Europe

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is ready to launch on 26 August 2023 to observe the most energetic objects and events in the cosmos. In doing so, it will unveil the evolution of the Universe and the structure of spacetime. XRISM will tentatively launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 09:34 JST / 01:34 BST / 02:34 CEST. The mission is a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, with significant participation from ESA. In return for providing hardware and scientific advice, ESA will also receive 8% of XRISM’s available observing time.

Nature data specialist Space Intelligence will map two African nations to support integrity and transparency in the carbon markets. The maps for Kenya and Tanzania will help to provide a baseline for all Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) projects which aim to stop unplanned deforestation in the countries. Furthermore, the standards agency, Verra, will approve the maps. To ensure accuracy and validity, the maps will comprise two levels of data: a set of Forest Cover Benchmark Maps covering 2010-2020 and point-based Activity Data showing the precise location of deforestation.

Greetings, SpaceWatchers, and welcome to Summer Listening Week Three! Summer is upon us, and as our gaze shifts towards the stars during those warm, clear nights, SpaceWatch.Global brings you its third collection or the Summer Listening Series. Based on the vote by our newsroom, we have mapped out an interstellar journey across five categories. After the Moon, Climate, Space and Earth this week is the turn of  “Trendsetters in the Space Sector.”

The Republic of San Marino is entering the space economy by organising the “San Marino Aerospace”, the first international event dedicated to the aerospace and space economy hosted on Mount Titano. The event will take place at the Spazio Multieventi on October 25th and 26th. It will provide an opportunity for meeting and cooperation between institutions, laboratories, companies and startups. The Republic of San Marino will host conferences, panels, b2b meetings, demonstrations, workshops and insights, with the participation of Italian and foreign experts in the field of aviation and aerospace. 

SpeQtral, a leading quantum communication technology company, has chosen Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) as the satellite bus provider for its upcoming SpeQtral-1 mission. Furthermore, the mission also has a second partner in Mbryonics, producing the satellite’s optical terminal. Using the technical expertise of NanoAvionics as a leading smallsat bus manufacturer and mission integrator and Mbryonics’s state-of-the-art optical terminal hardware, SpeQtral-1 aims to serve as a pathfinder commercial demonstrator, defining future quantum key distribution (QKD) services.

In this Space Café Radio -  SpaceWatch.Global's Dr. Emma Gatti spoke with Dr. Raji Pillai Rajagopalan, the Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy & Technology (CSST), based in Delhi, India. Today's episode is in partnership with the Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on the long-term sustainability of outer space and earth orbits, as well as space security and stability considerations.

The UK Space Agency announced on the 8th of August the recipients to receive the first phase of its £20 million International Bilateral Fund investments. These investments are intended to help UK organisations to link up with the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Singapore, South Africa and form collaborations that will progress space research and investment in new technologies. The International Bilateral Fund is the Agency’s first fund dedicated to building and strengthening international relationships to help advance the UK’s goals in space. Some projects will focus on enhancing relationships to unlock future economic opportunities for the UK, and others will focus directly on science missions and technologies with strong commercial potential. 

LeoLabs, a commercial provider of Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services has shared their support for the European Space Agency's (ESA) successful assisted reentry of Aeolus, an Earth observation satellite, over Antarctica on 28 July 2023.

Planet has acquired Sinergise, including Sentinel Hub, marking a significant step forward in its mission to make Earth observation (EO) data more accessible and impactful. The Company also welcomes Sentinel Hub users to the Planet community and is eager to accelerate investment in Europe, the development of EO data applications, and solutions for the planet.

Dr. Laura Nuttall is a renowned physicist who has dedicated much of her academic and professional life to the study of gravitational waves. As a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, her contributions have been pivotal in shaping our understanding of these cosmic phenomena. In this episode, host Markus sits down with Dr. Nuttall to delve into the intricacies of gravitational waves, the universe, and the groundbreaking tools and collaborations propelling the field forward.