V space launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 23:03hrs Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 9 February 2020 (04:03hrs GMT, 10 February 2020). As planned, the spacecraft …

More than 200 speakers and 1300 attendees touched base at #DLD20 - Digital -Life-Design. For the 16th time, “Europe‘s hottest conference” brought together the most influential opinion-makers, industry leaders, start-ups, and digital giants in Munich, on January 18-20, 2020. The topics ranged from AI, Social & Politics, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Digital & Technology to Art & Design. The overall theme was - What are you adding?

Investment in the design and development of space science missions results in between £2.5 and £4 in returns for each £1 invested, a new UK report shows.

Airbus-built Solar Orbiter has been fitted inside its protective fairing, mounted on top of the launcher and is now ready for its launch from Cape Canaveral in the evening of 9 February 2020. The next time the satellite will see the Sun will be when it’s in space on its …

Thales Alenia Space moved forward this week in creating its Digital Center of Excellence in Luxembourg by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of the Economy of the Duchy of Luxembourg. It aims to become a major industrial contributor to the nation’s ambitious space and digital strategy.

The first European device to land on the Moon this decade will be a drill and sample analysis package, and the teams behind it are one step closer to flight as part of Russia's Luna-27 mission.

More than 30 representatives from the UK space industry, universities and government—supported by the UK Space Agency—are visiting Singapore this week to explore new partnerships and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the State of New South Wales, Australia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on future space activities. This agreement sets up a framework for cooperation on space-related activities in areas including space science and space policy and law.

The cover on the CHEOPS space telescope was opened successfully on 29 January 2020. It is now being tested for precision and its first images are being produced.

Edinburgh-based satellite launch company Skyrora held successful ground tests on its 3D printed 30kN (kilonewton) liquid bi-propellant rocket engine in late January 2020.