Europe

Ian Grosner, the Brazilian Space Agency federal attorney and host of SpaceWatch Global's Space Café Brazil, has become the chair of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, Austria. The election happened on Monday, March 20, 2023.

Business Wire reported on the 29th of March that Planet Labs PBC a global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions has signed an agreement to acquire the business of Holding Sinergise d.o.o. -a European geospatial technology company. Through this new contract Planet aims to continue to expand into new vertical markets by reducing the complexity of analysis and insights extraction. 

The amount the UK space sector brings to the UK economy has grown by £1 billion, helping to launch new businesses and create jobs across the country, according to the latest figures from the UK Space Agency. Despite the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, space organizations presented a robust picture, generating £17.5 billion in 2021, compared to £16.5 billion the previous year.

The European Rover challenge (ERC) has announced today that it has opened its registration and introduced a new certification process. Not only will the tasks based on actual missions performed by rovers on Mars and the Moon be analysed, but the competence and skills of future engineers will be validated. Academic teams worldwide can now register for the competition and get a chance to obtain the ERC Space and Robotics Industry Standard Practice Programme certificate. 

In this fascinating episode of the Space Cafe Podcast, host Markus Mooslechner is joined by Dr. Matt Russo, an astrophysicist, and musician, to discuss the connection between space and music. They delve into Dr. Russo's journey from a musician to an astrophysicist, the sound of gravitational waves, and the idea of life beyond Earth. The conversation also covers the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations and the role of music in understanding the universe.

OneWeb has announced the successful deployment and contact of 36 satellites that NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota, India. Lift-off took place on Sunday, 26 March 2023, at 9:00 am local time. Furthermore, OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the rocket and dispensed over nine phases over a period of 1 hour and 14 minutes. In addition, OneWeb also confirmed signal acquisition on all 36 satellites.

Isar Aerospace has announced the closing of its USD 165m (EUR 155m) Series C round, making it one of the largest SpaceTech financing rounds globally and one of the largest European DeepTech fundraises. 7-Industries Holding, Bayern Kapital via its Scale Up Fund Bavaria, Earlybird Venture Capital, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (Porsche SE), UVC Partners, and Vsquared Ventures all backed the round.

For All Moonkind, Inc. has announced the formation of For All Moonkind's Institute on Space Law and Ethics. The Institute, whose mission is to promote the articulation and development of an ethical foundation and framework for responsible space behavior, will serve as a platform for the exchange and innovation of ideas regarding law, morality, and ethics, amplifying diverse thoughts on the interpretation and expansion of the law as it affects human space activities.

Destinus, a European aerospace firm specializing in high-speed hydrogen-powered airplanes, has been chosen by the Spanish Ministry of Science’s Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico e Industrial (CDTI) program to participate in a strategic initiative and received grants to further R&D for supersonic flight utilizing hydrogen as fuel.

In a bid for Europe, through the European Space Agency (ESA), to significantly increase its autonomy in human and robotic space exploration, a 12-person High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) has presented an independent report on the state of European space exploration to the 315th session of the ESA Council at ESA Headquarters in Paris on 23 March 2023. The HLAG, which includes leaders across industry, Government, academia and civil society, came about in the summer of 2022 at the request of ESA’s Council.