Europe

PLD Space has signed a Boost! contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a payload accommodation system on MIURA 5 that will provide greater flexibility to its customers. The project, in collaboration with OCCAM Space, is worth 1.3 million euros. In addition, it is part of ESA's Boost! program that aims to boost commercial space transportation initiatives and fits with PLD Space's value proposition of offering its customers a customized service capable of adapting to their needs through its orbital launcher MIURA 5.

The European Space Foundation has announced the 10th edition of its annual European Rover Challenge (ERC) competition. Every year, the Challenge attracts decision-makers, experts in the space sector and representatives of the best technical universities from around the world. This year, the AGH University of Krakow will host the ERC from September 6-8.

D-Orbit has been selected to join the Responsive European Architecture for Space (REACTS) project under the European Defence Fund (EDF) 2022. As part of this innovative collaboration, D-Orbit will focus on the use of orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) within responsive space systems. REACTS aims to enhance European defense capabilities through a robust, scalable network of Responsive Space Systems (RSS).

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are conducting a new mission to survey ultraviolet light across the entire sky and consequently offer more insight into how galaxies and stars evolve. NASA will launch the UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer) space telescope tentatively in 2030 as its next Astrophysics Medium-Class Explorer mission to facilitate the mission.

The Space Café Podcast #100:  Ditching Big Finance for adventure: Exploring Earth and Beyond with Paul Niel. Join Markus for a compelling episode of the Space Café Podcast, where he embarks on a journey through the remarkable adventures of Paul Niel. Niel, an explorer and adventurer, delves into his experiences from unearthing ancient relics to embarking on space analog missions. This episode is a testament to the human spirit of exploration, whether scaling the highest peaks or simulating life on Mars.

CoreLogic Australia has partnered with ICEYE on a disaster response solution for the banking and finance industry. The partnership aims to combine four decades of CoreLogic’s property data with ICEYE’s hazard insights, which leverage synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data and auxiliary ground data, to develop a new disaster solution that can pinpoint areas and properties affected by flood and bushfire as events unfold.

Starlab Space LLC (Starlab Space), the transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, has announced its leadership team. Retired NASA astronaut and Voyager executive Tim Kopra will become Starlab's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), while Mohit Sharma, currently Head of Mergers and Acquisitions Finance at Airbus Defence and Space, joins Starlab as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 

The last episode of EUSPA's Mini series see the intervention of Georgios Synnefakis, GOVSATCOM program manager at EUSPA. Emma Gatti, Editor in Chief of SpaceWatch.Global, and Dr. Synnefakis discussed the importance of GOVSATCOM in providing secure satellite communications to governmental users in various scenarios, including crisis management and critical infrastructure support.

Caracol has launched its new Technology Assembly facility and Innovation Hub near Milan (Italy), pursuing its vision of expanding the adoption of the Large Format 3D printing technology to provide a more efficient, flexible, and sustainable production means for industrial manufacturing.

Greece has become the latest country to join the Artemis Accords, as the Greek foreign minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis signed the Accords on the margins of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue at the Department of State in Washington. Also participating in the event at the U.S. Department of State were NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Dr. Ioannis Daglis, president of the Hellenic Space Center. The signing occurred during the fifth United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Washington.