Europe

The United Kingdom and European Union have agreed to a draft agreement regarding Britain’s re-entry into the Horizon Europe research program. Britain formally left all three schemes when it quit the EU in January 2020, and discussions to re-associate as a third country proved difficult. As a result, the European Commission blocked the British researchers' participation until the UK resolved a post-Brexit row over Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements.

Like last year, the SpaceWatch.Global newsroom has gathered together to analyse  the Financial Time Investing In Space 2023 Summit, held in London on the 5th and 6th of June 2023. The second Summit kept the format of the inaugural one, with a mixed audience of venture capitalists, space experts, space industrials, and agency representatives. We observed a few leitmotifs seen during the first edition, like the importance every year some speaker gives to find a better name for the Space industry

On the 5th and 6th of June 2023, the Financial Time’s held its second Investing In Space conference. Similarly to last year, it was held in a hybrid form. The first day online, the second day live from London. Titled “Balancing Optimism with Realism”, the two-day summit hosted a selection of investors, innovators, government, and end-users for analyses of the opportunities of space.

The Financial Times Investing In Space Summit took place in person and online on 05-06 June 2023, under the motto "Balancing optimism with realism". In Part 1 (LINK) we covered the state of the space market and its investment value. We also looked at why the future for UK space looks bright, and how different countries can have differentiated space investment and capacity-building strategies. In Part 2, we will look at more stories behind the numbers, bold visions, disruptions, opportunities, emerging markets such as space-based solar power as potential remediation to climate issues, space resource utilization, and Moon mining, and even alternative modes of access to space. Readers who missed this event are encouraged to check out the Video-On-Demand.

The Financial Times Investing In Space Summit < https://ftspace.live.ft.com/agenda > took place in person and online on 05-06 June 2023, under the motto "Balancing optimism with realism". Indeed it was the first significant space investment and financing conference to take place after the rise of interest rates by the US FED, together with other macro headwinds, such as conflict-driven economic deterioration. This thorough and intensive FT conference did a fairly good job of articulating trends and putting the spotlight on both mainstream markets (launchers, constellations) and emerging space activities, Moon included.

Space Café "Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland" will analyse current space developments with a legal focus. It will, at the same time discuss and ‘demystify’ the law for everyone. In our next Space Café “Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland”, Host Steven Freeland, Emeritus Professor of International Law at Western Sydney University, Sydney and Professorial Fellow at Bond University, Australia, and Co-Host Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch.Global’s Publisher, welcome Axelle Cartier and Dr. Ingo Baumann.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global contributor Remco Timmermans spoke with Einar Bjørgo,  Director, United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)at GLOC - the Global Space Conference on Climate Change in Oslo in May 2023 about the center, the role of UNOSAT and the ways of activation. The Global Space Conference on Climate Change was co-organized by IAF, the International Astronautical Federation, and the Norwegian Space Agency.

GMV, a technological business group, announced on the 5th of July that they have been awarded six projects selected by the European Defence Fund (EDF) under the second call of the EDF program. In the second call for proposals the Commission has supported a total of 41 joint defence research and development projects across the European Union, with a total budget of 832 million euros in funding.

Rivada Space Networks has announced that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)’s Radio Regulations Board has waived the requirement that Rivada put 10% of its constellation into orbit this year.

On 21-23 June 2023, the Directorate-General of Legal Affairs of the German Federal Ministry of Defence hosted the Conference on the “McGill Manual on the International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space” (MILAMOS). The three-day event was organised at the Federal Academy for Security Policy (Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik, BAKS), and held at the historic Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, Germany.